The Science Of Motivation: How To Make Habits That Actually Stick | T. Morgan Dixon and Dr. Gary Bennett

One of my favorite episodes that we’ve recorded in a long while.   Joseph Goldstein is a cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society and the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, both in Barre, Massachusetts. He is the author of Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening, A Heart Full of Peace, One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism, Insight Meditation and The Experience of Insight: A Simple and Direct Guide to Buddhist Meditation. Joseph has studied and practiced meditation since 1967 under the guidance of eminent teachers from India, Burma, and Tibet and he leads Insight Meditation retreats around the world.   This year, IMS printed a collection of Joseph’s poetry, titled Dreamscapes of the Mind: Poems and Reflections. The book includes 21 poems and almost a dozen short verses. We have made copies available for a suggested donation of $12 to support IMS’s Retreat Center scholarship fund (shipping to U.S. addresses only).   For a copy of Joseph’s book, visit give.dharma.org/JGpoetry    In this episode we talk about: Impermanence, impersonality, and the vast spaciousness of the mind Mortality  How we can use mindfulness to be more creative Joseph reads one of his favorite poems (and a couple others) Thoughts on how to approach death What Joseph means by dreamscape of the mind Deep Dharma topics like Nirvana, rebirth, taking refuge and more   Related Episodes: Joseph Goldstein + Mark Epstein On: How To Handle Unwanted Experiences, How Not To Waste Your Suffering & The Overlap Between Buddhism + Therapy I Just Did A 10-Day Silent Meditation Retreat With Joseph Goldstein. Here’s What I Learned Dr. Mark Epstein On: How To Transform Your Neuroses Into “Little Shmoos” Nirvana | Joseph Goldstein   Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes   Additional Resources: For a copy of Joseph’s book, visit give.dharma.org/JGpoetry

19 Feb 1h 12min

What confidence does to your brain, why it helps with anxiety, and how to get it if you don't already have it. Plus, the problem with overconfidence.   Ian Robertson is a Professor Emeritus in Psychology at Trinity College and was the founding director of Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience. He has written five books, the latest of which is called, How Confidence Works.   In this episode we talk about: What confidence actually is How to boost confidence  The dangers of overconfidence, and how to guard against it The role of anxiety and failure The "Oscar effect”, and why winners tend to live longer How to reframe anxiety as excitement  The role of gender, race, and class on confidence levels The importance of distancing yourself from confidence saboteurs  And much more   Related Episodes: A Buddhist Recipe For Confidence | Ethan Nichtern Do You Feel Like an Imposter? | Dr. Valerie Young (Co-Interviewed by Dan’s Wife, Bianca!)     Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes

17 Feb 1h 11min

A candid, useful, and hilarious conversation.   Chodo Robert Campbell Sensei is a Zen teacher, bereavement specialist, grief counselor and a recognized leader for those suffering with the complexities of death & dying, aging, and sobriety. The educational non-profit he co-founded, the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care, touches thousands of lives every year through its numerous educational programs, contemplative retreats, and Soto Zen Buddhist practices. Chodo has been featured in the New York Times, PBS, CBS Sunday Morning and other media outlets.  Koshin Paley Ellison is an author, Zen teacher, Jungian psychotherapist, leader in contemplative care, and co-founder of an educational non-profit called the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care. His books, grounded in Buddhist wisdom and practice, have gained national attention. Through its numerous educational programs, contemplative retreats, and Soto Zen Buddhist practices, the New York Zen Center touches thousands of lives every year. Koshin has appeared on dozens of podcasts and his work has been featured in the New York Times, PBS, CBS Sunday Morning and other media outlets.      In this episode we talk about: We get really real on the role of early childhood trauma and how that can show up in our relationships The importance of understanding your partner’s operating manual and how to come up with rules of the road The role of humor in relationships—how it can be used to successfully name the difficult parts of our partner’s personality—and how that can go wrong Why it’s important to do your own work outside of your relationship—in therapy and meditation or whatever is useful to you And the value of learning to be uncomfortable… together   Related Episodes: How (and Why) to Hug Your Inner Dragons | Richard Schwartz Escape From Zombieland | Koshin Paley Ellison The Surprising Power of “Healthy Embarrassment” | Koshin Paley Ellison The Art of Growing Up, Jerry Colonna Jerry Colonna, 'CEO Whisperer' and Reboot.io Founder - Dan Harris This Neurobiologist Wants You To Ask One Question To Reframe Anxiety, Depression, And Trauma | Dr. Bruce Perry (Co-Interviewed by Dan's Wife, Bianca!) The Anti-Diet | Evelyn Tribole    Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes

12 Feb 1h 18min

Why self-inquiry is the first ingredient to a healthy relationship.   Jillian Turecki is a renowned relationship coach, teacher, author, and host of the podcast, Jillian On Love. Fueled by an insatiable curiosity about what makes a relationship thrive, Jillian has helped thousands over the last 20 years through her teachings, courses, and writing to revolutionize their relationship with themselves so that they transform their romantic relationships.    In this episode we talk about: The difference between lust and love How to make the idea of self love more than an empty cliché How to be honest with your partner The myth of finding “the one” How to be your best self even after you’ve exited the honeymoon stage  And why, if you want a successful relationship, you have to make peace with your parents   Related Episodes: #510. Me, a Love Story: How Being OK With Yourself Makes You Better at Everything | Sharon Salzberg #464. How to Keep Friendships From Imploding | Esther Perel Esther Perel on the One Thing That Will Improve the Quality of Your Life   Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes

10 Feb 1h 6min

Data-driven, dharma-informed, Dan-tested strategies for improving relationships of all kinds.  In this episode we talk about: The value of having platonic friends in addition to your spouse or partner A key communication skill that Dan picked up from the writer and researcher Brené Brown How humor can help your relationships – and how it can hurt A cognitive reframe from couples therapist Esther Perel How to manage conflict in a healthy way And one of Dan’s favorite Saturday Night Live sketches: Man Park   Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes

7 Feb 27min

Practical strategies for managing our emotional lives.   Dr. Ethan Kross, author of the international bestseller Chatter, is one of the world’s leading experts on emotion regulation. An award-winning professor in the University of Michigan’s top ranked Psychology Department and its Ross School of Business, he is the Director of the Emotion and Self-Control Laboratory.     In this episode we talk about: What an emotion actually is  The myth that we should only experience positive emotions  Why sometimes avoidance is a smart strategy The six emotional "shifters" we can use to regulate our emotions The role of our senses How to use mental time travel to shift perspective And the role of our surroundings, relationships, and culture      Related Episodes: #365 The Voice in Your Head | Ethan Kross The Neuroscience Of: Emotional Regulation, Relationships, Body Image, And Intuition | Emma Seppälä   Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes

5 Feb 1h 17min

How your reliance on being liked, being comfortable, and being perfect is blocking you from making the change you want.   Dr. Rangan Chatterjee is one of the most influential doctors in the UK with over two decades of experience. He now hosts Europe's biggest health podcast, Feel Better, Live More, he is the author of 5 Sunday Times bestsellers, he regularly appears on BBC television, national radio and his TED talk, How To Make Disease Disappear, has almost 6 million views.    In this episode we talk about: Why we have an overreliance on experts and perfection Barriers and solutions to long term change How to stop people pleasing (or become a “people pleaser in recovery”) Tips for neutralizing emotional discomfort and stress The "life is an escalator" myth, and our relationship with complaining  How to adapt to adversity without feeding our bad habits Escaping the trap of busyness And much more     Related Episodes: Why Your Bad Habits (and Addictions) May Be Getting Worse - and How Mindfulness Can Help | Dr. Jud Brewer How To Actually Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions | Dan Solo Episode   Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes

3 Feb 1h 19min

A Buddhist doctor/nun on how we’re all addicted to something—and how to reduce craving.   Sister Dang Nghiem, MD, (“Sister D”) was born in 1968 in Vietnam during the Tet Offensive, the daughter of a Vietnamese mother and an American soldier. She lost her mother at the age of twelve and immigrated to the United States at the age of seventeen with her brother. Living in various foster homes, she learned English and went on to earn a medical degree from the University of California – San Francisco. After suffering further tragedy and loss, she quit her practice as a doctor to travel to Plum Village monastery in France founded by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, where she was ordained a nun in 2000, and given the name Dang Nghiem, which means adornment with nondiscrimination. She is the author of a memoir, Healing: A Woman’s Journey from Doctor to Nun (2010), and Mindfulness as Medicine: A Story of Healing and Spirit (2015).   This episode is part of our monthlong Do Life Better series.  We talk about:   Sister D’s Buddhist version of the 12 step program, which is a combination of two canonical buddhist lists: the 4 Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path How willpower doesn’t fit into the Buddhist path of understanding and working with addiction  How to change addiction at its root Practical applications of mindfulness Self-compassion The importance of social support Her thoughts on our relationships to our phones  And more   Related Episodes: Do Life Better This Episode Will Make You Stronger | Sister Dang Nghiem The Science Of Manifestation | James Doty   Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes

29 Jan 1h 11min