Our emotions affect our creativity, learning and problem solving, but also our physical health and our mental health. Feel Better Live More Bitesize is my weekly podcast for your mind, body, and heart. Each week I’ll be featuring inspirational stories and practical tips from some of my former guests. Today’s clip is from episode 179 of the podcast with Professor Marc Brackett, the founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. Emotions matter more than we think, and, in this cl...
Jun 09, 2022•14 min•Ep 282•Transcript available on Metacast What does the content of your mind look like? Do you sometimes have thoughts you don't want to have? Do you sometimes feel emotions you don't want to feel? My guest today has recently published a book called Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess: Five Simple, Scientifically Proven Steps to Reduce Anxiety, Stress and Toxic Thinking which contains techniques and practices that can help any of us whether we have a diagnosed mental health problem or not. My guest is Dr. Caroline Leaf, a cognitive neuroscient...
Jun 07, 2022•2 hr 47 min•Ep 281•Transcript available on Metacast This is part of my re-release series where I am interviewed by my good friend Dr Panja about small daily changes that can make a huge difference. Why is it that so many of us find it hard to stick to a new diet or lifestyle plan? We all start off well enough – full of energy and optimism but then the novelty soon wears off and life gets in the way. After some time, we are right back where we first started. The fact is, most health plans are based on the common, but incorrect assumption that we c...
Jun 04, 2022•2 hr 30 min•Ep 280•Transcript available on Metacast Stress is a clear example of the mind-body connection at work, yet it remains a link modern medicine fails to address. Feel Better Live More Bitesize is my weekly podcast for your mind, body, and heart. Each week I’ll be featuring inspirational stories and practical tips from some of my former guests. Today’s clip is from episode 200 of the podcast with a pioneer in the field of integrative health, Dr Andrew Weil. In this clip, he explains why our mind and body are so connected and how a simple,...
Jun 02, 2022•13 min•Ep 279•Transcript available on Metacast What does it mean to be a thriving human in the 21st century? The way we currently live is very different from the way humans have lived for the bulk of our evolution. As humanity has evolved and developed technologies to make us more comfortable, many of us have lost our instinctive connection to nature and this has had profound consequences on our physical and mental well-being. So what can we do about this? Well, as it turns out, quite a lot. My guest today is Tony Riddle. Tony is an ultra-en...
May 31, 2022•2 hr 59 min•Ep 278•Transcript available on Metacast This is part of my re-release series and was first aired in 2019. How does alcohol fit into your life? Have you ever given it any thought? My guest on this week’s podcast is Andy Ramage, a performance coach and author. He’s also one of the founders of One Year No Beer, a habit-changing programme that invites people to try 28, 90 or 365 days alcohol free – and see what it does for them. Andy was like many of us, he was not an alcoholic but he was what he calls ‘a middle lane drinker’. He would dr...
May 28, 2022•2 hr 56 min•Ep 277•Transcript available on Metacast Technology can have such a pervasive impact in all areas of our life from our health and happiness to the quality of our relationships. Feel Better Live More Bitesize is my weekly podcast for your mind, body, and heart. Each week I’ll be featuring inspirational stories and practical tips from some of my former guests. Today’s clip is from episode 132 of the podcast with author and expert on the compulsive nature of technology, Adam Alter. In this clip, Adam explains that, whilst there are so man...
May 26, 2022•15 min•Ep 276•Transcript available on Metacast Happiness is a choice. It’s a bold statement, but it’s one I wholeheartedly support. Whether you agree with this statement, or whether the idea sits a little uncomfortably with you, I think you are going to get a lot out of this uplifting conversation. My guest is Mo Gawdat and he has been at both ends of the spectrum on which we might consider happiness lies. And he’s unlocked the key to true contentment, no matter what obstacles you may come across in life. You might know Mo as the former Chie...
May 24, 2022•2 hr 11 min•Ep 275•Transcript available on Metacast This episode is part of our re-release series. Warning: some people might find this podcast seriously restful. If that sounds appealing, it should do, because rest is something we all need to prioritise. So says this week’s guest, Claudia Hammond, who argues that being busy isn’t a badge of honour – and taking time out is definitely not lazy. We examine the science behind our struggles to relax and she shares some brilliant insights on our attitudes to downtime, the top 10 activities most likely...
May 21, 2022•2 hr 37 min•Ep 274•Transcript available on Metacast Our mindset is so important for living a happier, healthier life. We can all learn from unwelcome challenges and, more often than not, become better as a result of them. Feel Better Live More Bitesize is my weekly podcast for your mind, body, and heart. Each week I’ll be featuring inspirational stories and practical tips from some of my former guests. Today’s clip is from episode 171 of the podcast with the wonderful Ryan Holiday. Ryan is making timeless ancient wisdom accessible to millions thr...
May 19, 2022•12 min•Ep 273•Transcript available on Metacast This week, I decided to do something a little bit different - instead of me inviting a guest onto my podcast and speaking to them about their ideas and work, I'm releasing a conversation that I had back in February with the wonderful Elizabeth Day on her podcast, How To Fail. Her podcast is about celebrating the things that have not gone right in our life and is centred around the topic of failure and learning from our mistakes. In this conversation, I share with Elizabeth what I consider to be ...
May 17, 2022•1 hr 13 min•Ep 272•Transcript available on Metacast This conversation was first released in November 2019. When was the last time you gave any real thought to walking? It’s so easy to put one foot in front of the other. Yet this unique, underrated activity sets us apart from other species, and brings incredible advantages – yes, superpowers – if we do it enough. My guest on this week’s podcast is the neuroscientist Shane O’Mara, a professor of experimental brain research at Trinity College Dublin. After reading his remarkable new book, In Praise ...
May 14, 2022•1 hr 27 min•Ep 271•Transcript available on Metacast Connection is what makes us human, and community and friendships are so important for our health. Feel Better Live More Bitesize is my weekly podcast for your mind, body, and heart. Each week I’ll be featuring inspirational stories and practical tips from some of my former guests. Today’s clip is from episode 38 of the podcast with Stephen and David Flynn, otherwise known as the Happy Pear. They have a mission to create a healthier, happier world and have built a community around their café of t...
May 12, 2022•13 min•Ep 270•Transcript available on Metacast Do you believe that food can be medicine? Most of us would agree that a healthy diet – whatever that means to the individual – is vital to our wellbeing. But can the right foods actually prevent and even cure illness? I know what I think, and my guest today not only agrees, he provides living proof! Dr Rupy Aujla was just 24 when he was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, a heart condition rare in someone of that age. But it wasn’t Rupy’s years of medical training or even his consultant’s advice...
May 10, 2022•2 hr 9 min•Ep 269•Transcript available on Metacast In today’s episode, we’re revisiting one of our most popular episodes with James Nestor. Breathwork is where my personal and professional interests collide. How we breathe affects every body system we have and I’m excited to welcome James Nestor, science journalist and author of the book Breath, which explores the data behind this ancient, but some might say lost, art. And yes, it is an art. As we discuss, it doesn’t matter whether you follow a new or ancient technique to harness the potential o...
May 07, 2022•2 hr 59 min•Ep 268•Transcript available on Metacast Consistency, self-belief and a positive mindset are so important when we are striving to reach our goals or make changes in our life. Feel Better Live More Bitesize is my weekly podcast for your mind, body, and heart. Each week I’ll be featuring inspirational stories and practical tips from some of my former guests. Today’s clip is from episode 149 of the podcast with the truly inspirational Joe Wicks. Joe has been inspiring wellbeing for nearly a decade, and, in this clip, he explains how he fo...
May 05, 2022•13 min•Ep 267•Transcript available on Metacast Dr Joe Dispenza is a New York Times best-selling author, speaker and researcher who has spent decades studying neuroscience, meditation and the effect our thoughts have on our health and wellbeing. He believes that all of us are sitting on a huge amount of untapped potential and once we start to tap into it, we can create huge change in our lives for both our health and happiness. In this powerful conversation, we talk about the importance of mental rehearsal: the idea that instead of waiting fo...
May 03, 2022•1 hr 22 min•Ep 266•Transcript available on Metacast I am delighted to welcome former monk turned social media superstar, Jay Shetty. This episode was first released in September 2020. After having spent three years living as a monk in India, Jay believes that you don’t have to live like a monk to think like one. With his social media following now totaling over 32 million, Jay is transforming the ancient wisdom he has learned into bite-sized nuggets that will help us all live more meaningful and purposeful lives. So many of us these days are livi...
Apr 30, 2022•2 hr 52 min•Ep 265•Transcript available on Metacast The brain is our most vital and complex organ, and there are some simple things we can do every day to help keep it healthy. Feel Better Live More Bitesize is my weekly podcast for your mind, body, and heart. Each week I’ll be featuring inspirational stories and practical tips from some of my former guests. Today’s clip is from episode 129 of the podcast with neuroscientist Dr Lisa Mosconi. In this clip, Lisa explains how changes in the brain that cause dementia can begin in midlife, and what we...
Apr 28, 2022•12 min•Ep 264•Transcript available on Metacast Social media has its flaws – but it can also be a force for good, creating communities and offering help to people who might not otherwise receive it. And my guest today is someone who uses her platform to do just that. Dr Julie Smith is a clinical psychologist, who’s passionate about making the tools of therapy accessible to all. And she has a real talent for doing so, to her audience of over four million people across social media, and now with the number one Sunday Times bestseller Why Has No...
Apr 26, 2022•2 hr 40 min•Ep 263•Transcript available on Metacast CAUTION ADVISED: this podcast contains swearing. Is there a change you’d like to make in your life? Something you’re desperate to overcome, but can’t see how? Or a goal you’re scared to aim for, because it feels too far off? My guest on this week’s podcast might just convince you to have a go. He’s John McAvoy, endurance athlete extraordinaire, author and the man with one of the most inspirational stories I have ever heard. John was born into a notorious crime family and has served a total of 10...
Apr 23, 2022•3 hr 41 min•Ep 262•Transcript available on Metacast After having spent three years living as a monk in India, Jay believes that you don’t have to live like a monk to think like one. Feel Better Live More Bitesize is my weekly podcast for your mind, body, and heart. Each week I’ll be featuring inspirational stories and practical tips from some of my former guests. Today’s clip is from episode 122 of the podcast with the award-winning storyteller and former monk, Jay Shetty In this clip we explore identity, the ‘monk mindset’ and living an authenti...
Apr 21, 2022•14 min•Ep 261•Transcript available on Metacast The average person has 4,000 weeks on earth. It doesn’t sound like much does it? You’re probably doing mental arithmetic right now trying to work out how many weeks you might have left. But if that sounds like a pessimistic start to this podcast, fear not. My guest today is Oliver Burkeman, journalist and author, whose latest book is Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management For Mortals. And in this conversation, he shares a positive philosophy that can help us all overcome the overwhelm, make better...
Apr 19, 2022•2 hr 45 min•Ep 260•Transcript available on Metacast CAUTION ADVISED: this podcast contains swearing. This is the fourth in a series of re-released episodes from the Feel Better Live More archives. In this episode, I welcome back Peter Crone, aka ‘The Mind Architect’. Peter is a writer, speaker and thought leader in human potential. He has worked with world-famous actors, athletes and the business elite yet what he has to say is just as likely to resonate with the average person, seeking to feel more comfortable in their own skin. His mission is t...
Apr 16, 2022•2 hr 40 min•Ep 259•Transcript available on Metacast We’ve been conditioned to think that if we aren’t perpetually exhausted, we’re not doing enough. So how can we avoid overwhelm, protect our time, and focus on the things that really matter? Feel Better Live More Bitesize is my weekly podcast for your mind, body, and heart. Each week I’ll be featuring inspirational stories and practical tips from some of my former guests. Today’s clip is from episode 183 of the podcast with writer, speaker and podcast host Greg McKeown. In this clip, Greg describ...
Apr 14, 2022•12 min•Ep 258•Transcript available on Metacast Jonny Wilkinson is one of the most decorated and recognisable faces in rugby history and he’s probably best known for kicking the winning goal in 2003 to help England win the Rugby World Cup. But this episode of my podcast is not a conversation about rugby. It’s a conversation about what it truly means to live a meaningful and contented life. Jonny shares how winning the World Cup led to disappointment, discontentment and a mental health crisis. He explains how he spent his entire life trying to...
Apr 12, 2022•2 hr 54 min•Ep 257•Transcript available on Metacast This is the third in a series of re-released episodes from the Feel Better Live More archives. In this conversation, I speak to arguably one of the world’s leading and most original thinkers on modern relationships, the wonderful, Esther Perel, who has long been on my dream guest list. We talk about the many differences between relationships of the past and the relationships of now. How we are now all under pressure not only to have the perfect relationship, but also to portray this illusion to ...
Apr 09, 2022•1 hr 24 min•Ep 256•Transcript available on Metacast We all want to be happy, but what truly brings us happiness is often not what we think. Feel Better Live More Bitesize is my weekly podcast for your mind, body, and heart. Each week I’ll be featuring inspirational stories and practical tips from some of my former guests. Today’s clip is from episode 151 of the podcast with Laurie Santos, Professor of Psychology at Yale University. In this clip, Laurie explains why our happiness is so important for our health, our wellbeing and our longevity, and...
Apr 07, 2022•16 min•Ep 255•Transcript available on Metacast Today’s conversation is all about cues - the small signals that we give and pick up that have a big impact. The head tilt, the smile, the open-palmed gesture – they all carry meaning that people intuitively understand. And if you’ve ever felt misunderstood, overlooked or underestimated, you can change that by using the right cues. Everything from the way you walk into a room to how you stand, your choice of words to your intonation, can affect how people perceive you. My guest today is Vanessa V...
Apr 05, 2022•1 hr 29 min•Ep 254•Transcript available on Metacast Caution: contains themes of an adult nature. This is the second in a series of re-released episodes from the Feel Better Live More back catalogue. This is a powerful story that my guest delivers with extraordinary wisdom. Today’s conversation will stop you in your tracks. It’s powerful, confronting and challenging and I am so grateful for my guest’s honesty, empathy and willingness to share the wisdom of her 93 years. Dr Edith Eger is a Holocaust survivor, psychologist and expert in the treatmen...
Apr 02, 2022•2 hr 38 min•Ep 253•Transcript available on Metacast 
