In this episode, we're in the second part of our five-part series on equanimity. That may sound like a lot of parts... but we're working on how to navigate through emotional storms with equanimity (and that takes some parts). We're really digging into that phase of an emotional storm when the physical response fires up and our thoughts kick in. Most of the time, our thoughts are slower than our physical response, leaving us with a stressful surge of sensations that can add fuel to what are often...
Mar 08, 2023•21 min•Ep 49•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode and the next four after this, we'll look at how to use equanimity when emotional storms hit. What's equanimity? We see it as a flexible state of steadiness, particularly amidst stress. And even though equanimity is our natural state, it’s the opposite that most of us are familiar with. That opposite goes by a lot of different names: fear, anxiety, irritability, moodiness, upset, agitation, being stressed out. In mental health lingo, it’s often called emotional reactivity. To get ...
Mar 01, 2023•25 min•Ep 48•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, we're working on our element of Savoring and considering this insight from Henry in last episode: “ We act as if we're just reacting to the world around us, but what if the world is actually reacting to us?” We'll try to get to the bottom of this with the wisdom of milkshakes... Key Takeaways: First: Are you savoring the Joy Lab podcast? If so, help us keep it going by giving us a top rating and a review on the platform you're listening on. It really helps us reach others who ar...
Feb 22, 2023•10 min•Ep 47•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, we're working on our element of Savoring. First: There will be some solid Back to the Future references (obviously). Second, this type of savoring can sometimes be more accessible than past and present savoring for those dealing with depression. Third, this type of savoring (along with past and present) is associated with a mood boost. It's definitely worth your time.Tune in for how this works and two simple ways to practice savoring the future. Key Takeaways: Savoring the futur...
Feb 15, 2023•20 min•Ep 46•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, we're working on our element of Savoring... and this time, we're savoring the present moment (we savored the past last episode). One of the powerful aspects of this type of savoring is that it really helps us anchor our attention to our experience of savoring vs focusing (or relying) on the actual event. That means we can drum up savoring at any moment and use it as a tool to shift mood in a more positive direction. Tune in for some key strategies and one common obstacle... FOBO...
Feb 08, 2023•28 min•Ep 45•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, we're working on our element of Savoring. This element is a powerful antidote for chronic busyness and feelings of overwhelm. And maybe best of all... it's pretty easy to do. And offers quick benefits. We're talking about savoring the past in this episode, one of the three types of savoring (the others are savoring the present and future). We'll also address a few obstacles to this element of savoring (e.g., getting stuck in repetitive thoughts about the past or glory day living...
Feb 01, 2023•25 min•Ep 44•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, we're working on our element of Inspiration by looking at our passions more closely... Harmonious passions are just like inspiration, they fuel us in nourishing and creative ways. Obsessive passions are quite the opposite. They're associated with negative emotions and rigidity. It's important to understand the difference between these, how they might show up in your life and how you can recalibrate or make a change if your passion has taken hold of you in a way that depletes you...
Jan 25, 2023•16 min•Ep 43•Transcript available on Metacast The element for this episode is “inspiration.” In the last two episodes, we dug into some strong myths around change and happiness. These centered around the false beliefs that we’re broken; that we need to be fixed; or that we need to change ourselves, our environment, or someone else to feel some happiness. If you haven't listened to those episodes (yet!), just know that those are super sticky myths. They come up a lot. Here at Joy Lab, we work on building ourselves up in powerful ways that qu...
Jan 18, 2023•27 min•Ep 42•Transcript available on Metacast The element for this episode is “inspiration.” We explored this element last episode, busting the myth that you need to be fixed. In the episode, we’re talking more about the myths of change. There's a jargon-y term that applies here, it's called the "fallacy of change." This is the belief that in order to be happy, to feel comfortable with ourselves, that something needs to change. We may believe we need to change, but often, we think someone else or something else needs to change. We’ll dive i...
Jan 11, 2023•21 min•Ep 41•Transcript available on Metacast Perhaps you're tuning in as we move into this new near. Have you set any resolutions yet? Whether or not you have, we'd like to suggest you put one resolution on the top of your list. Here it is for you (you can copy and paste as the background on your device): Resolution 1: I don't need to be fixed. Yup. That's the resolution that will actually fuel more inspiration and positive changes than any other one we can think of. Aren't convinced? Tune into this episode to learn why this kind of streng...
Jan 04, 2023•27 min•Ep 40•Transcript available on Metacast We all have pieces of ourselves that we feel are flawed, broken, and that we reject. That rejection keeps us in a stuck place. This meditation helps to bring these stories to the surface so that we can let them go and give ourselves the care and inspiration to move forward. This meditation can feel intense, so if you need to back off or pause during it, please do. We talked a bit about why this can be hard in episode 29 ( Backdraft: When Being Good to Yourself Feels Bad). This meditation is also...
Dec 28, 2022•18 min•Ep 39•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, we're talking about three common roadblocks that stand in the way of our element of sympathetic joy (and joy in general). These three obstacles trick us into feeling like we're always the victim, there's never enough (time, money, relationships, jobs... everything), and that we are lacking or flawed in some way. These obstacles are sneaky, but when you start to notice them, they can be tamed and overcome. Tune in for some strategies and encouragement to overcome these obstacles ...
Dec 21, 2022•19 min•Ep 38•Transcript available on Metacast This meditation is a surprisingly helpful tool to shift mood and perspective. If you're not sure what sympathetic joy is, head to our last episode, number 36, before or after this. But, the short version is that we're sharing in each other's joy with this element of sympathetic joy and this meditation will help you do just that. This meditation is also a bit of a taste of how we work in the Joy Lab program, so please join us over there for more tools to uncover your most joyful self. Key Takeawa...
Dec 14, 2022•16 min•Ep 37•Transcript available on Metacast Sympathetic joy may sound like a... funny kind of element. But it is surprisingly powerful. This element encourages us to join in with all the joy that is around us. That means when someone else (like any of the 8 billion folks on the planet) is experiencing happiness or some good fortune, we can participate. And that participation can give us the emotional and physical health benefits, just as if we had experienced the happiness or good fortune ourselves. In this episode, Drs. Emmons and Prasek...
Dec 07, 2022•27 min•Ep 36•Transcript available on Metacast How do our elements of joy help us build this internal, infinite supply of joy that is within us? One reason is that we don't focus on happiness here at Joy Lab. Sounds wild, right? That's because of a little thing called the happiness paradox. Tune in for this episode as Aimee talks about this obstacle and how we use our elements of joy to overcome it. You'll also get a super simple and surprisingly effective strategy to boost your joy... and it involves reality tv and your least favorite sport...
Nov 30, 2022•10 min•Ep 35•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, we're building on what we've discussed in our last few episodes on Gratitude. After a short intro from Aimee, you'll find the Heart-Opening Meditation from Henry. It's a powerful practice to tune into your internal biofeedback tools (your superpower of interception) and to create more space to see-accept-choose with all the good stuff that is around you. p.s. If you're not sure what "see-accept-choose" refers to, be sure to listen to episodes 30, 31, and 32. It's a powerful syst...
Nov 23, 2022•16 min•Ep 34•Transcript available on Metacast Greetings, everyone! You'll see three special meditations show up soon wherever you listen or watch your Joy Lab podcast. These three meditations will help you work with the elements of gratitude, sympathetic joy, and transitioning into the new year with our element of inspiration. The first one will be episode #34. You'll then have two more, episodes #37 and #39. We hope you find these meditation nourishing. Use them again and again, whenever you need to brew up these elements of joy and tap in...
Nov 19, 2022•3 min•Ep 33•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, we're talking about the element of Gratitude and the third of our strategies to put it into practice (see the first and second strategies in episodes #30 and #31, respectively). This strategy of "Choosing Wisely" may sound boring or cliche (for example: Are you sick of #gratitude posts?), but this is where gratitude hits the real world and where we take action. And as we take actions that flex our gratitude muscles, we'll get stronger in this element and shift our default toward...
Nov 16, 2022•21 min•Ep 32•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, we're talking about the element of Gratitude and the second of our strategies to put it into practice (see the first strategy in episode #30). This strategy of "Accepting what is" can be tough. Interestingly, even accepting the good things in our lives can be tough. We'll talk about why this happens and also identify some key obstacles that keep gratitude at a distance (i.e., mindlessness, grasping, and aversion), and how we can open up to accept the good, the bad... and everyth...
Nov 09, 2022•28 min•Ep 31•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, we're talking about the element of Gratitude. There's a ton of research on gratitude and how powerful it can be for mental health. We'll talk about a really helpful step-by-step strategy that can be used to keep gratitude alive, even during tough times. We'll talk about the first of these strategies, "See what is" in this episode and follow up with two more episodes for the rest ("Accept what is" and "Choose wisely"). Seeing, accepting, and choosing may sound a little dull, but ...
Nov 02, 2022•22 min•Ep 30•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Aimee is talking about an interesting obstacle to self-compassion: Backdraft. Just to note, this isn't about the 1991 movie, Backdraft (though who doesn't love a De Niro flick?!). Instead, we're talking about a fire science term that psychology also uses to describe a pretty uncomfortable feeling that can arise when we open ourselves up and let in some self-compassion. Listen in for how this phenomenon takes shape and three tips to ease it so you can continue practicing this ess...
Oct 26, 2022•15 min•Ep 29•Transcript available on Metacast Joy Lab Podcast (episode 28) In this episode, we're talking about self-compassion. We're digging into that third aspect of self-compassion noted by researcher Dr. Kristin Neff, which is: common humanity vs isolation. The essence of this aspect includes the feelings of not belonging and feeling alone in our suffering. Dr. Neff describes this: "Frustration at not having things exactly as we want is often accompanied by an irrational, but pervasive sense of isolation. As if 'I' were the only person...
Oct 19, 2022•25 min•Ep 28•Transcript available on Metacast Joy Lab Podcast (episode 27) In this episode, we're talking about self-compassion. We're exploring the three aspects of self-compassion noted by researcher Dr. Kristin Neff. The first, mindfulness vs over-identification, was last episode and this second one is known as self-kindness vs. self-judgment. In this episode, we'll explore how self-kindness is powerful fuel for positive change and at the same time, how this aspect of self-compassion reminds us that we are not broken and don't need fixin...
Oct 12, 2022•22 min•Ep 27•Transcript available on Metacast Joy Lab Podcast (episode 26) In this episode, we're talking about self-compassion. Why? Because most of the time, we're complete jackasses to ourselves. We say cruel things to ourselves, set ridiculously impossible expectations, and perhaps most destructive... we tend to believe what we think. The obstacle related to that tendency is known as "over-identification." We'll get into that obstacle in this episode and discuss simple self-compassion strategies to help us overcome this obstacle. Oooh.....
Oct 05, 2022•29 min•Ep 26•Transcript available on Metacast Joy Lab Podcast (episode 25) In this episode, we’re turning to our fifth lesson of loving well, which is about the power of belonging. This lesson may be the easiest to sell. We all want to belong, and we always have. Even the introverts and self-proclaimed lone wolves, we want a pack of other introverts and lone wolves to call on, even if just to complain about extroverts or social butterflies. Key Takeaways: We may lose brain cells as we age, but that's not the end of the story. Neurogenesis i...
Sep 28, 2022•24 min•Ep 25•Transcript available on Metacast We’re talking about our fourth lesson of loving well in this episode: Learning to Listen Deeply. Listening well is a skill and a superpower that makes us better colleagues, friends, and parents. It's also a skill that goes both ways; as you practice listening well, you'll also gain the skill of listening to yourself. As you listen, you'll start to tap into what you really want, need, and connecting with more meaning and purpose in your life. Tune in to learn more about this skill and how you can...
Sep 21, 2022•23 min•Ep 24•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Henry and Aimee talk about that third lesson of loving well: Be more permeable. What does that mean? Being more permeable means to soften our defenses a bit, to let emotions in, and to also let them out again. To be really alive, we have to be open and let all of life flow in and through us. Listen in to gather insight on how to do that and how you're completely equipped for it. Key Takeaways (see full transcript below): Organisms, like humans, cannot wall themselves off and sti...
Sep 14, 2022•19 min•Ep 23•Transcript available on Metacast We're digging into our second lesson on Learning to Love Well, which is seeing the innocence in others. This skill gets at the heart of the illusion of separation and opening up to the truth that we are interdependent. And, when we see the innocence in others, then we'll start to see it in ourselves as well (and even if we start the other way around). No matter who you start with, once you see the true essence of yourself and others (and give yourself and others a break), the world really opens ...
Sep 07, 2022•21 min•Ep 22•Transcript available on Metacast Way back in episode #6 , we introduced the 5 lessons of loving well. These are powerful little strategies, so we wanted to get into each a bit more. So, that’s what we’ll do for these next 5 episodes. The first lesson and the focus of this episode is “Learn to Love Yourself First.” We'll talk about why this really matters and how you can build up your love and self-acceptance in realistic ways. Side note: We'll start releasing weekly episodes in September! Tune in every Wednesday for new infusio...
Sep 01, 2022•25 min•Ep 21•Transcript available on Metacast Exciting news! We'll drop a new episode of the Joy Lab podcast every Wednesday, begining September 1, 2022. This podcast is an important part of our mission to increase access to integrative, empowering, and effective mental health resources. Please join in on this mission by giving us a top rating and review wherever you listen to your podcasts. This will help us reach more folks and grow partnerships to keep it sustainable. Most of all, many thanks for joining us as we adventure through these ...
Aug 27, 2022•6 min•Ep 20•Transcript available on Metacast 
