Joy Lab Podcast

This is your final invitation! The Joy Lab Program's free 30-day offer ends May 31st — and we want to make sure you know what you're actually being invited into before the door closes. It's not a slick two-and-a-half-hour morning routine. It's not cold plunges or weird concoctions. It's deep, real inner work that often looks a little messy, requires genuine courage and self-compassion, and is worth every bit of the effort. And one of its quieter, underrated gifts: you are not doing it alone. Inside the Joy Lab Program, you're part of a community working on the same experiments, sitting with the same questions, and doing the same hard, worthwhile work together. That matters more than any choreographed wellness performance.   Try It Free 🎉 The Joy Lab Program is free for 30 days — offer ends May 31st. Head to JoyLab.coach/program to sign up.   Not interested in joining? Consider supporting Joy Lab Joy Lab is a nonprofit committed to keeping mental health tools accessible to everyone — ad-free, no paywalls. If these tools have made a difference for you, consider supporting the work at joylab.coach/donate. Even $5 makes a real difference. Can't give financially? Share this episode with someone who needs it. That's its own kind of giving.   About the Joy Lab Podcast: The Joy Lab Podcast is an Ambie-nominated podcast that blends science and soul to help you cope better with stress, ease anxiety, and uplift mood. Join Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek for practical, mindfulness-based tools and positive psychology strategies to build resilience and create lasting joy.   If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts! And... if you want to spread some joy and keep this podcast ad-free, then please join our mission by donating (Joy Lab is powered by the nonprofit Pathways North and your donations are tax-deductible).   Like and follow Joy Lab on Socials:  Instagram Linkedin Watch this episode on YouTube   Key Moments: [00:00] — Final reminder: 30 days free in the Joy Lab Program, ends May 31st — and yes, that's an invitation, not a threat [00:20] — The quieter gift of Joy Lab: you are not doing this alone [00:35] — What Joy Lab is not: no wellness performance, no curated TikTok morning routines [00:50] — What Joy Lab actually is: deep inner work that takes courage, diligence, and self-compassion [01:10] — Why doing this alongside others matters — shared Experiments, shared struggles, shared effort [01:25] — Messy inner work is real inner work; that's a good sign, not a bad one [01:40] — How to join: try an Experiment, notice what happens, cancel anytime — no cold plunges required [02:00] — Head to JoyLab.coach to sign up   Full transcript here   Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at [email protected]. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

In this episode of the Joy Lab Podcast, Dr. Aimee Prasek and Dr. Henry Emmons dig into one of the most counterintuitive resilience skills we can build: turning toward negative emotions instead of running from them. This isn't about wallowing. It's about befriending the feelings that are already there so they can actually move through you, instead of getting lodged and piling up.  We're talking fear (the emotion at the core of so many others), the science of emotions vs. feelings, why your emotional immune system needs exposure to develop, and three grounded steps (embody, observe, yield) to help you navigate the next emotional flurry before it becomes a blizzard. This one pairs beautifully with our Grief Series (starting at Episode 248) and our last episode on the observer self. Whether you're new to this work or deep in it, there's something here for you.   Try It Free 🎉 The Joy Lab Program is free for 30 days — offer ends May 31st. Head to JoyLab.coach/program to sign up.    About: The Joy Lab Podcast is an Ambie-nominated podcast that blends science and soul to help you cope better with stress, ease anxiety, and uplift mood. Join Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek for practical, mindfulness-based tools and positive psychology strategies to build resilience and create lasting joy. Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with the Joy Lab Program.   If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts! And... if you want to spread some joy and keep this podcast ad-free, then please join our mission by donating (Joy Lab is powered by the nonprofit Pathways North and your donations are tax-deductible).   Like and follow Joy Lab on Socials:  Instagram Linkedin Watch on YouTube   Full transcript here     Sources and Notes for our Element of Resilience: Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life. Joy Lab Episodes referenced: How to Calm the Mind & Not Feed the ANTs (Automatic Negative Thoughts) (ep. 264) From Surviving to Thriving: The Science and Soul of Resilience (ep. 263) Start of our Grief Series: The Wholeness of Being Human (ep. 248) Know Your Obstacles to Joy... Two Small Ones And A Really Big One (ep. 38) Chemistry of Calm (Dr. Emmons' book referenced in this series) Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers by Dr. Robert Zapolsky Waking the Tiger by Dr. Peter Levine Damasio et al. (2013). The nature of feelings: evolutionary and neurobiological origins. Nature reviews. Access here Dr. Catherine Panter-Brick- Yale faculty page Resilience definitions, theory, and challenges: interdisciplinary perspectives Annual Research Review: Positive adjustment to adversity -Trajectories of minimal-impact resilience and emergent resilience Adaptive growth of tree root systems in response to wind action and site conditions.  Brain meta-state transitions demarcate thoughts across task contexts exposing the mental noise of trait neuroticism. Effects of a 12-week endurance training program on the physiological response to psychosocial stress in men: a randomized controlled trial No man is an island: social resources, stress and mental health at mid-life How does the brain deal with cumulative stress? A review with focus on developmental stress, HPA axis function and hippocampal structure in humans Just think: The challenges of the disengaged mind (this is the study of people shocking themselves out of boredom) Emotion Suppression and Mortality Risk Over a 12-Year Follow-up Cumulative Stress and Health Ordinary Magic, Resilience in Development  Summary of the Project Competence Longitudinal Study  The Times of Our Lives: Interaction Among Different Biological Periodicities   Key moments: [00:00:00] — We're in the Element of Resilience, and today is about turning toward feelings — specifically the ones that feel a lot like fear [00:01:00] — C.S. Lewis on grief and fear; Edward Hallowell's insight that fear is the central emotion of human experience; why negative emotions make us want to run [00:02:00] — Henry on negative emotions as a navigational skill, not something to fix or solve; the role of equanimity; animals vs. humans and fear [00:04:00] — Henry's framework: negative emotions as "thoughts embodied" — thoughts that take up residence in the body and can get stuck [00:05:00] — Why we don't want to be emotionless; the value of unpleasant emotions; the problem with "too strong" or "too stuck" emotions [00:07:30] — Reading from Henry's book The Chemistry of Calm: turning awareness toward emotion allows it to flow naturally and effortlessly [00:08:30] — Henry on emotional growth as a lifelong process; how small daily emotional workouts prepare us for the big waves. The emotional immune system metaphor: why we need exposure to small emotional challenges to build capacity for larger ones [00:10:00] — Aimee on the difference between emotions and feelings: a meaningful distinction worth sitting with [00:12:00] — The cognitive-emotional feedback loop (CBT); emotional elaboration; how feelings can pile up and trigger new surges of emotion [00:12:30] — Antonio Damasio on feelings as a musical score: always playing in the background, able to be changed [00:13:30] — The space between stimulus and response: where our power lives; working to influence how big, how long, and whether we believe our feelings [00:15:00] — Negative emotions as useful alarm bells; connecting to the "observer self" from the previous episode [00:16:00] — Thoughts often precede emotions — finding and working with that thought gives us even more intervention points; we've never lost the moment [00:17:30] — The Metrodome collapse story: an accidentally perfect metaphor for what happens when emotions pile up unprocessed — featuring a very brave groundskeeper in a forklift [00:20:00] — Three steps introduced: Embody, Observe, Yield   [00:23:30] — Aimee on movement as part of yielding: what kids know instinctually that adults forget; somatic experiencing; Peter Levine and Robert Sapolsky's Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers [00:26:30] — Henry on befriending emotions; becoming conscious and aware right when they first arise; the goal of letting emotions touch us briefly, inform us, and move on   Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at [email protected]. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

Dr. Aimee Prasek drops in with a quick Mental Health Awareness Month reminder and Joy Lab's 30-day free offer. Joy Lab has just launched into the Element of Resilience, and there's no better time to join the Program and start doing this work together.   Try It Free 🎉 The Joy Lab Program is free for 30 days — offer ends May 31st. Head to JoyLab.coach/program to sign up.   Not interested in joining? Consider supporting Joy Lab Joy Lab is a nonprofit committed to keeping mental health tools accessible to everyone — ad-free, no paywalls. If these tools have made a difference for you, consider supporting the work at joylab.coach/donate. Even $5 makes a real difference. Can't give financially? Share this episode with someone who needs it. That's its own kind of giving.   About the Joy Lab Podcast: The Joy Lab Podcast is an Ambie-nominated podcast that blends science and soul to help you cope better with stress, ease anxiety, and uplift mood. Join Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek for practical, mindfulness-based tools and positive psychology strategies to build resilience and create lasting joy.   If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts! And... if you want to spread some joy and keep this podcast ad-free, then please join our mission by donating (Joy Lab is powered by the nonprofit Pathways North and your donations are tax-deductible).   Like and follow Joy Lab on Socials:  Instagram Linkedin Watch YouTube   Key Moments: [00:00] — The Mental Health Awareness Month gift: 30 days free in the Joy Lab Program (ends May 31st) [00:20] — Joy Lab just launched into the Element of Resilience — now is the time to join [00:35] — The real message: you are wired for resilience and joy — it is part of who you are and why you're here   Full transcript here.   Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at [email protected]. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

Calming the mind sounds simple, right? And yet most of us would rather do almost anything other than sitting quietly with our thoughts. In this episode, Dr. Aimee Prasek and Dr. Henry Emmons dig into the science of Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs), the surprising research on just how much we think, and the powerful practice of the observer self: the part of your mind that can step back, see what's happening, and choose differently. This episode makes the case that our relationship with our own minds might be the most important resilience work we do.   Try It Free 🎉 The Joy Lab Program is free for 30 days — offer ends May 31st. Head to JoyLab.coach/program to sign up.    About: The Joy Lab Podcast is an Ambie-nominated podcast that blends science and soul to help you cope better with stress, ease anxiety, and uplift mood. Join Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek for practical, mindfulness-based tools and positive psychology strategies to build resilience and create lasting joy. Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with the Joy Lab Program.   If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts! And... if you want to spread some joy and keep this podcast ad-free, then please join our mission by donating (Joy Lab is powered by the nonprofit Pathways North and your donations are tax-deductible).   Like and follow Joy Lab on Socials:  Instagram Linkedin Watch on YouTube   Full transcript here     Sources and Notes for our Element of Resilience: Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life. Joy Lab Episodes referenced: Last episode: From Surviving to Thriving: The Science and Soul of Resilience (ep. 263) Chemistry of Calm (Dr. Emmons' book referenced in this series) Dr. Catherine Panter-Brick- Yale faculty page Resilience definitions, theory, and challenges: interdisciplinary perspectives Annual Research Review: Positive adjustment to adversity -Trajectories of minimal-impact resilience and emergent resilience Adaptive growth of tree root systems in response to wind action and site conditions.  Brain meta-state transitions demarcate thoughts across task contexts exposing the mental noise of trait neuroticism. Effects of a 12-week endurance training program on the physiological response to psychosocial stress in men: a randomized controlled trial No man is an island: social resources, stress and mental health at mid-life How does the brain deal with cumulative stress? A review with focus on developmental stress, HPA axis function and hippocampal structure in humans Just think: The challenges of the disengaged mind (this is the study of people shocking themselves out of boredom) Emotion Suppression and Mortality Risk Over a 12-Year Follow-up Cumulative Stress and Health Ordinary Magic, Resilience in Development  Summary of the Project Competence Longitudinal Study  The Times of Our Lives: Interaction Among Different Biological Periodicities   Key moments: [00:00:00] — Welcome Back to Joy Lab & Resilience This month's focus is Resilience, and today we're tackling one of the most deceptively simple things — calming the mind. [00:00:20] — The 4-Year-Old and the Balloon: How Convincing (and Wrong) Our Thoughts Can Be Aimee opens with a story about her daughter, who came to her in tears over a thought that she'd float away in a balloon. When asked if it was true, her daughter said yes — because her brain was thinking it. With her feet planted firmly on the floor and not a balloon in sight.  [00:01:45] — Introducing ANTs: Automatic Negative Thoughts Building on last episode's tree metaphor, Aimee introduces ANTs — Automatic Negative Thoughts. These are recurring, often unconscious negative thoughts, so deeply patterned through repetition that they arise automatically. They show up about ourselves, our futures, and the world around us — and they're strongly linked to anxiety and depression. The good news: everyone has them, and we can learn to navigate them. [00:02:20] — Categories of Cognitive Distortions Aimee connects ANTs to the broader framework of cognitive distortions familiar to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) practitioners. Common types include black-and-white thinking, overgeneralization, and emotional reasoning (feeling like an imposter, therefore being one). Essentially: seeing scary balloons that aren't there, grabbing onto them, and letting them carry us deeper into worry and rumination. [00:02:55] — The Numbers: How Many Thoughts Do We Actually Have? Aimee shares the research: approximately 7 thought-changes per minute — meaning a completely different thought roughly every 9-10 seconds. Accounting for sleep, that's around 6,200 thoughts per day. Henry wonders how many of them are the same thought. (Spoiler: a lot of them.) The real problem isn't just the volume — it's that we believe so much of what we think. [00:04:30] — The Internet, Our Collective Brain, and the Power of Belief Henry draws a parallel between the internet and our minds: just as we know the internet isn't always true but somehow still believe it, we treat our own thoughts as if they're sourced from some objective ground truth. He connects this to the Buddhist teaching from the Dhammapada — Buddha's opening lines: "with our thoughts we make the world" — written 3,500 years ago and still holding up. [00:06:30] — Aimee's Counter-Take: Idiocracy and the Stakes of Mental Autonomy Henry takes the optimistic philosophical turn. Aimee takes the Idiocracy route. Both, somehow, arrive at the same conclusion: now more than ever, we need to reclaim the power of our own minds — for our inner worlds and the world we create around us. [00:07:45] — Why We Grab Our Phones Instead of Facing Our Thoughts If we're not actively training our minds, it's infinitely easier to reach for a phone and chase dopamine than to sit with difficult thoughts. Aimee and Henry name this dynamic honestly — not to shame anyone, but to make the case for why this work matters. [00:08:30] — Learned Optimism: The Skill of Choosing How You See Henry introduces Martin Seligman and his landmark work Learned Optimism — one of the foundational texts of positive psychology. A key finding: pessimists often do see reality more accurately. And yet pessimistic thinking is strongly correlated with depression. Optimism, whether or not it's always technically accurate, is a learnable skill — and training it is one of the most effective preventive tools against depression. This isn't toxic positivity. It's a practice. [00:10:30] — The Observer Self: Your Most Underused Mental Superpower Henry introduces the concept of the observing self, a part of the mind that is fundamentally different from the part doing all the thinking. The observer doesn't get swept into the thought. It simply notices. It steps back. It stays above the fray. And once you can access it, you have a choice: do I want to believe this thought, or do I want to choose a different one? [00:12:00] — Awareness Is the First Step (and It's Harder Than It Sounds) Aimee affirms: becoming aware that we are thinking sounds obvious but is genuinely difficult. Most of us are oblivious to our own thought process most of the time — and until we're not, we're at the mercy of it.  [00:13:00] — The Electric Shock Study: Why Sitting With Your Thoughts Is So Hard Aimee shares one of her favorite studies from Dr. Timothy Wilson and colleagues. In brief: 55 participants were left alone in a room with nothing to do They were instructed to entertain themselves with pleasant thoughts for 15 minutes A button in the room would self-administer an electric shock 42 of 55 participants had previously said they'd pay money to avoid the shock 43% of those 42 people shocked themselves anyway The conclusion: being alone with our thoughts is genuinely, measurably uncomfortable. We sometimes choose pain over mental stillness. This isn't weakness — it's the reality of an untrained mind. And it's exactly why this work matters. [00:16:30] — Learning the Observer Self: Like Riding a Bike Henry reassures: this skill is learnable, and once you've got it, you've got it — like riding a bike. It seems impossible until it suddenly isn't. Practicing the observer self gives us back our freedom: the ability to see a thought as just a thought, and choose what to do with it. [00:17:30] — Energy Vampires: Negative Thoughts as a Drain on Resilience Henry extends the resilience metaphor from the previous episode (the container of magic elixir) to a new one: a battery. Unconscious negative thoughts are energy vampires — like cords left plugged in around the house, silently drawing power even when you're not using them. Awareness lets us unplug them, stop the drain, and start recharging. [00:18:40] — Anne Lamott, Unplugging, and the Power of Simply Noticing Aimee brings in Anne Lamott's wisdom: "Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you." The goal isn't to silence all thoughts — it's to notice them, step back, and stop letting the automatic ones run the show. [00:19:15] — Joy Lab Program Invitation Aimee invites listeners to join the Joy Lab Program — free this month — where the practices in this episode are applied step-by-step. Head to JoyLab.coach to sign up. [00:19:45] — Closing Quote: Brené Brown on Owning Your Story Aimee closes with Brené Brown: "When we deny our stories and disengage from tough emotions, they don't go away; instead, they own us, they define us. Our job is not to deny the story, but to defy the ending — to rise strong, recognize our story, and rumble with the truth until we get to a place where we think, Yes. This is what happened. This is my truth. And I will choose how this story ends."   Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at [email protected]. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

In this episode, Dr. Aimee Prasek shares some of the origin story behind the Joy Lab Program — from her own years-long climb out of anxiety, depression, and panic attacks, to a pivotal (and infuriating) moment on a psychiatrist's couch that lit a fire for her. Joy Lab exists to normalize mental health experiences, to build on inner strengths, and to help people do more than just survive and to actually flourish.    Try It Free 🎉 The Joy Lab Program is free for 30 days — offer ends May 31st. Head to JoyLab.coach/program to sign up.    Not interested in joining? Consider supporting Joy Lab Joy Lab is a nonprofit committed to keeping mental health tools accessible to everyone — ad-free, no paywalls. If these tools have made a difference for you, consider supporting the work at joylab.coach/donate. Even $5 makes a real difference. Can't give financially? Share this episode with someone who needs it. That's its own kind of giving.    About the Joy Lab Podcast: The Joy Lab Podcast is an Ambie-nominated podcast that blends science and soul to help you cope better with stress, ease anxiety, and uplift mood. Join Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek for practical, mindfulness-based tools and positive psychology strategies to build resilience and create lasting joy.   If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts! And... if you want to spread some joy and keep this podcast ad-free, then please join our mission by donating (Joy Lab is powered by the nonprofit Pathways North and your donations are tax-deductible).   Like and follow Joy Lab on Socials:  Instagram Linkedin Watch this episode on YouTube     Key Moments: [00:00] — Why Aimee is sharing the story behind the Joy Lab Program [00:20] — Struggling with anxiety, depression, and panic attacks without access to professional care [00:40] — An online depression forum: finding normalcy, community, and the realization that she wasn't crazy or alone [01:00] — The forum's limits: helpful, but ultimately a rehashing of hard things — and a sign that more was needed [01:20] — Years of cobbling together support without financial access to professional help [02:00] — Finally getting insurance and sitting down with a psychiatrist — and what happened next [02:20] — "There's nothing you can do. You're broken." — the moment that helped spark a mission [02:45] — No issue with medications; the real problem was the message of powerlessness [03:00] — What the science actually says: we have real agency when it comes to depression and anxiety [03:30] — Two moments that shaped everything: the forum that normalized, and the psychiatrist who enraged [03:50] — The mission: normalize mental health experiences, reduce stigma, and help people build on their strengths [04:20] — Teaming up with Henry Emmons; Joy Lab comes to life [04:30] — What Joy Lab is and isn't: not a crisis prescription, but a powerful complement to care or as a supportive and preventive tool to build resilience and tap into joy [04:50] — The real point of Joy Lab: not just feeling better — flourishing, aliveness, more of the good stuff [05:20] — Why "not-so-crappy" isn't good enough, and the belief that we are all capable of more [05:40] — You are wired for joy and flourishing. You are not broken. Full stop. [06:00] — Mental Health Awareness Month: 30-day free offer, sign up at JoyLab.coach   Full transcript here   Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at [email protected]. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

What does it actually mean to be resilient? Spoiler: it's not about white-knuckling through hard times or being the type of person who just 'endures' everything. In this episode, Dr. Aimee Prasek and Dr. Henry Emmons kick off Joy Lab's month-long exploration of Resilience. They'll share a science-grounded, warmly human look at what resilience really is, where it comes from, what depletes it, and, most importantly how to keep filling it back up. About: The Joy Lab Podcast blends science and soul to help you cope better with stress, ease anxiety, and uplift mood. Join Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek for practical, mindfulness-based tools and positive psychology strategies to build resilience and create lasting joy. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts!   Important notes: Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life. Subscribe to our Newsletter: Join us over at Joylab.coach for exclusive emails, updates, and additional strategies.   Like and follow Joy Lab on Socials:  Instagram TikTok Linkedin Watch this episode on YouTube   Key moments: [00:00:00] — Welcome & introduce Resilience as this month's Element of Joy. [00:00:35] — Defining Resilience: Dr. Catherine Panter-Brick's definition: "a process to harness resources to sustain wellbeing" Resilience isn't a fixed state; it doesn't require the absence of illness, a certain mood, or a feeling of confidence. You can be resilient even when you feel completely unresilient. [00:01:40] — Henry's Take: Resilience as a Natural, Inborn Quality Henry frames resilience as something every human already carries — we wouldn't be here without it. He describes it as a capacity to face life's challenges with enough skill to deal with them "more or less successfully" (emphasis on more or less), get back up after being knocked down, and still hold onto some equanimity and connection to joy. [00:03:20] — Why Equanimity and Joy Are Part of Real Resilience: Aimee highlights that joy and equanimity aren't commonly included in definitions of resilience — and argues they should be. She makes the case that teaching people to simply endure hardship without attending to their relationship with it leads to only survival, not wellbeing. Personal story: her family's history of survival alongside deep, untended grief. [00:05:25] — The Research: Resilience Is Inborn and Universal- Aimee reviews longitudinal research on resilience: no single demographic, personality trait, or biological factor strongly predicts resilience. Chronic stress and difficult childhoods can "dent or delay" it, but they don't break it. The Joy Lab approach: tapping into the factors that boost resilience in meaningful, joyful ways. [00:07:10] — Henry's "Resilience Container" Model: Henry introduces a central metaphor for the episode- imagine a container in your brain/body holding a "magical elixir" that keeps you afloat. The size of that container differs between people — influenced by genetics and early environment. But the most important thing isn't container size — it's how well you keep refilling it. [00:08:10] — Factor #1: Genetics. Some resilience (and vulnerability) runs in families. Depression, for example, has a clear genetic component — but it's one piece of a much larger picture, not a sentence. [00:08:50] — Factor #2: Early Environment. How safe, nurtured, and emotionally respected we felt as children sets a tone for our emotional life. It's not something we can change retroactively, but its impact doesn't have to be permanent. Joy Lab's work is explicitly about shifting that emotional set point. [00:10:30] — Nobody Is Immune — But That's Not the End of the Story. Even the most naturally resilient person can be brought to their knees by a relentless string of losses or prolonged stress. The goal: reduce the drain and actively refill. It's a dynamic system. [00:11:50] — You Have to Test Resilience to Build It: The Biosphere 2 Story Aimee tells the story of Biosphere 2, the closed experimental ecosystem in Arizona — where trees given perfect growing conditions (no wind, no stress) grew fast and then simply collapsed. Scientists eventually discovered that wind stress causes trees to form stress wood (reaction wood): dense, concentrated cells that structurally reinforce the tree.  [00:13:55] — Eustress: The Good Stress That Builds You Up. Aimee introduces eustress (eu = Greek for "good") — the kind of stress that actually strengthens us. Like exercise for muscles, or cardiovascular training: the system doesn't improve without being challenged. Our nervous systems, emotional resilience, and capacity to handle difficulty follow the same pattern. You are biologically laying down stronger capacity every time you navigate a challenge and come through the other side. [00:16:10] — Stress Isn't the Enemy — Imbalance Is. Henry clarifies: stress itself isn't the problem. It becomes a problem when it's too intense, lasts too long, or when we don't respond to it well. Our bodies are built to handle stress — in appropriate doses. [00:16:50] — The Brain Chemistry of Resilience: Norepinephrine & Serotonin. Henry breaks down two key neurochemicals: norepinephrine (the brain's version of adrenaline — activates focus and alertness under stress) and serotonin (his candidate for the "magic elixir" in the resilience container — a coolant that counterbalances overactivation). When these get depleted or thrown out of balance by chronic stress, we feel it — sluggish, run-down, depressed. [00:18:20] — Our Collective Resilience Depletion Right Now. Henry names what many are feeling: after years of pandemic stress, ongoing political turmoil, and a relentless churn of bad news, people are depleted on a large scale. What began as activation has, over time, curdled into exhaustion. This is a collective resilience crisis — and it calls for collective attention. [00:19:40] — Aimee on Equanimity and Agency in Brain Chemistry. Aimee connects the brain chemistry back to the equanimity point: even at the biological level, we have influence. This is self-care with scientific grounding. She invites listeners into the Joy Lab Program (free through the month of May 2026) to put these ideas into practice. [00:21:30] — Closing Quote: Alan Watts on Your Inborn Nature .Aimee closes with a reflection from Alan Watts on seeing yourself as part of nature — as extraordinary and as fundamental as trees, clouds, fire, and galaxies. A reminder that your resilience isn't something you have to earn. It's already what you are.   Sources and Notes: Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life. Chemistry of Calm (Dr. Emmons' book referenced in this series) Dr. Catherine Panter-Brick- Yale faculty page Resilience definitions, theory, and challenges: interdisciplinary perspectives Annual Research Review: Positive adjustment to adversity -Trajectories of minimal-impact resilience and emergent resilience Effects of a 12-week endurance training program on the physiological response to psychosocial stress in men: a randomized controlled trial No man is an island: social resources, stress and mental health at mid-life How does the brain deal with cumulative stress? A review with focus on developmental stress, HPA axis function and hippocampal structure in humans Just think: The challenges of the disengaged mind (this is the study of people shocking themselves out of boredom) Emotion Suppression and Mortality Risk Over a 12-Year Follow-up Cumulative Stress and Health The Times of Our Lives: Interaction Among Different Biological Periodicities      Full transcript here.   Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at [email protected]. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

We're in our new "month of renewal" format. We're essentially exploring this question throughout the month... what if growth required less effort? This is an encore episode that helps us answer this question. Reminder that we'll be back with new episodes May 1, 2026.  "Joyless urgency." Two words that probably just hit a little too close to home. In this episode, Henry Emmons, MD and Aimee Prasek, PhD dig into the Element of Fun — and why so many of us have so little of it. Drawing on the writing of Marilynne Robinson, the surprising decline of kids biking, and sobering research on social media's role in what researchers call problematic engagement, Henry and Aimee make a compelling case that fun isn't frivolous. It's foundational. And reclaiming it might be one of the most radical — and effective — things you can do right now.   About: The Joy Lab Podcast is an Ambie-nominated podcast that blends science and soul to help you cope better with stress, ease anxiety, and uplift mood. Join Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek for practical, mindfulness-based tools and positive psychology strategies to build resilience and create lasting joy. Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with the Joy Lab Program.   If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts! And... if you want to spread some joy and keep this podcast ad-free, then please join our mission by donating (Joy Lab is powered by the nonprofit Pathways North and your donations are tax-deductible).   Full transcript here   Like and follow Joy Lab on Socials:  Instagram Linkedin Watch this episode on YouTube   Sources and Notes: Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life. More about Marilynne Robinson from The Poetry Foundation Farivar, S., Wang, F., & Turel, O. (2022). Followers' problematic engagement with influencers on social media: An attachment theory perspective. Computers in Human Behavior, 133. Access here. Joy Lab Episodes referenced: Worrier? You're Not Alone. Here's Why We Worry... [ep. 213] Unmasking Your True Self: Exploring Authenticity and Awe [ep. 216] Embrace Your True Self: Accepted, Connected, & In The Game [ep. 217] The Road Most Travelled: Awakening Through Suffering [ep. 218] Follow Your Bliss: Awakening to Joy [ep. 219]  The Still Small Voice: Awakening with Soulfulness [ep. 220] Key moments: [00:00:00] — Welcome & The Quote That Started It All Henry and Aimee open with a striking passage from author Marilynne Robinson's essay collection The Givenness of Things: "The spirit of the times is one of joyless urgency." Aimee unpacks why those two words land so hard — and how Robinson's observation that this urgency serves "inscrutable ends that are utterly not our own" is the quiet crisis underneath hustle culture. [00:02:00] — The Question We're Too Busy to Answer We've all had that moment of clarity — what am I doing this for? — only to immediately rush past it into the next task. Aimee names the pattern: sometimes urgency is more comfortable than sitting with the possibility that all this striving might not actually be for us. [00:03:00] — Henry's Childhood Take on Boredom (Wisdom From the Old Wise Rat) Henry reflects on being a kid who dreaded boredom — and how that boredom turned out to be necessary. The inactivity between moments of play is what made the play so rich. Think of it like the pause between musical notes. [00:05:30] — Aimee's Dollar Ice Cream Cone Moment Aimee connects bike riding to early experiences of autonomy and confidence — biking to the corner store with a dollar felt like being a real adult. A sweet illustration of how unstructured play doubles as a training ground for real-world social skills, self-confidence, and approach behavior. [00:07:00] — Social Media and the Architecture of Joyless Urgency Here's where it gets science-y. Aimee connects the joyless urgency framework directly to how most social media platforms are designed — not to satisfy us, but to keep us in a loop of stimulation and momentary relief. The mechanics: activate anxiety, ease it briefly, activate again. Repeat. Sound familiar? [00:08:00] — Problematic Engagement: What the Research Says Aimee introduces the research concept of problematic engagement — used in studies on social media addiction and gambling — which describes the cycle of engaging with something that momentarily eases dis-ease but ultimately causes harm. Key finding: social anxiety is a primary driver, and these platforms are algorithmically built to exploit it. [00:09:30] — The Most Ironic Research Finding People who believe they have complete control over their social media use — who think they could stop at any time — actually show the most signs of problematic engagement. They're absorbing the most harm while feeling the least concerned about it. [00:10:00] — Dr. Samira Farivar Quote + What We're Up Against Aimee references research by Dr. Samira Farivar: "You can't action a problem you don't even know exists." The platform isn't incidental to the problem — it is the business model. We're not weak for falling into this loop. We're human, and the trap was engineered specifically for us. [00:11:30] — The Simple Truth About Adding More Fun Henry brings it home: adding more fun to life is theoretically simple. If we just slow down enough to let our awareness catch up, we'll almost naturally fill that space with something we enjoy. Kids don't need instructions for fun — and adults don't either, once we clear the noise. [00:13:00] — Listening to the Voice That Wants to Play Henry offers a quiet but urgent reminder: our inner wisdom needs to be heard. If we don't honor it, it either goes silent — or gets louder until we can't ignore it. The invitation is to pause, ask what am I doing?, and actually wait for an answer to surface. [00:14:00] — Play Is an Offensive Strategy Aimee closes the conversation with a reframe: fun and play aren't a retreat from the hard stuff in the world. They're a way of moving through it.   Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at [email protected]. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

May is just around the corner and it's Mental Health Awareness Month. At Joy Lab, we believe awareness alone isn't enough. It's time to actually care for your mental health. So we're offering the full Joy Lab Program free for 30 days (offer ends May 31st). No paywall. No catch. Just a genuine invitation to experiment with more joy. In this episode, Aimee walks through exactly why now is the right moment to try the Program and shares the exciting updates that make this the best version of Joy Lab yet.   Try It Free 🎉 The Joy Lab Program is free for 30 days — offer ends May 31st. New Experiments begin May 1st. Head to JoyLab.coach/program to sign up.    Not interested in joining? Consider supporting Joy Lab Joy Lab is a nonprofit committed to keeping mental health tools accessible to everyone — ad-free, no paywalls. If these tools have made a difference for you, consider supporting the work at joylab.coach/donate. Even $5 makes a real difference. Can't give financially? Share this episode with someone who needs it. That's its own kind of giving About the Joy Lab Podcast: The Joy Lab Podcast is an Ambie-nominated podcast that blends science and soul to help you cope better with stress, ease anxiety, and uplift mood. Join Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek for practical, mindfulness-based tools and positive psychology strategies to build resilience and create lasting joy.   If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts! And... if you want to spread some joy and keep this podcast ad-free, then please join our mission by donating (Joy Lab is powered by the nonprofit Pathways North and your donations are tax-deductible).   Like and follow Joy Lab on Socials:  Instagram Linkedin Watch this episode on YouTube   Key moments: [00:00] — May is Mental Health Awareness Month: a free 30-day offer for the Joy Lab Program (ends May 31st) [00:30] — Why Joy Lab believes Mental Health Month should be about action AND awareness [01:00] — A refreshed Program: years of feedback, real impact, and room to improve [01:15] — New rhythm: three active months + one intentional rest month, and why that cycle matters for mental health [02:00] — New weekly Experiments: now directly tied to podcast episodes for a more powerful learning loop [02:30] — New Elements of joy: expanding beyond the original 12 to include more paths to mental health and flourishing [03:30] — Even non-Program listeners will encounter new Elements through the podcast each month [03:45] — How to join: head to JoyLab.coach or the show notes link; cancel anytime, no questions asked   Full transcript here     Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at [email protected]. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

We're in our new "month of renewal" format. We're essentially exploring this question throughout the month... what if growth required less effort? This is an encore episode that helps us answer this question. Reminder that we'll be back with new episodes May 1, 2026.  Busyness: society's favorite status symbol and one of resilience's sneakiest enemies. In this episode, Henry Emmons, MD and Aimee Prasek, PhD dig into time poverty — the feeling of having too much to do and never enough time to do it — and unpack why so many of us are stuck in this cycle without even realizing it. Spoiler: it's not just about your calendar. They explore the science of adrenal fatigue, the cultural glorification of overwork, a concept called effort justification, and the fears that keep us moving too fast to feel anything. Plus, a practical, almost embarrassingly simple mindfulness trick to help you wake up to your own life — and a cautionary tale about solitaire. About: The Joy Lab Podcast is an Ambie-nominated podcast that blends science and soul to help you cope better with stress, ease anxiety, and uplift mood. Join Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek for practical, mindfulness-based tools and positive psychology strategies to build resilience and create lasting joy. Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with the Joy Lab Program.  If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts! And... if you want to spread some joy and keep this podcast ad-free, then please join our mission by donating (Joy Lab is powered by the nonprofit Pathways North and your donations are tax-deductible).   Like and follow Joy Lab on Socials:  Instagram Linkedin YouTube   Full transcript here     Sources and Notes: Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life. Episode referenced: Emotional Inertia: Feeling Dull & Disconnected [ep. 207] Annie Dillard's website. Jonathan Gershuny: "Work not leisure, is now the signifier of dominant social status." Closing poem excerpt: Max Ehrmann, "Desiderata"   Key moments: [00:00:00] — Welcome & Episode Introduction Henry and Aimee introduce today's topic: busyness as a resilience-depleting habit and a deeper dive into time poverty. [00:01:00] — What Is Time Poverty? Time poverty defined: the feeling of having too much to do and not enough time to do it. The nuance: it's less about how many activities are on your calendar and more about why you feel so strapped — and what you consider time well spent. [00:02:00] — Stress, Perception, and the Hijacked Sense of Time When we're in a chronic stress state, our nervous system makes it virtually impossible to feel like we have enough time. Aimee sets up a connection to adrenal fatigue and how our perception of time gets distorted under prolonged stress. [00:03:30] — Annie Dillard Quote + The Brick-By-Brick Life Henry brings in writer Annie Dillard: "How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives." The key insight: the days we fill with unconscious busyness aren't separate from our life — they are our life. [00:05:30] — Adrenal Fatigue Explained Henry breaks down adrenal fatigue in plain language — not a lab result, but a state of physiological depletion from sustained high stress. When the system gets pushed too long, motivation crashes, fatigue sets in, and it can look a lot like depression. The takeaway: don't wait until you're running on empty. [00:09:00] — Waking Up to Your Own Life Aimee connects the Dillard quote to Joy Lab's core practice: seeing what is. The bricks you're laying right now are already your foundation — you can't outsource that awareness to some future version of yourself. [00:10:00] — Two Reasons We Resist Slowing Down Henry and Aimee identify the two forces keeping people stuck in chronic busyness: A cultural shift that glorifies work over leisure as a status symbol Fear of the emotions that surface when we stop moving [00:10:30] — The Cultural Glorification of Overwork Sociologist Jonathan Gershuny: "Work — not leisure — is now the signifier of dominant social status." Not productivity, not meaning, not mastery. Just logged hours. Aimee connects this to the founder-sleeping-at-the-office mythology and the phenomenon of effort justification — the false belief that harder or more work must be more meaningful work. [00:12:00] — The Bell Curve of Busyness Not all busyness is bad — in fact, too little challenge has its own negative health outcomes. Henry and Aimee describe the bell curve: there's a sweet spot of productive challenge that supports joy and wellbeing. Both ends of that curve — too little and too much — lead to worse outcomes. [00:13:30] — Fear #1: If I Stop, I'll Sink Henry draws on clinical experience with patients who've had to take time off work. The fear of going from frantic to flat is real — but the antidote is surprisingly modest: one or two structured, meaningful activities per day is often enough. [00:15:30] — Fear #2: Running From Emotions The deeper fear beneath chronic busyness — staying in motion to avoid feelings. Henry reflects honestly on using busyness as an avoidance strategy in his own life. It works... until it doesn't. The way out: learning to turn toward emotions rather than away from them. [00:17:30] — Aimee's Cross-Country Escape (And What Followed) Aimee shares that she moved across the country partly to run from her problems — only to discover that her feelings were faster than a plane ticket. A lighthearted but real reminder: avoidance is portable. [00:19:00] — What Is Time Well Spent? The missing link in the time poverty conversation: most of us haven't actually defined what time well spent means to us personally. Key questions to sit with: What do I want to learn or experience? Who energizes me? What leaves me feeling depleted? [00:20:00] — The Time Log Practice A practical tool: track how you spend your minutes for at least three days, noting both the activity and how you feel during it. Many people discover they have more agency over their time than they thought — and they're often spending that discretionary time on things they don't even enjoy. [00:21:00] — The Solitaire Saga Aimee's honest story about downloading a solitaire game for the warm, nostalgic reasons and spending five stressed-out weeks in a dopamine feedback loop before finally deleting it. The point: unconscious habits have real costs — and awareness is the first step to changing them. [00:25:00] — Henry's Mindfulness Shortcut: Expand or Contract? A deceptively simple real-time mindfulness practice: in any given moment, pause and notice whether your chest or belly feels expanded, contracted, or neutral. No judgment. Just notice. Then — over time — start making choices that move you toward more expansion. [00:27:00] — Closing Reflection + Desiderata Aimee closes with lines from Max Ehrmann's poem Desiderata — a meditation on self-compassion, presence, and trusting that the universe is unfolding as it should.   Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at [email protected]. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

We're in our new "month of renewal" format. We're essentially exploring this question throughout the month... what if growth required less effort? This is an encore episode that helps us answer this question. Reminder that we'll be back with new episodes May 1, 2026.  In this episode of Joy Lab, Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek dismantle the idea that balance is a fixed destination you arrive at someday — once the laundry is done, the inbox is empty, and the kids are listening. Spoiler: that day is not coming. Instead, Henry and Aimee reframe equanimity as an active, embodied practice — more like balancing on one foot than standing rigidly still. Drawing on the metaphor of the Equinox, the rhythm of the ocean, and the very real signals your nervous system sends when you've overloaded your plate, they offer two practical, evidence-informed strategies: releasing perfectionism and cultivating outer stillness through the radical act of doing less. Whether you're recovering from burnout, drowning in self-help listicles, or just tired of waiting to feel balanced before you start living, this episode is your permission slip to recalibrate — right now, imperfectly, and with grace.   About: The Joy Lab Podcast is an Ambie-nominated podcast that blends science and soul to help you cope better with stress, ease anxiety, and uplift mood. Join Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek for practical, mindfulness-based tools and positive psychology strategies to build resilience and create lasting joy. Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with the Joy Lab Program.   If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts! And... if you want to spread some joy and keep this podcast ad-free, then please join our mission by donating (Joy Lab is powered by the nonprofit Pathways North and your donations are tax-deductible).   Like and follow Joy Lab on Socials:  Instagram Linkedin Watch this episode on YouTube     Sources and Notes: Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life.   Full transcript here   Key moments: [00:01:00] Defining equanimity — calm, serenity, inner peace, and balance Why "balance" is the most relatable word, even if it's overused and under-understood. [00:01:45] The biggest myth about balance: it's a fixed end state Unpacking the belief: "I just need to get my life in balance and then I can…" — and why it keeps failing us. [00:02:45] Balance as a boat on the ocean Waves, storms, narwhals, manatees — navigating it all is the practice. Balance is not the island. [00:03:45] Physical balance as a mirror for life balance Henry reflects on aging, illness, and how something we once took for granted can become a major effort — and what that teaches us. [00:05:30] When life knocks your reserves out — anxiety, depression, significant stress What once seemed doable can feel insurmountable. Normalizing the experience of losing your footing. [00:06:00] The Equinox metaphor for balance Twice a year, day and night are perfectly balanced — and it lasts a moment. Nature doesn't fight the shift. It flows. [00:07:30] Savoring moments of calm and preparing for inevitable shifts The Equinox teaches us to appreciate balance when we find it — and not to be blindsided when it moves on. [00:08:45] Balancing on one foot — balance is in the balancing Aimee reframes physical balance as wobbling, reassessing, and rebalancing — not rigidity. An invitation to ease up on yourself. [00:09:30] Honest check-in: Joy Lab's own season of imbalance Six months of heavy workload, three months of feeling out of balance — and the confidence that recalibration is possible. [00:11:00] Strategy 1: Let go of perfectionism Aimee breaks down how our vision of "balance" is often a vision of impossible perfection — and how that perfectionism causes us to delay our own self-care indefinitely. [00:12:30] How perfectionism anchors the balance myth We stop doing the things that help us recalibrate until we reach a state that never arrives. The invitation to check in and offer yourself grace.   [00:13:45] Strategy 2: Cultivate outer stillness by doing less Henry's personal strategy — and why it runs counter to every "5 Things Highly Productive People Do" headline in your newsfeed. [00:15:30] What the pandemic unexpectedly taught about doing less When life was stripped back, Henry discovered his life could be rich without being packed full. [00:17:00] Why "do less" is the only wellness strategy with nothing to add to your list No gadgets. No hacks. No hooks for perfectionism. Just awareness and the willingness to say no. [00:17:30] Using your body as a navigation app for balance Tuning into the feeling of being rushed and pressured as a signal to change course — no wearable required. [00:19:00] Aimee's body check-in — stomach tension as a balance metric Instead of opening another listicle, go inward. Your nervous system is already telling you what you need. [00:20:00] We are balanced creatures when we allow ourselves to be Balance isn't about biohacking or concoctions. It's inner stillness and inner wisdom — skills we can all build. [00:21:00] Joy Lab Program and community support A reminder that the podcast is community-supported — and an invitation to go deeper in the Joy Lab Program. [00:21:45] Closing quote from Anna Quindlen     Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at [email protected]. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

We're in our new "month of renewal" format. We're essentially exploring this question throughout the month... what if growth required less effort? This is an encore episode that helps us answer this question. Reminder that we'll be back with new episodes May 1, 2026.  Solitude and fun in the same sentence? Stick with us. In this episode, we'll explore how intentional alone time — free from devices, distractions, and the pressure to perform happiness — can actually be one of the most powerful tools for mental wellness and, yes, even joy. From the neuroscience of arousal states to Trappist monks in rural Iowa, this one is equal parts science and soul.   About: The Joy Lab Podcast is an Ambie-nominated podcast that blends science and soul to help you cope better with stress, ease anxiety, and uplift mood. Join Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek for practical, mindfulness-based tools and positive psychology strategies to build resilience and create lasting joy. Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with the Joy Lab Program.   If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts! And... if you want to spread some joy and keep this podcast ad-free, then please join our mission by donating (Joy Lab is powered by the nonprofit Pathways North and your donations are tax-deductible).   Like and follow Joy Lab on Socials:  Instagram Linkedin Watch on YouTube   Full transcript here   Sources and Notes: Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life.  Podcast episodes referenced:   #73 Lonely in crowded places (this isn't a country music song) (this is the episode that originally played before this one) #28 Common Humanity vs Isolation Related podcast episodes: #72 Blame-It, Overanalyze-It, Should-It, & Separate (BOSS Dominoes) #71 Uncovering Your Playful Nature (guided meditation) #70 Update and Special [Super fun!] Replay #19 The Power of Play: Clocks vs Clouds and Taming Your Wild Things  National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults: Opportunities for the Health Care System. https://doi.org/10.17226/25663 Loneliness and Social Isolation Linked to Serious Health Conditions Brain systems underlying the affective and social monitoring of actions: An integrative review How BIS/BAS and psycho-behavioral variables distinguish between social withdrawal subtypes during emerging adulthood Solitude as an Approach to Affective Self-Regulation What Time Alone Offers: Narratives of Solitude From Adolescence to Older Adulthood The Handbook of Solitude: Psychological Perspectives on Social Isolation, Social Withdrawal, and Being Alone, Second Edition Descartes' Meditations Maya Angelou's website    Key moments: [00:01:00] — Defining Solitude Aimee offers a working definition: solitude is the voluntary experience of being alone, without devices or stimuli pulling attention away from oneself. Key distinction: solitude feels full, while loneliness feels like lack. [00:02:30] — Solitude vs. Loneliness: A Useful Parallel Henry draws a parallel between solitude/loneliness and grief/depression — experiences that may look similar on the surface but lead to very different outcomes. Healthy solitude, like healthy grief, can free and open us up. [00:05:00] — Obstacles to Solitude: Social Pressure Aimee calls out the cultural pressure to be perpetually social. In US culture, extroversion is rewarded, "table for one" is framed as sad, and choosing alone time can feel like going against the grain of good mental health — even though meaningful solitude actually supports it. [00:06:30] — The Paradox of American Individualism Henry reflects on how a culture that prizes individualism can simultaneously use constant social activity as a defense against the loneliness that individualism breeds — a potential downward spiral. [00:07:00] — Solitude as the Outbreath: Rhythm and Nature Drawing from his resilience retreat work, Henry introduces the breath as a metaphor for healthy life rhythm: activity needs rest, stress needs recovery, depletion needs renewal. Solitude, he suggests, is the outbreath after the inbreath of companionship and extroversion. [00:09:00] — Descartes on Peaceful Solitude Aimee shares a passage from Descartes' Meditations on the freedom solitude offers — a chance to release rigid opinions and find spaciousness. [00:10:00] — The Neuroscience: Arousal States Explained Aimee breaks down the arousal state spectrum — from deep sleep (lowest) to stress and agitation (highest) — and explains why US culture's incentivizing of high arousal states keeps our nervous systems chronically buzzing. [00:11:00] — High Arousal Positive Affect & Toxic Positivity A nuanced look at the cultural pressure to display high-energy happiness — "high energy on top of high energy" — and why that contributes to nervous system overload and, in Aimee's view, is where toxic positivity lives. [00:12:00] — Low Arousal States and the Healing Power of Solitude Research on how solitude can bring us into lower arousal states — awake, at ease, peaceful — and why that matters for overall balance. Aimee notes that individual differences matter: some people may actually need more activation, not less. [00:14:00] — Henry's Story: Trappist Monks and Medical Training Henry shares how the chronic high-arousal state of his medical and psychiatric training led him to a Trappist monastery in rural Iowa — with no prior knowledge of Catholicism or contemplative practice. He found daily rhythms of work and contemplation, centering prayer (similar to mindfulness meditation), and came out renewed. [00:17:30] — You Don't Need a Monastery Solitude doesn't require a silent retreat or foraging your own food in a cave (though that's an option). It can be 15 minutes in the garden — including relocating a very fat caterpillar eating your parsley. [00:19:30] — What Solitude Can Look Like for You Henry shares his current practice: time in nature when possible, journaling, quiet reflection on what feeds him and what steals his joy. Not productivity — sometimes a crossword or simply zoning out. A.A. Milne gets a well-earned cameo. [00:21:30] — What You'll Find in the Quiet Henry's invitation to those new to solitude: it may feel daunting, but what you'll encounter beneath the surface is worth it. "It's all love." [00:22:30] — Closing Wisdom: Maya Angelou on Solitude Aimee closes with a passage from Maya Angelou on solitude as a desirable condition — a space to listen to yourself, describe yourself to yourself, and hear something deeper.   Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at [email protected]. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

We're doing something a little different this month — and a little more of nothing. This is our new "month of renewal" format (happening three times a year in April, August, and December). We're essentially exploring this question throughout the month... what if growth required less effort? Drawing on the wisdom of nature, Parker Palmer's framework for inner work, and a haiku that Henry clearly loves more than he's willing to admit, this episode invites you to stop cramming, sprinting, and self-improving your way through every month of the year. The truth is that growth requires rest. And this month, we'll create the conditions for what already wants to grow in you to actually grow.    About: The Joy Lab Podcast is an Ambie-nominated podcast that blends science and soul to help you cope better with stress, ease anxiety, and uplift mood. Join Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek for practical, mindfulness-based tools and positive psychology strategies to build resilience and create lasting joy. Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with the Joy Lab Program.   If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts! And... if you want to spread some joy and keep this podcast ad-free, then please join our mission by donating (Joy Lab is powered by the nonprofit Pathways North and your donations are tax-deductible).   Like and follow Joy Lab on Socials:  Instagram Linkedin Watch on YouTube   Key moments: [00:00:00] — Welcome & The New Renewal Calendar Henry and Aimee introduce Joy Lab's new format: three months per year (April, August, December) dedicated to renewal. Less doing, same impact. [00:01:00] — Parker Palmer, Nature's Metaphors & Seasons of the Soul Henry shares his training in Parker Palmer's model of inner work and why aligning with the rhythms of nature is one of the most underrated roots of resilience. [00:03:45] — The Activity-Rest Trap of Spring (And Summer) Henry highlights the often-missed counterpoint to spring's energy: the need for alternation between activity and rest.  [00:05:00] — What Renewal Actually Is (Hint: It's Not a Makeover) Renewal isn't about consuming more external content or self-improvement projects. It's about creating space for what wants to grow within you to actually take root. [00:06:00] — The Seed Metaphor: Everything You Need Is Already Inside You The seed already contains everything it needs to grow — it just needs time, water, warmth, and soil.  [00:06:30] — Why "Always-On" Culture Works Against Renewal Overloaded schedules, content consumption, overscheduled kids, overperformance — our culture makes it structurally difficult for new growth to emerge from within. [00:08:00] — Henry's Favorite Haiku: "Spring Comes and the Grass Grows By Itself" Henry's go-to quote gets its moment. The insight: effortless growth isn't passive — it's not getting in the way.  [00:09:00] — The Month's Intention: Allow, Don't Force Instead of effort, what if you just gave a little attention — a little watering, a little light — and let things emerge on their own terms? [00:09:30] — Three Options for Your Month of Renewal  [00:10:00] — Option 1: Go Deeper With Past Practices Return to a Joy Lab Element or Experiment that sparked something in you. Revisit it with fresh eyes. Notice what's different, what's ready to grow.  [00:11:00] — Option 2: Integrate What You Already Know Addition by subtraction. You don't need more — you need room. Take things off your plate: information, others' opinions, the news (which Henry diplomatically calls "awfully compelling right now"). [00:13:00] — Practical Tips for Creating Mental Space Silence phone notifications, set active screen time limits, reduce your kids' overscheduled activities, create "psychic space" to hear what's calling you internally — by choice, not by algorithm. [00:15:00] — Option 3: Rest. Just… Rest. Renewal through rest. Like soil thawing in spring, we need to soak in warmth and nourishment before another season of growth. Permission granted to do absolutely nothing. [00:15:30] — The Digital Detox Prescription Go offline as long as you can each day. Research is increasingly clear: even having your phone nearby impairs cognitive functioning. It doesn't have to be cold turkey — just a little less, a little more each day. [00:16:30] — Mary Oliver's Wisdom: "Are You Breathing Just a Little and Calling It a Life?" What would a full breath look like for you this month? [00:17:00] — What Rest Can Actually Look Like A nap. A bath. Watching birds. Coffee with a friend. A game with your kid. Cooking a new recipe. Journaling. Basketball. A walk.  [00:19:00] — What This Month Looks Like: The Schedule One curated episode from the Joy Lab Library releases every Wednesday this month. Members have access to all Experiments. New content returns May 1st. [00:19:30] — Your Three Paths (Or Create Your Own) Go deeper. Integrate. Rest. All of these are renewal. Trust your wisdom. [00:19:45] — Closing Wisdom from Wayne Muller "In the relentless busyness of modern life, we have lost the rhythm between work and rest."   Sources and Notes: Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life.    Full transcript available here   Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at [email protected]. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

This is it — the finale of our 10-part series on grief, and we're closing with a Gate that might be the most quietly powerful one yet: Other. That's right, the catchall. The one that says: if your loss doesn't fit neatly into a framework, it still counts. If you're feeling it, it counts. Losses that fall into this category include: Identity shifts, infertility, retirement, faded friendships, the life you thought you'd have — and anything else. We also reflect on the full arc of the series, sharing four essential takeaways about grief, and perhaps most importantly, making the case that grief and joy aren't opposites. They're companions. And working with one deepens your capacity for both. If you've been putting off your grief because it seemed too small, too strange, or too hard to explain to anyone else — this episode is your permission slip. This episode is part of a 10-part series on grief. You can jump in here and circle back to Episode 248 when you're ready.   p.s. Find a Simple Joy practice for this episode right here at our blog.   About: The Joy Lab Podcast is an Ambie-nominated podcast that blends science and soul to help you cope better with stress, ease anxiety, and uplift mood. Join Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek for practical, mindfulness-based tools and positive psychology strategies to build resilience and create lasting joy. Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with the Joy Lab Program.   If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts! And... if you want to spread some joy and keep this podcast ad-free, then please join our mission by donating (Joy Lab is powered by the nonprofit Pathways North and your donations are tax-deductible).   Like and follow Joy Lab on Socials:  Instagram TikTok Linkedin Watch on YouTube   Key moments: [00:00:00] — This is the final episode of Joy Lab's 10-part Grief Series, beginning with episode 248. Overview of the framework: Francis Weller's Five Gates of Grief, with additional gates from other practitioners. [00:01:00] — Introducing the Ninth Gate: Other. Examples include: identity transitions, infertility, miscarriage, abortion, aging, retirement, relocating, faded friendships, missed opportunities, a diagnosis. The message of this Gate: your grief is valid, even if it doesn't fit a category. [00:02:00] — Why the "Other" Gate matters: it gives permission to grieve things we didn't think were grievable. Henry reflects on grief he carried about the life he imagined for his later years. Sometimes the losses that linger longest are the ones we felt we weren't allowed to name. [00:03:00] — The Ninth Gate as permission: no framework, however good, can contain all of grief. If it feels like a loss, it is a loss. This Gate honors grief's vastness and individuality. [00:04:00] — Connecting grief to our Element of Joy for this month: Equanimity. Real equanimity isn't about avoiding highs and lows — it includes grief.  [00:05:00] — Real equanimity is the ability to stay present with whatever's happening — joy, fear, sorrow, love — without being swept away. Grief can be a storm, but we can learn to work with it rather than be destroyed by it. [00:06:00] — How grief becomes workable: by practicing with smaller emotions when they're less overwhelming, we build capacity. Touching grief lightly, letting it move through — that's how the storm becomes survivable. The whole series has been about building exactly this capacity. [00:07:00] — Four Key Takeaways from the Grief Series: Takeaway 1: Grief is not a problem to solve or something to get over. It's a natural response to loss — and loss is part of living. Takeaway 2: Grief is communal. Billions of people are working with these gates. You are not alone. Takeaway 3: Grief is a skill we have to practice — consistent, regular grief-hygiene rituals help us work with frequent losses before they accumulate. The small "Other" griefs percolating in the background? Name them. Work with them. That's great training. Takeaway 4: Grief isn't just about death or obvious losses. Curiosity about how loss touches us is itself a powerful mental health skill. When we're willing to see and hold our losses, we can also see and hold the love around us — and within us. [00:09:00] — The gifts of grief, Part 1: Henry reflects on what this series — and his own prolonged experience of grief — has given him. Grief opens us to compassion. When you've been through real loss, you recognize it in others. You understand their struggle at a level you couldn't before. That's profound connection. [00:10:00] — The gifts of grief, Part 2: Grief brings wisdom. You learn what really matters. You stop wasting time on what doesn't. Henry shares something personal: "I am more tender now. More permeable. I feel things more deeply." And because of that, he's more open to joy — because you can't close yourself off to pain without also closing yourself off to beauty, love, and wonder. [00:11:00] — Grief and joy are not opposites — they're companions. The deeper your capacity for grief, the deeper your capacity for joy. Both require an open heart. Henry's closing encouragement: "Don't be afraid of grief. Let it be your teacher. Let it make you more of who you really are." [00:12:00] — Closing wisdom from Kahlil Gibran: "The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain."   Full transcipt here   Sources and Notes for this full grief series: Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life.  Grief Series: The Grief Series: The Wholeness of Being Human [part 1, ep 248] Everything We Love, We Will Lose: Navigating the First Gate of Grief[part 2, ep 249] Welcoming Back the Parts of You That Have Not Known Love [part 3, ep 250] Why You Can't Escape the Sorrows of the World (and why that's a good thing) [part 4, ep 251] Born to Belong: Grieving What Should Have Been There From the Start [part 5, ep 252] Breaking the Cycle: Ancestral Grief, Epigenetics, and the Power to Change Your Legacy [part 6, ep 253] How Facing the Harm You've Done Can Set You Free [part 7, ep 254] How the World's Pain Enters Your Body and What to Do Next [part 8, ep 255] Related Episodes: Savoring the Present and Overcoming FOBO (it's kinda like FOMO...) [ep 45] Wild Edge of Sorrow by Francis Weller The Four Things That Matter Most by Ira Byock, M.D.  Beckes & Sbarra, Social baseline theory: State of the science and new directions. Access here Beckes, et al. (2011). Social Baseline Theory: The Role of Social Proximity in Emotion and Economy of Action. Access here Bunea et al. (2017). Early-life adversity and cortisol response to social stress: a meta-analysis. Access here. Eisma, et al. (2019). No pain, no gain: cross-lagged analyses of posttraumatic growth and anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress and prolonged grief symptoms after loss. Access here  Hirschberger G. (2018). Collective Trauma an d the Social Construction of Meaning. Frontiers in psychology, 9, 1441. Access here   Kamis, et al. (2024). Childhood maltreatment associated with adolescent peer networks: Withdrawal, avoidance, and fragmentation. Access here  Lehrner, et al. (2014). Maternal PTSD associates with greater glucocorticoid sensitivity in offspring of Holocaust survivors. Access here  Maier & Seligman. (2016). Learned helplessness at fifty: Insights from neuroscience. Access here Sheehy, et al. (2019). An examination of the relationship between shame, guilt and self-harm: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Access here  Strathearn, et al. (2020). Long-term Cognitive, Psychological, and Health Outcomes Associated With Child Abuse and Neglect. Access here  Yehuda et al. (1998). Vulnerability to posttraumatic stress disorder in adult offspring of Holocaust survivors.  Access here. Yehuda, et al. (2018). Intergenerational transmission of trauma effects: putative role of epigenetic mechanisms. Access here    Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at [email protected]. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

Grief doesn't wait for loss to arrive. Sometimes it shows up early — sitting beside you while someone you love is still right there. That's anticipatory grief, and if you've ever felt your mind drift to a future without someone while they're still in the room, you already know it. In this episode of Joy Lab, Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek explore the Eighth Gate of Grief: the grief, stress, anxiety, and dread that can accompany an expected loss — whether that's a terminal diagnosis, a parent's cognitive decline, a marriage ending, or even broader fears about the world your kids will inherit. Anticipatory grief can be a mentally and emotionally exhausting experience, and it doesn't get nearly enough airtime in conversations about mental health. Importantly, this episode won't tell you how to stop anticipatory grief — because you shouldn't. Research suggests it can actually support healing. What it will give you: science-backed tools for staying present, a simple framework for saying what matters most before it's too late, and honest guidance on sustaining yourself through anticipatory grief. If anxiety, depression, or stress around future loss is weighing on you — or someone you love — this one's for you. This episode is part of a 10-part series on grief. You can jump in here and circle back to Episode 248 when you're ready.   p.s. Find a Simple Joy practice for this episode right here at our blog.   About: The Joy Lab Podcast is an Ambie-nominated podcast that blends science and soul to help you cope better with stress, ease anxiety, and uplift mood. Join Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek for practical, mindfulness-based tools and positive psychology strategies to build resilience and create lasting joy. Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with the Joy Lab Program.   If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts! And... if you want to spread some joy and keep this podcast ad-free, then please join our mission by donating (Joy Lab is powered by the nonprofit Pathways North and your donations are tax-deductible).   Like and follow Joy Lab on Socials:  Instagram TikTok Linkedin Watch on YouTube   Key moments: [00:00] — Introduction to the Eighth Gate: Anticipatory Grief [00:45] — What anticipatory grief is: the grief we feel in advance of an expected loss — terminal illness, dementia, a marriage ending, fears about the future of our planet or our children's world [01:00] — The extra "frosting" of this gate: dread, helplessness, and worry about what hasn't happened yet [01:15] — Anticipatory grief and cancer [02:30] — Anticipatory grief and Alzheimer's [04:00] — "We are apprentices to our grief, every time" — on never mastering grief, only practicing it [05:00] — FOBO: Fear Of Being Over — an earlier Joy Lab concept that connects to anticipatory grief and the pull away from the present moment [05:45] — Normalizing anticipatory grief: the goal is not to stop it, but to understand it [06:15] — The science: research on anticipatory grief shows it can actually be helpful — those who grieved some before a spouse died tended to have better outcomes afterward [07:30] — The void that often hits a month after a loss, when others return to their lives; how anticipatory grieving can build a support network that remains [08:00] — Anticipatory grief and early-onset Alzheimer's [13:45] — What anticipatory grief is really about: acceptance; facing truth instead of pushing it away [14:15] — Recognizing avoidance  [14:45] — Anticipatory grief as a gift: time to say what needs to be said, to be present differently, to love fully even while grieving [15:15] — Practicing loving fully amidst grief; being kind to yourself about grieving while the person is still present; holding both the grief of the future and the goodness of the present — they can happen at the same time [16:45] — The Four Things That Matter Most (Dr. Ira Byock, hospice physician): Please forgive me. I forgive you. Thank you. I love you. [17:15] — Why saying these things — even imperfectly — creates completion and reduces regret [19:15] — The gift anticipatory grief offers that sudden loss cannot: the chance to share grief with someone, say the four things, have the conversation together [20:00] — Tending to your own wellbeing during anticipatory grief; checking your energy and nourishment levels; you have to take breaks, let people help, do nourishing things for yourself — it's not selfish, it's sustainable [21:45] — Small ways to refuel: a walk, a phone call, sitting outside, noticing breath; don't wait until you're depleted — build it in now; Letting people support you; they often want to help but don't know how — be specific; "Can you bring dinner Tuesday? Can you sit with her while I go to the store?" [22:30] — Anticipatory grief is a marathon, not a sprint; pace yourself; stepping back to breathe and enjoy lightness is not denial — it's wisdom [23:30] — Closing quote from Rilke: "Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror. Just keep going. No feeling is final."   Sources and Notes for this full grief series: Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life.  Grief Series: The Grief Series: The Wholeness of Being Human [part 1, ep 248] Everything We Love, We Will Lose: Navigating the First Gate of Grief[part 2, ep 249] Welcoming Back the Parts of You That Have Not Known Love [part 3, ep 250] Why You Can't Escape the Sorrows of the World (and why that's a good thing) [part 4, ep 251] Born to Belong: Grieving What Should Have Been There From the Start [part 5, ep 252] Breaking the Cycle: Ancestral Grief, Epigenetics, and the Power to Change Your Legacy [part 6, ep 253] How Facing the Harm You've Done Can Set You Free [part 7, ep 254] How the World's Pain Enters Your Body and What to Do Next [part 8, ep 255] Related Episodes: Savoring the Present and Overcoming FOBO (it's kinda like FOMO...) [ep 45] Wild Edge of Sorrow by Francis Weller The Four Things That Matter Most by Ira Byock, M.D.  Beckes & Sbarra, Social baseline theory: State of the science and new directions. Access here Beckes, et al. (2011). Social Baseline Theory: The Role of Social Proximity in Emotion and Economy of Action. Access here Bunea et al. (2017). Early-life adversity and cortisol response to social stress: a meta-analysis. Access here. Eisma, et al. (2019). No pain, no gain: cross-lagged analyses of posttraumatic growth and anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress and prolonged grief symptoms after loss. Access here  Hirschberger G. (2018). Collective Trauma an d the Social Construction of Meaning. Frontiers in psychology, 9, 1441. Access here   Kamis, et al. (2024). Childhood maltreatment associated with adolescent peer networks: Withdrawal, avoidance, and fragmentation. Access here  Lehrner, et al. (2014). Maternal PTSD associates with greater glucocorticoid sensitivity in offspring of Holocaust survivors. Access here  Maier & Seligman. (2016). Learned helplessness at fifty: Insights from neuroscience. Access here Sheehy, et al. (2019). An examination of the relationship between shame, guilt and self-harm: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Access here  Strathearn, et al. (2020). Long-term Cognitive, Psychological, and Health Outcomes Associated With Child Abuse and Neglect. Access here  Yehuda et al. (1998). Vulnerability to posttraumatic stress disorder in adult offspring of Holocaust survivors.  Access here. Yehuda, et al. (2018). Intergenerational transmission of trauma effects: putative role of epigenetic mechanisms. Access here  Full transcript here  Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at [email protected]. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

Grief doesn't only come from what happens to us directly. In this episode of our Grief Series, we'll look through the Seventh Gate: Trauma — specifically collective trauma and secondary (vicarious) trauma. We'll break down what these are, how they physically land in your body, what the Window of Tolerance really means for your day-to-day life, and what to do when you find yourself overwhelmed by stress. We'll explore super helpful theories like the tend-and-befriend stress response, the power of your hope circuit, the eternal wisdom of finding the Middle Way, and practical guidance for navigating a world that can feel relentlessly heavy. This episode is part of a 10-part series on grief. You can jump in here and circle back to Episode 248 when you're ready.   p.s. Find a Simple Joy practice for this episode right here at our blog.   About: The Joy Lab Podcast is an Ambie-nominated podcast that blends science and soul to help you cope better with stress, ease anxiety, and uplift mood. Join Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek for practical, mindfulness-based tools and positive psychology strategies to build resilience and create lasting joy. Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with the Joy Lab Program.   If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts! And... if you want to spread some joy and keep this podcast ad-free, then please join our mission by donating (Joy Lab is powered by the nonprofit Pathways North and your donations are tax-deductible).   Like and follow Joy Lab on Socials:  Instagram TikTok Linkedin Watch on YouTube   Key moments: [00:00] — Introduce the Seventh Gate: Trauma [00:48] — A gentle reminder to listen with care [01:30] — Defining collective trauma: shared psychological impact affecting communities, societies, and the globe; examples include COVID, 9/11, mass shootings, natural disasters, and chronic collective traumas like racism and classism [02:00] — Defining secondary trauma / vicarious trauma: how negative effects occur through hearing accounts, watching videos, 24/7 news exposure; not uncommon in caregivers, healthcare workers, therapists, and first responders [03:30] — Why the brain doesn't always distinguish direct from indirect trauma; secondary trauma can produce symptoms identical to direct trauma; we are wired to survive in communities [04:00] — The losses this gate surfaces: safety, trust in institutions, community connection, shared understanding, and moral injuries [05:00] — Linda Thai's definition of trauma: "what happened that shouldn't have, and what should have happened that didn't" — and why the second half matters just as much [06:30] — Minnesota ICE surge reflection; what was missing that could have softened the trauma; community connection as a powerfully protective presence [07:45] — The tend-and-befriend stress response and why it's especially suited to collective grief [08:40] — Physical symptoms of collective trauma: brain fog, sleep problems, appetite changes, jumpiness, physical tension, digestive issues [09:20] — How collective stress lowers individual stress tolerance; why the tend-and-befriend response is so adaptive here [09:50] — Dan Siegel's Window of Tolerance introduced: the zone for healthy stress response; why collective trauma shrinks the window [10:20] — What happens outside the window: hyperarousal and hypoarousal introduced [11:00] — Deep dive on hyperarousal: panic, racing thoughts, anger, hypervigilance; why narrow focus is counterproductive; how sustained overactivation overwhelms the nervous system [13:00] — Hypoarousal: numbness, flatness, disconnection, apathy, brain fog; the freeze/"bite" stress response as protective feature, not personal failure; the COVID grocery bag arc [14:30] — Gentle activation strategies for moving out of hypoarousal: small movements, mindful breathing, connecting with safe people, small accomplishments [15:30] — Learned helplessness reexamined: the original researchers got it backward — helplessness is the brain's default, not something learned [16:00] — The Hope Circuit: prefrontal cortex overrides the helplessness default when actions are seen to matter; cross-stressor effect of agency [16:40] — What agency looks like in practice: self-talk, social connections, information choices, body care, small service acts, values [17:30] — Henry's activating-to-calming spectrum; using the Middle Way framework to self-regulate within the Window of Tolerance [18:30] — What to do when you've gone outside the window: micro-changes, one small choice at a time; deep rest when needed [20:10] — Balance is not a destination; the goal is not to eliminate stress responses but to navigate them more skillfully [21:15] — Self-care during collective trauma enables wise collective action [21:45] — Closing wisdom from Clarissa Pinkola Estés on standing up and showing your soul   Sources and Notes for this full grief series: Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life.  Grief Series: The Grief Series: The Wholeness of Being Human [part 1, ep 248] Everything We Love, We Will Lose: Navigating the First Gate of Grief[part 2, ep 249] Welcoming Back the Parts of You That Have Not Known Love [part 3, ep 250] Why You Can't Escape the Sorrows of the World (and why that's a good thing) [part 4, ep 251] Born to Belong: Grieving What Should Have Been There From the Start [part 5, ep 252] Breaking the Cycle: Ancestral Grief, Epigenetics, and the Power to Change Your Legacy [part 6, ep 253] How Facing the Harm You've Done Can Set You Free [part 7, ep 254] Wild Edge of Sorrow by Francis Weller Linda Thai's website Dan Siegel's website Clarissa Pinkola Estés' website Beckes & Sbarra, Social baseline theory: State of the science and new directions. Access here Beckes, et al. (2011). Social Baseline Theory: The Role of Social Proximity in Emotion and Economy of Action. Access here Bunea et al. (2017). Early-life adversity and cortisol response to social stress: a meta-analysis. Access here. Eisma, et al. (2019). No pain, no gain: cross-lagged analyses of posttraumatic growth and anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress and prolonged grief symptoms after loss. Access here  Hirschberger G. (2018). Collective Trauma an d the Social Construction of Meaning. Frontiers in psychology, 9, 1441. Access here   Kamis, et al. (2024). Childhood maltreatment associated with adolescent peer networks: Withdrawal, avoidance, and fragmentation. Access here  Lehrner, et al. (2014). Maternal PTSD associates with greater glucocorticoid sensitivity in offspring of Holocaust survivors. Access here  Maier & Seligman. (2016). Learned helplessness at fifty: Insights from neuroscience. Access here Sheehy, et al. (2019). An examination of the relationship between shame, guilt and self-harm: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Access here  Strathearn, et al. (2020). Long-term Cognitive, Psychological, and Health Outcomes Associated With Child Abuse and Neglect. Access here  Yehuda et al. (1998). Vulnerability to posttraumatic stress disorder in adult offspring of Holocaust survivors.  Access here. Yehuda, et al. (2018). Intergenerational transmission of trauma effects: putative role of epigenetic mechanisms. Access here    Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at [email protected]. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

In this episode of Joy Lab, we'll explore the Sixth Gate of Grief: the grief we carry for harm done to ourselves and others. We'll draw on the expanded framework of Francis Weller's gates of grief to unpack why this gate is one of the most challenging and most liberating to work with. It's important to note that this isn't about guilt-tripping or self-flagellation. It's about honest reckoning, releasing unconscious burdens, and reclaiming inner freedom. Because grief (not shame) is what actually moves us toward healing, repair, and becoming people who cause less harm.   This episode is part of a 10-part series on grief. You can jump in here and circle back to Episode 248 when you're ready.   p.s. Find a Simple Joy practice for this episode right here at our blog.   About: The Joy Lab Podcast is an Ambie-nominated podcast that blends science and soul to help you cope better with stress, ease anxiety, and uplift mood. Join Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek for practical, mindfulness-based tools and positive psychology strategies to build resilience and create lasting joy.   If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts! And... if you want to spread some joy and keep this podcast ad-free, then please join our mission by donating (Joy Lab is powered by the nonprofit Pathways North and your donations are tax-deductible).   Full transcript available here   Like and follow Joy Lab on Socials:  Instagram TikTok Linkedin Watch on YouTube   Key moments: [00:00:00] — Sixth Gate: Grief for Harm Done, popularized by Sophy Banks and Azul Thomé alongside Weller's original framework. [00:01:00] — What this gate includes: harmful thought patterns like corrosive self-talk, choices that felt necessary but caused harm, inaction when we could have intervened, and participation in collective harms like racism, classism, ableism, and environmental destruction. [00:02:00] — A critical disclaimer: this gate asks us to see these harms — not soak in them. Grief is meant to flow through us, not become a stagnant pool. Henry emphasizes the difference between grieving well and getting stuck. [00:03:30] — Three reasons this gate is especially challenging: (1) the scope of harm we participate in is nearly infinite; (2) the thin line between acknowledging harm and collapsing into shame and guilt; (3) the defensiveness this topic can trigger — and how to touch that lightly and let it go. [00:05:00] — This is about inner freedom, not atonement. Genuine inner freedom requires an honest look at how we affect those around us. [00:05:30] — Aimee and Henry on the word releasing vs. "getting over it." You can leap over a thing and still be carrying it. Releasing requires first being able to see what's there. [00:06:00] — Quote from Sabaa Tahir: two kinds of guilt — the kind that drowns you until you're useless, and the kind that fires your soul to purpose. Working with grief can move us from one to the other. [00:06:30] — Introduction of moral injury: the psychological wound that comes from betraying our own values, or witnessing others do it. Research shows moral injury is more strongly associated with PTSD symptoms than direct exposure to danger. [00:07:30] — Moral injury shows up everywhere — not just in war. Healthcare rationing, kids being detained, someone cutting you off in traffic. Untended grief in this gate can mean we snap at small things because they echo larger unprocessed wounds. [00:09:00] — Henry: grief helps us heal these deep, often invisible wounds. [00:10:00] — How harm to others haunts us for years, even decades. As social creatures, we're wired to repair harm and strengthen bonds. When we don't act, buried harm turns into guilt and shame — and shame isolates. Grief, by contrast, calls us into community and toward repair. [00:11:00] — Autoimmune disease analogy: shame is the emotional equivalent of an immune system attacking itself. A healthy response addresses the problem; an overreaction causes more damage than the original harm. [00:13:00] — Turning to harms we cause ourselves: negative self-talk, lifestyle choices, addictions. No matter the cause, we deserve healing from it. The challenge: in this case, we are both perpetrator and victim. [00:14:00] — Grief opens us up rather than closing us down. It can hold both the hurt experienced and the compassion for causing that pain. [00:14:30] — Connection to post-traumatic growth: not about psychological comfort, but awakening. Grief is the ride between pain and gain — and there's no bypassing it. [00:15:00] — Henry on the role of equanimity (this month's Element of Joy): balance is what allows us to hold two seemingly opposing truths at once. You fully acknowledge the harm and hold yourself with compassion. Neither minimizing nor drowning. [00:16:30] — Quote from Sister Helen Prejean (Dead Man Walking): "People are more than the worst thing they've done." The goal isn't no harm — it's less harm. And believing that you are more than your worst moment fosters humility, compassion, and healing that ripples outward to others. [00:17:30] — Preview of the next episode: the Seventh Gate — Trauma, and how grief and trauma intersect in the work of healing. [00:17:45] — Closing wisdom from Maya Angelou: "Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better."   Sources and Notes for this full grief series: Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life.  Grief Series: The Grief Series: The Wholeness of Being Human [part 1, ep 248] Everything We Love, We Will Lose: Navigating the First Gate of Grief[part 2, ep 249] Welcoming Back the Parts of You That Have Not Known Love [part 3, ep 250] Why You Can't Escape the Sorrows of the World (and why that's a good thing) [part 4, ep 251] Born to Belong: Grieving What Should Have Been There From the Start [part 5, ep 252] Breaking the Cycle: Ancestral Grief, Epigenetics, and the Power to Change Your Legacy [part 6, ep 253] Wild Edge of Sorrow by Francis Weller Sabaa Tahir's website Beckes & Sbarra, Social baseline theory: State of the science and new directions. Access here Beckes, et al. (2011). Social Baseline Theory: The Role of Social Proximity in Emotion and Economy of Action. Access here Bunea et al. (2017). Early-life adversity and cortisol response to social stress: a meta-analysis. Access here. Eisma, et al. (2019). No pain, no gain: cross-lagged analyses of posttraumatic growth and anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress and prolonged grief symptoms after loss. Access here  Kamis, et al. (2024). Childhood maltreatment associated with adolescent peer networks: Withdrawal, avoidance, and fragmentation. Access here  Lehrner, et al. (2014). Maternal PTSD associates with greater glucocorticoid sensitivity in offspring of Holocaust survivors. Access here  Hirschberger G. (2018). Collective Trauma an d the Social Construction of Meaning. Frontiers in psychology, 9, 1441. Access here  Sheehy, et al. (2019). An examination of the relationship between shame, guilt and self-harm: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Access here  Strathearn, et al. (2020). Long-term Cognitive, Psychological, and Health Outcomes Associated With Child Abuse and Neglect. Access here  Yehuda et al. (1998). Vulnerability to posttraumatic stress disorder in adult offspring of Holocaust survivors.  Access here. Yehuda, et al. (2018). Intergenerational transmission of trauma effects: putative role of epigenetic mechanisms. Access here    Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at [email protected]. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

What if some of the grief you carry isn't entirely yours? In this episode we'll open what Francis Weller identified as the Fifth Gate of Grief: ancestral grief. We're talking about the unacknowledged, untended sorrows of those who came before us: lost languages, severed connections to land and ritual, collective traumas like war, displacement, and genocide. But we're also talking about the science; specifically, epigenetics and how it can help explain how those experiences literally get woven into our biology and passed down through generations, even when we don't know the stories. The good news? What gets passed down can also be healed. You don't have to carry rancid snacks in your backpack forever (you'll get that reference when you listen). And this gate, like all the others, ultimately opens into something more expansive — resilience, power, and the steady ground of equanimity. This episode is part of a 10-part series on grief. You can jump in here and circle back to Episode 248 when you're ready.   p.s. Find a Simple Joy practice for this episode right here at our blog.  About: The Joy Lab Podcast blends science and soul to help you cope better with stress, ease anxiety, and uplift mood. Join Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek for practical, mindfulness-based tools and positive psychology strategies to build resilience and create lasting joy. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts! And... if you want to spread some joy and keep this podcast ad-free, then please join our mission by donating (Joy Lab is powered by the nonprofit Pathways North and your donations are tax-deductible).   Full transcript here   Like and follow Joy Lab on Socials:  Instagram TikTok Linkedin Watch on YouTube   Sources and Notes for this full grief series: Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life.  Grief Series: The Grief Series: The Wholeness of Being Human [part 1, ep 248] Everything We Love, We Will Lose: Navigating the First Gate of Grief[part 2, ep 249] Welcoming Back the Parts of You That Have Not Known Love [part 3, ep 250] Why You Can't Escape the Sorrows of the World (and why that's a good thing) [part 4, ep 251] Born to Belong: Grieving What Should Have Been There From the Start [part 5, ep 252] Wild Edge of Sorrow by Francis Weller  "Something magical happens when we bear witness to each other in grief. Something alchemical. It transmutes the lead of our devastation into the gold of connection. Our own compassion is activated. Our souls are soothed. The narrow circle of our private pain expands and we recognize that we belong to each other. We take our rightful place in the web of interbeing and find refuge." -Mirabai Starr Beckes & Sbarra, Social baseline theory: State of the science and new directions. Access here Beckes, et al. (2011). Social Baseline Theory: The Role of Social Proximity in Emotion and Economy of Action. Access here Bunea et al. (2017). Early-life adversity and cortisol response to social stress: a meta-analysis. Access here. Eisma, et al. (2019). No pain, no gain: cross-lagged analyses of posttraumatic growth and anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress and prolonged grief symptoms after loss. Access here  Kamis, et al. (2024). Childhood maltreatment associated with adolescent peer networks: Withdrawal, avoidance, and fragmentation. Access here  Lehrner, et al. (2014). Maternal PTSD associates with greater glucocorticoid sensitivity in offspring of Holocaust survivors. Access here  Hirschberger G. (2018). Collective Trauma an d the Social Construction of Meaning. Frontiers in psychology, 9, 1441. Access here  Sheehy, et al. (2019). An examination of the relationship between shame, guilt and self-harm: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Access here  Strathearn, et al. (2020). Long-term Cognitive, Psychological, and Health Outcomes Associated With Child Abuse and Neglect. Access here  Yehuda et al. (1998). Vulnerability to posttraumatic stress disorder in adult offspring of Holocaust survivors.  Access here. Yehuda, et al. (2018). Intergenerational transmission of trauma effects: putative role of epigenetic mechanisms. Access here    Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at [email protected]. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

What if the loss you're carrying doesn't have a name — no death, no disaster, just a quiet, persistent ache that something was always missing? In this episode of Joy Lab, we'll look at Gate Four of our grief series: What We Expected But Did Not Receive. Drawing from Francis Weller's The Wild Edge of Sorrow, we'll explore the grief that comes from never being fully welcomed, seen, or celebrated for exactly who you are — a loss so subtle it often masquerades as personal failure. This episode offers a deeply compassionate and scientifically grounded look at why so many of us feel vaguely unfulfilled and how we can actually do something about it. Spoiler: it starts with grieving what you were owed. This episode is part of a 10-part series on grief. You can jump in here and circle back to Episode 248 when you're ready.   p.s. Find a Simple Joy practice for this episode right here at our blog.   About: The Joy Lab Podcast blends science and soul to help you cope better with stress, ease anxiety, and uplift mood. Join Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek for practical, mindfulness-based tools and positive psychology strategies to build resilience and create lasting joy.   If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts! And... if you want to spread some joy and keep this podcast ad-free, then please join our mission by donating (Joy Lab is powered by the nonprofit Pathways North and your donations are tax-deductible).   Like and follow Joy Lab on Socials:  Instagram TikTok Linkedin Watch on YouTube   Full transcript here   Sources and Notes for this full grief series: Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life.  Grief Series: Why We're Doing a 10-Part Series on Grief (And Why You Need It) [part 1, ep 248] Everything We Love, We Will Lose: Navigating the First Gate of Grief[part 2, ep 249] Welcoming Back the Parts of You That Have Not Known Love [part 3, ep 250] Why You Can't Escape the Sorrows of the World (and why that's a good thing) [part 4, ep 251] Imposter phenomenon series: Imposter Syndrome is a Myth (ep. 175) What Imposter Syndrome Really Is (ep. 176)  Backdraft: When Being Good to Yourself Feels Bad (ep. 29) Wild Edge of Sorrow by Francis Weller  "Something magical happens when we bear witness to each other in grief. Something alchemical. It transmutes the lead of our devastation into the gold of connection. Our own compassion is activated. Our souls are soothed. The narrow circle of our private pain expands and we recognize that we belong to each other. We take our rightful place in the web of interbeing and find refuge." -Mirabai Starr Beckes & Sbarra, Social baseline theory: State of the science and new directions. Access here Beckes, et al. (2011). Social Baseline Theory: The Role of Social Proximity in Emotion and Economy of Action. Access here Bunea et al. (2017). Early-life adversity and cortisol response to social stress: a meta-analysis. Access here. Eisma, et al. (2019). No pain, no gain: cross-lagged analyses of posttraumatic growth and anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress and prolonged grief symptoms after loss. Access here  Kamis, et al. (2024). Childhood maltreatment associated with adolescent peer networks: Withdrawal, avoidance, and fragmentation. Access here  Lehrner, et al. (2014). Maternal PTSD associates with greater glucocorticoid sensitivity in offspring of Holocaust survivors. Access here  Hirschberger G. (2018). Collective Trauma an d the Social Construction of Meaning. Frontiers in psychology, 9, 1441. Access here  Sheehy, et al. (2019). An examination of the relationship between shame, guilt and self-harm: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Access here  Strathearn, et al. (2020). Long-term Cognitive, Psychological, and Health Outcomes Associated With Child Abuse and Neglect. Access here  Yehuda et al. (1998). Vulnerability to posttraumatic stress disorder in adult offspring of Holocaust survivors.  Access here. Yehuda, et al. (2018). Intergenerational transmission of trauma effects: putative role of epigenetic mechanisms. Access here    Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at [email protected]. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

We're diving deep into Francis Weller's third gate of grief: the sorrows of the world. This gate reminds us that collective losses like wars, violence, injustice, and environmental destruction impact us whether we acknowledge them or not. We are interdependent beings, wired for connection, and when we try to shut down our caring to protect ourselves, we sacrifice our capacity for joy, flexibility, and resilience. The challenge is to trust our intuitive drive to care and connect, even when it feels uncomfortable. We'll offer some practical strategies to meet that challenge and to help you stay open to collective grief without being overwhelmed by it. CONTENT WARNING: This episode discusses gun violence. About: The Joy Lab Podcast blends science and soul to help you cope better with stress, ease anxiety, and uplift mood. Join Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek for practical, mindfulness-based tools and positive psychology strategies to build resilience and create lasting joy.   If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts! And... if you want to spread some joy and keep this podcast ad-free, then please join our mission by donating (Joy Lab is powered by the nonprofit Pathways North and your donations are tax-deductible).   Like and follow Joy Lab on Socials:  Instagram TikTok Linkedin Watch on YouTube   Full transcript here   Sources and Notes for this full grief series: Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life.  Grief Series: Why We're Doing a 10-Part Series on Grief (And Why You Need It) [part 1, ep 248] Everything We Love, We Will Lose: Navigating the First Gate of Grief [part 2, ep 249] Welcoming Back the Parts of You That Have Not Known Love [part 3, ep 250] Other related Joy Lab episodes: The Power of Gathering: Science-Backed Ways to Combat Loneliness Through Group Connection [ep. 240] Sympathetic Fear vs. Sympathetic Joy: What Are You Tuning Into? [ep. 238] Where's Your Third Place? [ep. 171] Learning to Love Well: Creating a House of Belonging [ep. 25] Common Humanity vs Isolation (ep. 28) Lonely in crowded places (this isn't a country music song) (ep. 73) Wild Edge of Sorrow by Francis Weller Skye Cielita Flor & Miraz Indira, The Joyful Lament: On Pain for the World. 2023 Access here Learn more about Joanna Macy's work from the Commons Library. "Interdependency is not a contract but a condition, even a precondition." — Dr. María Puig de la Bellacasa "Let me keep my distance always from those who think they have the answers. Let me keep company, always, with those who say, look and laugh in astonishment and bow their heads." — Mary Oliver "The mind pays for its deadening to the state of our world by giving up its capacity for joy and flexibility." — Joanna Macy "Don't be afraid of your sorrow or grief or rage. Treasure them. They come from your caring." — Joanna Macy "Joy is the practice of our entanglements." — Ross Gay "Grief is brought forth by the safety and holding capacity of the communal nervous system. We cannot and should not do it alone. We have evolved to open together and carry each other into the places that scare us just as we have evolved to sing and praise and dance and grow together." — Skye Cielita Flor and Miraz Indira  Beckes & Sbarra, Social baseline theory: State of the science and new directions. Access here Beckes, et al. (2011). Social Baseline Theory: The Role of Social Proximity in Emotion and Economy of Action. Access here Bunea et al. (2017). Early-life adversity and cortisol response to social stress: a meta-analysis. Access here. Eisma, et al. (2019). No pain, no gain: cross-lagged analyses of posttraumatic growth and anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress and prolonged grief symptoms after loss. Access here  Kamis, et al. (2024). Childhood maltreatment associated with adolescent peer networks: Withdrawal, avoidance, and fragmentation. Access here  Lehrner, et al. (2014). Maternal PTSD associates with greater glucocorticoid sensitivity in offspring of Holocaust survivors. Access here  Hirschberger G. (2018). Collective Trauma an d the Social Construction of Meaning. Frontiers in psychology, 9, 1441. Access here  Sheehy, et al. (2019). An examination of the relationship between shame, guilt and self-harm: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Access here  Strathearn, et al. (2020). Long-term Cognitive, Psychological, and Health Outcomes Associated With Child Abuse and Neglect. Access here  Yehuda et al. (1998). Vulnerability to posttraumatic stress disorder in adult offspring of Holocaust survivors.  Access here. Yehuda, et al. (2018). Intergenerational transmission of trauma effects: putative role of epigenetic mechanisms. Access here    Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at [email protected]. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

We're exploring the second gate of grief from Francis Weller's framework: The Places That Have Not Known Love. Unlike the first gate (episode #249)—which dealt with more of the external losses—this gate turns inward to examine the parts of ourselves we've rejected, hidden, or banished in our need to belong. And this isn't about toxic positivity or pretending everything is fine. It's about integrating the messy, uncomfortable, angry, scared, "too much" parts of yourself—and discovering that when you love what you've rejected, it loses its grip over you.  p.s. Find your Simple Joy practice for this episode right here at our blog.   About: The Joy Lab Podcast blends science and soul to help you cope better with stress, ease anxiety, and uplift mood. Join Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek for practical, mindfulness-based tools and positive psychology strategies to build resilience and create lasting joy.   If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts! And... if you want to spread some joy and keep this podcast ad-free, then please join our mission by donating (Joy Lab is powered by the nonprofit Pathways North and your donations are tax-deductible).   Like and follow Joy Lab on Socials:  Instagram TikTok Linkedin Watch on YouTube    Sources and notes: Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life. Imposter phenomenon series: Imposter Syndrome is a Myth (ep. 175) What Imposter Syndrome Really Is (ep. 176)  Self-connection series: Making Self-Connection Your Superpower in 2026 [ep. 243] The Practice of Self-Awareness: Why You're Worth Knowing [ep. 244] Stop Waiting to Accept Yourself: The Truth About Unconditional Self-Acceptance [ep. 245] The Power of Self-Alignment & Reclaiming Your True Self [ep. 246] Self-acceptance episodes: No Need to Hurry, No Need to Sparkle, No Need to Be Anybody But Yourself [ep. 160] Accept Yourself Just As You Are & Then You Can Change [ep. 150] How to Change: External vs Internal Motivators [ep. 145]  Authenticity series: Unmasking Your True Self: Exploring Authenticity and Awe [ep. 216] Embrace Your True Self: Accepted, Connected, & In The Game [ep. 217] The Road Most Travelled: Awakening Through Suffering [ep. 218]  Follow Your Bliss: Awakening to Joy [ep. 219] The Still Small Voice: Awakening with Soulfulness [ep. 220]  Wild Edge of Sorrow by Francis Weller   Full notes, sources, and full transcript available here.   Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at [email protected]. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

In this episode, we're exploring the first of Francis Weller's Five Gates of Grief: "Everything we love, we will lose." This isn't just another depressing truth about life—it's a surprisingly liberating gateway to deeper love, presence, and joy. We'll share some stories and practical wisdom about how savoring practices can help us hold both love and loss simultaneously. Most importantly, we'll highlight why grief is a skill, not just a feeling, and you'll learn a simple five-minute micro-ritual for tending to loss before it accumulates. This conversation weaves together Buddhist teachings on impermanence, neuroscience research on grief and savoring, and the vital reminder that grief is absolutely a team sport.  p.s. Find your Simple Joy practice for this episode right here at our blog. About: The Joy Lab Podcast blends science and soul to help you cope better with stress, ease anxiety, and uplift mood. Join Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek for practical, mindfulness-based tools and positive psychology strategies to build resilience and create lasting joy.   If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts! And... if you want to spread some joy and keep this podcast ad-free, then please join our mission by donating (Joy Lab is powered by the nonprofit Pathways North and your donations are tax-deductible).   Like and follow Joy Lab on Socials:  Instagram TikTok Linkedin Watch on YouTube    Sources and Notes for this full grief series: Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life. Wild Edge of Sorrow by Francis Weller "Grief is not a feeling, grief is a skill." — Francis Weller "Ritual is a maintenance practice that offers us the means of tending wounds and sorrows, for offering gratitude, allowing our psyches regular periods of release and renewal." — Francis Weller "Half of any person is wrong and weak and off the beaten path. Half the other half is dancing and laughing and swimming in the invisible joy." — Rumi "We are all the walking wounded in a world that is a war zone. Everything we love will be taken from us. Everything. Last of all life itself. Yet this reality does not diminish love. It shows us that loving is the most important business." -Christina Pinkola Estés' Website  Skye Cielita Flor & Miraz Indira, The Joyful Lament: On Pain for the World. 2023 Access here Learn more about Joanna Macy's work from the Commons Library.  Beckes & Sbarra, Social baseline theory: State of the science and new directions. Access here Beckes, et al. (2011). Social Baseline Theory: The Role of Social Proximity in Emotion and Economy of Action. Access here Bunea et al. (2017). Early-life adversity and cortisol response to social stress: a meta-analysis. Access here. Eisma, et al. (2019). No pain, no gain: cross-lagged analyses of posttraumatic growth and anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress and prolonged grief symptoms after loss. Access here  Lehrner, et al. (2014). Maternal PTSD associates with greater glucocorticoid sensitivity in offspring of Holocaust survivors. Access here Kamis, et al. (2024). Childhood maltreatment associated with adolescent peer networks: Withdrawal, avoidance, and fragmentation. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.107125  Sheehy, et al. (2019). An examination of the relationship between shame, guilt and self-harm: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Access here  Strathearn, et al. (2020). Long-term Cognitive, Psychological, and Health Outcomes Associated With Child Abuse and Neglect. Access here  Yehuda et al. (1998). Vulnerability to posttraumatic stress disorder in adult offspring of Holocaust survivors.  Access here. Yehuda, et al. (2018). Intergenerational transmission of trauma effects: putative role of epigenetic mechanisms. Access here   Full transcript available here   Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at [email protected]. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

In this introduction to our 10-part grief series, we'll explain why a podcast about joy is diving deep into grief—and why you can't truly have joy without grief. During this series, we'll mainly lean on Francis Weller's "gates of grief." And importantly, as we move through these gates, the goal is not to help you "get over it" or rush through some prescribed grief stages so you can dismiss "bad" feelings. Instead, we'll explore more about the healing power of grief, how you can see and accept loss with less resistance, and we'll share some practices and realistic ways you can build skills to navigate grief in more nourishing ways.  p.s. Find your Simple Joy practice for this episode right here at our blog. About: The Joy Lab Podcast blends science and soul to help you cope better with stress, ease anxiety, and uplift mood. Join Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek for practical, mindfulness-based tools and positive psychology strategies to build resilience and create lasting joy. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts! And... if you want to spread some joy and keep this podcast ad-free, then please join our mission by donating (Joy Lab is powered by the nonprofit Pathways North and your donations are tax-deductible).   Like and follow Joy Lab on Socials:  Instagram TikTok Linkedin Watch on YouTube   Sources and Notes for this full grief series: Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life. Wild Edge of Sorrow by Francis Weller Skye Cielita Flor & Miraz Indira, The Joyful Lament: On Pain for the World. 2023 Access here Learn more about Joanna Macy's work from the Commons Library.  Beckes & Sbarra, Social baseline theory: State of the science and new directions. Access here Beckes, et al. (2011). Social Baseline Theory: The Role of Social Proximity in Emotion and Economy of Action. Access here Bunea et al. (2017). Early-life adversity and cortisol response to social stress: a meta-analysis. Access here. Eisma, et al. (2019). No pain, no gain: cross-lagged analyses of posttraumatic growth and anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress and prolonged grief symptoms after loss. Access here  Lehrner, et al. (2014). Maternal PTSD associates with greater glucocorticoid sensitivity in offspring of Holocaust survivors. Access here   Kamis, et al. (2024). Childhood maltreatment associated with adolescent peer networks: Withdrawal, avoidance, and fragmentation.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.107125  Sheehy, et al. (2019). An examination of the relationship between shame, guilt and self-harm: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Access here  Strathearn, et al. (2020). Long-term Cognitive, Psychological, and Health Outcomes Associated With Child Abuse and Neglect. Access here  Yehuda et al. (1998). Vulnerability to posttraumatic stress disorder in adult offspring of Holocaust survivors.  Access here. Yehuda, et al. (2018). Intergenerational transmission of trauma effects: putative role of epigenetic mechanisms. Access here    Full transcript here   Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at [email protected]. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

Why do most New Year's resolutions fail by week three? Often because we don't really connect with those resolutions. In this episode, we'll build on our self-connection series to see how that work of connecting with our true self can inform goals that we're more likely to achieve. We'll focus on a two-step framework for goal achievement: fit (goals that match your authentic values) and grit (sustained effort that doesn't lead to burnout). If you haven't caught the rest of this series, head back to episode 243 for the first part.  p.s., Find your Simple Joy practice for this episode right here at our blog.   About: The Joy Lab Podcast blends science and soul to help you cope better with stress, ease anxiety, and uplift mood. Join Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek for practical, mindfulness-based tools and positive psychology strategies to build resilience and create lasting joy. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts!   Like and follow Joy Lab on Socials:  Instagram TikTok Linkedin Watch on YouTube    Sources and Notes: Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life. Self-connection series: Making Self-Connection Your Superpower in 2026 [ep. 243] The Practice of Self-Awareness: Why You're Worth Knowing [ep. 244] Stop Waiting to Accept Yourself: The Truth About Unconditional Self-Acceptance [ep. 245] The Power of Self-Alignment & Reclaiming Your True Self [ep. 246] Self-acceptance episodes: No Need to Hurry, No Need to Sparkle, No Need to Be Anybody But Yourself [ep. 160] Accept Yourself Just As You Are & Then You Can Change [ep. 150] How to Change: External vs Internal Motivators [ep. 145]  Authenticity series: Unmasking Your True Self: Exploring Authenticity and Awe [ep. 216] Embrace Your True Self: Accepted, Connected, & In The Game [ep. 217] The Road Most Travelled: Awakening Through Suffering [ep. 218]  Follow Your Bliss: Awakening to Joy [ep. 219] The Still Small Voice: Awakening with Soulfulness [ep. 220] More on inspiration and goal-setting: Inspiration: The Engine of Joy" ... gives some great basics for this element of inspiration) [ep. 10] Resolution #1: You Don't Need to Be Fixed [ep. 40] The Myths of Change [ep. 41] Five Principles for Inspired Change (or something that looks remarkably like it) [ep. 42] Harmonious vs. Obsessive Passions [ep. 43]  Dr. Angela Duckworth's website. "You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, and how you can still come out of it." — Maya Angelou   Full transcript here   Coming Next Month on Joy Lab Next month starts our series on grief. If you're wondering what that has to do with joy, well, it has everything to do with joy. The truth is we can't have one without the other. In the series, we'll explore how to move with and through grief more skillfully so that your joy can grow too.  The Science of Goal Setting: Fit (with self-connection) and Grit (with harmonious passion)  Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at [email protected]. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

We're talking about self-alignment today—the final piece of our self-connection series and perhaps the most challenging. What does it really mean to be "comfortable in your own skin"? More than just knowing yourself (self-awareness) or accepting yourself (self-acceptance), self-alignment is about acting in ways consistent with your authentic values, preferences, and internal states. We'll dig into the obstacles of self-alignment and strategies to overcome them, including designing a "values tattoo" that visually captures what matters most to you. p.s., Find your Simple Joy practice for this episode right here at our blog.   About: The Joy Lab Podcast blends science and soul to help you cope better with stress, ease anxiety, and uplift mood. Join Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek for practical, mindfulness-based tools and positive psychology strategies to build resilience and create lasting joy. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts!   Like and follow Joy Lab on Socials:  Instagram TikTok Linkedin YouTube   Watch this episode on YouTube   Sources and Notes: Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life. Self-connection series: Making Self-Connection Your Superpower in 2026 [ep. 243] The Practice of Self-Awareness: Why You're Worth Knowing [ep. 244] Stop Waiting to Accept Yourself: The Truth About Unconditional Self-Acceptance [ep. 245] The Power of Self-Alignment & Reclaiming Your True Self  [ep. 246] Self-acceptance episodes: No Need to Hurry, No Need to Sparkle, No Need to Be Anybody But Yourself [ep. 160] Accept Yourself Just As You Are & Then You Can Change [ep. 150] How to Change: External vs Internal Motivators [ep. 145]  Authenticity series: Unmasking Your True Self: Exploring Authenticity and Awe [ep. 216] Embrace Your True Self: Accepted, Connected, & In The Game [ep. 217] The Road Most Travelled: Awakening Through Suffering [ep. 218]  Follow Your Bliss: Awakening to Joy [ep. 219] The Still Small Voice: Awakening with Soulfulness [ep. 220] More on inspiration and goal-setting: Inspiration: The Engine of Joy" ... gives some great basics for this element of inspiration) [ep. 10] Resolution #1: You Don't Need to Be Fixed [ep. 40] The Myths of Change [ep. 41] Five Principles for Inspired Change (or something that looks remarkably like it) [ep. 42] Harmonious vs. Obsessive Passions [ep. 43]  May Sarton: "Now I become myself. It's taken time, many years, and places I have been dissolved and shaken, worn other people's faces." Parker Palmer: "What a long time it can take to become the person one has always been. How often in the process we mask ourselves in faces that are not our own." Mahatma Gandhi: "Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony."    Full transcript available here   Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at [email protected]. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

Most of us are wait to accept ourselves after we achieve our goals—after we get that award, land the job, or fix that flaw. But this approach keeps us trapped in an endless cycle of unworthiness. In this episode, we'll dig into why self-acceptance is actually the most powerful fuel for growth and healing. We'll also spend some extra time on the difference between conditional and unconditional self-acceptance, why our minds constantly judge us, and practical ways to break free from self-criticism. If you've ever felt stuck in patterns of negative self-talk or believed you need to be "fixed" before you deserve acceptance, this episode offers a compassionate, scientifically-grounded path forward. About: The Joy Lab Podcast blends science and soul to help you cope better with stress, ease anxiety, and uplift mood. Join Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek for practical, mindfulness-based tools and positive psychology strategies to build resilience and create lasting joy. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts!   Like and follow Joy Lab on Socials:  Instagram TikTok Linkedin Watch on YouTube   Sources and Notes: Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life. Related Joy Lab Podcast Episodes Self-connection series: Making Self-Connection Your Superpower in 2026 [ep. 243] The Practice of Self-Awareness: Why You're Worth Knowing [ep. 244] Self-acceptance episodes: No Need to Hurry, No Need to Sparkle, No Need to Be Anybody But Yourself [ep. 160] Accept Yourself Just As You Are & Then You Can Change [ep. 150] How to Change: External vs Internal Motivators [ep. 145]  Authenticity series: Unmasking Your True Self: Exploring Authenticity and Awe [ep. 216] Embrace Your True Self: Accepted, Connected, & In The Game [ep. 217] The Road Most Travelled: Awakening Through Suffering [ep. 218]  Follow Your Bliss: Awakening to Joy [ep. 219] The Still Small Voice: Awakening with Soulfulness [ep. 220] Reducing Negative Self-Talk with Illeism [ep. 235] "The truth is belonging starts with self-acceptance. Your level of belonging, in fact, can never be greater than your level of self-acceptance." —Brené Brown Simple Joy exercise for this episode: https://www.joylab.coach/blog/the-self-acceptance-trap-why-i-ll-love-myself-after-never-works Full transcript here. The Illeism Affirmation Practice Create an affirmation using third-person perspective (you, they, or your name) Example: "You are a person worth knowing and you are worthy of acceptance" Pair with supportive touch—place gentle pressure on chest, legs, stomach, or wherever feels comforting Use when self-judgment rises, repeating several times This isn't a magic pill, but it helps the brain take a different road Many Selves List (from previous episode) Review your list with the "you" perspective Add more items using psychological distance Notice how this third-person view allows you to see yourself more compassionately Coming This Month on Joy Lab January's series on Self-Connection will explore: Self-Awareness practices and principles Self-Acceptance techniques for compassionate inner dialogue Self-Alignment strategies for living in integrity with your values Self-Concordant Goals: a powerful alternative to traditional goal-setting Applied mindfulness practices to deepen each component Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at [email protected]. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

Are you self-aware? Thankfully, it's not a yes or no question. Self-awareness is the practice of knowing yourself without judgment and it isn't a one-and-done achievement. It's a lifelong practice that exists on a spectrum, varies across different domains of your life, and requires us to embrace all our multitudes—even the parts we'd rather push away. The truth is that you are worth knowing. All of you. We'll dig into some of the obstacles and superpowers that self-awareness brings, including its foundation for psychological health, wellbeing, and ultimately, living a more inspired life. About: The Joy Lab Podcast blends science and soul to help you cope better with stress, ease anxiety, and uplift mood. Join Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek for practical, mindfulness-based tools and positive psychology strategies to build resilience and create lasting joy. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts!   Like and follow Joy Lab on Socials:  Instagram TikTok Linkedin Watch on YouTube    Sources and Notes: Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life. Related Joy Lab Podcast Episodes Unmasking Your True Self: Exploring Authenticity and Awe [ep. 216] Embrace Your True Self: Accepted, Connected, & In The Game [ep. 217] The Road Most Travelled: Awakening Through Suffering [ep. 218]  Follow Your Bliss: Awakening to Joy [ep. 219] The Still Small Voice: Awakening with Soulfulness [ep. 220] Equanimity: A Tool for Emotional Reactivity & the Power of Grounding [ep. 48] Equanimity: When an Emotional Storm Hits & Thoughts Start Spiraling [ep. 49] Equanimity: Seeing our Storylines and Changing Course [ep. 50] Equanimity: Emotional Reactivity and Damage Control [ep. 51] Equanimity: Cleaning Up After the Storm with Self-Compassion [ep. 52] Self love is not narcissism [ep. 227] Authenticity series: Weathering emotional storms series: "They who have not looked on sorrow will never see joy." - Khalil Gibran "Once the storm is over, you won't remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won't even be sure whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won't be the same person who walked in. That's what the storm's all about." - Haruki Murakami "We are not nouns. We are verbs. I am not a thing, an actor or writer. I am a person who does things. I write, I act, and I never know what I'm gonna do next. I think you can be imprisoned if you think of yourself as a noun." - Stephen Fry "The universe is not outside of you. Look inside yourself. Everything that you want, you already are." - Rumi Full transcript and show notes here Coming This Month on Joy Lab January's series on Self-Connection will explore: Self-Awareness practices and principles Self-Acceptance techniques for compassionate inner dialogue Self-Alignment strategies for living in integrity with your values Self-Concordant Goals: a powerful alternative to traditional goal-setting Applied mindfulness practices to deepen each component Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at [email protected]. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

Happy New Year! Welcome to a special Thursday episode of Joy Lab as we kick off 2026 with our Element of Inspiration. We'll explore why inspiration is so much more powerful than willpower-driven resolutions with some extra attention to the good news that inspiration is absolutely a skill you can cultivate. This is also the first episode of our series on self-connection. We'll start by highlighting the three components that create fertile ground for inspiration: self-awareness, self-acceptance, and self-alignment. If you've ever felt disconnected from yourself or struggled to move from dreaming to doing, this episode offers both the research and a roadmap. About: The Joy Lab Podcast blends science and soul to help you cope better with stress, ease anxiety, and uplift mood. Join Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek for practical, mindfulness-based tools and positive psychology strategies to build resilience and create lasting joy. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts! Like and follow Joy Lab on Socials:  Instagram TikTok Linkedin Watch on YouTube Sources and Notes: Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life. Related Joy Lab Podcast Episodes: Inspiration: The Engine of Joy" ... gives some great basics for this element of inspiration) [ep. 10] Resolution #1: You Don't Need to Be Fixed [ep. 40] The Myths of Change [ep. 41] Five Principles for Inspired Change (or something that looks remarkably like it) [ep. 42] Harmonious vs. Obsessive Passions [ep. 43]   Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at [email protected]. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

It's been an interesting year (and honestly, we're still searching for the right adjective). But one thing is crystal clear: we desperately need to prioritize joy—our own and others'. And no, that's not toxic positivity talking. In this special episode, we'll talk about what joy actually means at Joy Lab. Spoiler alert: it's not just happiness, and it's definitely not dependent on your life circumstances being perfect. The truth is that joy is an unbreakable undercurrent that exists within each of us—even the self-proclaimed pessimists among us. This episode is also a heartfelt call to action. As a nonprofit committed to keeping mental health resources accessible and ad-free, Joy Lab needs your support to continue spreading evidence-based, soul-filled tools for resilience and wellbeing. Whether you have $5 to spare or a yacht full of cash, there are meaningful ways to give. Ways You Can Spread Joy Financial Support Donate: https://www.joylab.coach/donate Even $5-10 makes a real difference Monthly donations help us sustain this work long-term Share the Joy Tell someone about the Joy Lab Podcast Share an episode that resonated with you Help someone discover us when they need us most Create Ripples Practice what you learn Become your own island of light Let your light spread to others About: The Joy Lab Podcast blends science and soul to help you cope better with stress, ease anxiety, and uplift mood. Join Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek for practical, mindfulness-based tools and positive psychology strategies to build resilience and create lasting joy. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts! Full transcript here. Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at [email protected]. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.  

Our work at Joy Lab is both deeply personal and fully universal. In this episode, we're sharing more about why we do this work and why it's so needed. And this isn't just another origin story. It's a call to action. It's about why we keep this podcast ad-free, why we believe mental health tools should be more accessible, and how your support—whether financial or simply sharing an episode—creates exponential ripples of healing and hope. Ways You Can Spread Joy 1. Financial Support Donate: https://www.joylab.coach/donate Even $5-10 makes a real difference Monthly donations help us sustain this work long-term 2. Share the Joy Tell someone about the Joy Lab Podcast Share an episode that resonated with you Help someone discover us when they need us most 3. Create Ripples Practice what you learn Become your own island of light Let your light spread to others About: The Joy Lab Podcast blends science and soul to help you cope better with stress, ease anxiety, and uplift mood. Join Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek for practical, mindfulness-based tools and positive psychology strategies to build resilience and create lasting joy. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts! Like and follow Joy Lab on Socials:  Instagram TikTok Linkedin Watch on YouTube   Full transcript here Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at [email protected]. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

Ever felt that electric energy ripple through a crowd at a concert, sports game, or peaceful protest? That's not just your imagination—it's collective effervescence, and it's something we're deeply wired for as humans. In this episode, we'll dive into the fascinating science behind why gathering together matters for our mental health, especially in our increasingly isolated modern world. French sociologist Émile Durkheim coined this term over 100 years ago, nearly a century before we could take all of our gatherings online. Even then, Durkheim noticed that folks were missing some of these necessary experiences in their lives. The good news is there are lots of diverse ways to experience more collective effervescence (e.g., concerts, grief groups, sports events, game nights, book clubs, weddings, funerals, and fitness classes). We'll talk more about how to incorporate these experiences into your daily life and some of the obstacles that might pop up. About: The Joy Lab Podcast blends science and soul to help you cope better with stress, ease anxiety, and uplift mood. Join Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek for practical, mindfulness-based tools and positive psychology strategies to build resilience and create lasting joy. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts! Like and follow Joy Lab on Socials:  Instagram TikTok Linkedin Watch this episode on YouTube Sources and Notes: Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life. Joy Lab Podcast Episodes: Sympathetic Fear vs. Sympathetic Joy: What Are You Tuning Into? [ep. 238] Caring What Others Think Isn't Your Weakness [ep. 239] Full transcript here. Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at [email protected]. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

Have you been told (or told yourself) not to care what others think? Spoiler alert—caring what others think isn't a bad thing. In fact, it's completely natural and wired into us as humans. The real issue? Trying to stop that caring or caring too much about what others think and letting that concern disconnect us from ourselves and others. We'll cover some strategies to address both of these common tendencies so that your caring can nourish you rather than deplete you. About: The Joy Lab Podcast blends science and soul to help you cope better with stress, ease anxiety, and uplift mood. Join Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek for practical, mindfulness-based tools and positive psychology strategies to build resilience and create lasting joy. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts! Like and follow Joy Lab on Socials:  Instagram TikTok Linkedin Watch on YouTube   Sources and Notes: Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life. Joy Lab Podcast Episodes: Sympathetic Fear vs. Sympathetic Joy: What Are You Tuning Into? [ep. 238] Unmasking Your True Self: Exploring Authenticity and Awe [ep. 216] Embrace Your True Self: Accepted, Connected, & In The Game [ep. 217] The Road Most Travelled: Awakening Through Suffering [ep. 218]  Follow Your Bliss: Awakening to Joy [ep. 219] The Still Small Voice: Awakening with Soulfulness [ep. 220] Full transcript here Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at [email protected]. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

In this episode, Henry and Aimee explore the fascinating science behind emotional contagion and how we're constantly picking up signals from those around us. They dive into why sympathetic joy can be such a powerful practice—and why it's often harder than it seems. Learn how to become more aware of the emotional "frequency" you're tuned into and discover practical ways to shift toward joy, connection, and love. About: The Joy Lab Podcast blends science and soul to help you cope better with stress, ease anxiety, and uplift mood. Join Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek for practical, mindfulness-based tools and positive psychology strategies to build resilience and create lasting joy. Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey and pair this podcast with the Joy Lab Program. You'll learn step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts!   Like and follow Joy Lab on Socials:  Instagram TikTok Linkedin Watch on YouTube   Sources and Notes: The Asch conformity experiments. Learn more here. Dr. Elaine Hatfield's work on emotional contagion: Hatfield's website Related Joy Lab Podcast Episodes: Self-Compassion: Remembering You're Not Alone [ep. 28] Full transcript here Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at [email protected]. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

'Tis the season of giving! Or maybe the season of giving too much? In this episode, we'll talk about the positive effects of giving, such as the release of dopamine and endorphins, which create a 'helper's high.' And then... we'll talk about the importance of recognizing and respecting our limits so we don't give too much (and venture into that space sometimes called 'pathological altruism'). We'll cover some strategies to navigate healthy giving, including the reminder that giving and receiving must come together.  About: The Joy Lab Podcast blends science and soul to help you cope better with stress, ease anxiety, and uplift mood. Join Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek for practical, mindfulness-based tools and positive psychology strategies to build resilience and create lasting joy. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts! Like and follow Joy Lab on Socials:  Instagram TikTok Linkedin Watch on YouTube Sources and Notes: Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life. Joy Lab Podcast Episodes: Gratitude: Beyond the Hashtags and Eye Rolls [ep. 234] Reducing Negative Self-Talk With Illeism (it's a thing!) [ep. 235] The Power of Good Enough Parenting & Calling Out Our Moms [ep. 236] Worrier? You're Not Alone. Here's Why We Worry... [ep. 213] Fast-Acting Strategies to Combat Worry and Anxiety [ep. 214] Rumination: What It Is And How To Break Free From It [ep. 205] Learning to Love Well: Be More Permeable [ep. 23] Full transcript here. Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at [email protected]. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.  

How's  In this episode of the Joy Lab podcast, Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek explore the theme of gratitude, specifically focusing on the nurturing roles of mothers and other caregivers in our lives. They discuss the concept of 'good enough parenting' as introduced by Dr. Donald Winnicott, emphasizing that parents don't need to be perfect but should provide sufficient love and care. The hosts highlight the historical context where mothers were unfairly blamed for children's mental health issues and discuss the broader societal implications of appreciating maternal figures. They encourage listeners to recognize and express gratitude towards the various 'mothers' in their lives. About: The Joy Lab Podcast blends science and soul to help you cope better with stress, ease anxiety, and uplift mood. Join Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek for practical, mindfulness-based tools and positive psychology strategies to build resilience and create lasting joy. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts!   Like and follow Joy Lab on Socials:  Instagram TikTok Linkedin Watch on YouTube   Sources and Notes: Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life. Book: Winnicott on The Child  by Donald Winnicott  Full transcript here Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at [email protected]. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

How's your self-talk? If you're like most folks, it's probably not as kind as you'd like. In this episode, we'll talk about the power of positive self-talk and gratitude. We'll get into how the chatter of those more critical self-talk "voices" can be navigated and even the positives behind them (with some attention to Internal Family Systems perspective). We'll also guide you through some power strategies to make your self-talk kinder. A few of these include 'Grateful Self-Talk' and the concept of 'distanced self-talk' or 'illeism,' which involves speaking to yourself in the second or third person to create psychological distance and foster self-compassion. After listening, be sure to give these practices a try. They're powerful and well worth your time. Incorporating more positive self-talk is a real pathway to better mental health and wellbeing.  About: The Joy Lab Podcast blends science and soul to help you cope better with stress, ease anxiety, and uplift mood. Join Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek for practical, mindfulness-based tools and positive psychology strategies to build resilience and create lasting joy. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts! How's your self-talk? If you're like most folks, it's probably not as kind as you'd like. In this episode, we'll talk about the power of positive self-talk and gratitude. We'll get into how the chatter of those more critical self-talk "voices" can be navigated and even the positives behind them (with some attention to Internal Family Systems perspective). We'll also guide you through some power strategies to make your self-talk kinder. A few of these include 'Grateful Self-Talk' and the concept of 'distanced self-talk' or 'illeism,' which involves speaking to yourself in the second or third person to create psychological distance and foster self-compassion. After listening, be sure to give these practices a try. They're powerful and well worth your time. Incorporating more positive self-talk is a real pathway to better mental health and wellbeing.  About: The Joy Lab Podcast blends science and soul to help you cope better with stress, ease anxiety, and uplift mood. Join Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek for practical, mindfulness-based tools and positive psychology strategies to build resilience and create lasting joy. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts!   Like and follow Joy Lab on Socials:  Instagram TikTok Linkedin Watch on YouTube   Key moments: 00:00 Introduction to Joy Lab Podcast 00:32 Exploring Grateful Self-Talk 02:22 The Role of Internal Family Systems (IFS) 06:09 Distanced Self-Talk: Illeism Explained 08:55 Practical Applications and Personal Experiences 14:39 The Power of Gratitude and Self-Compassion 17:12 Conclusion and Final Thoughts    Sources and Notes: Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life. More episodes about self-talk... our self compassion series is a great place to start: Self-Compassion: Don't Believe Everything You Think (about yourself) [ep. 26] Self-Compassion: Easing Up On Yourself [ep. 27] Self-Compassion: Remembering You're Not Alone [ep. 28] Full transcript here  Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at [email protected]. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. Like and follow Joy Lab on Socials:  Instagram TikTok Linkedin Watch on YouTube    Sources and Notes: Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life. More episodes about self-talk... our self compassion series is a great place to start: Self-Compassion: Don't Believe Everything You Think (about yourself) [ep 26] Self-Compassion: Easing Up On Yourself [ep. 27] Self-Compassion: Remembering You're Not Alone [ep. 28]   Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at [email protected]. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

Do you feel like you *should* be more grateful? Yeah, we get it. Gratitude is funny like that. Of all our Elements of Joy, gratitude likely has the strongest scientific evidence right alongside the most bad takes and eye rolls. That's why we're digging into gratitude as more than just a feel-good hashtag. We'll explore how it helps build resilience and how it often intertwines beautifully with life's hardships. So, grab your favorite gratitude-stamped mug and join us for a practical discussion on this powerful Element of Joy. About: The Joy Lab Podcast blends science and soul to help you cope better with stress, ease anxiety, and uplift mood. Join Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek for practical, mindfulness-based tools and positive psychology strategies to build resilience and create lasting joy. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts!   Like and follow Joy Lab on Socials:  Instagram TikTok Linkedin Watch on YouTube   Sources and Notes: Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life. Wake Up Grateful by Kristi Nelson Full transcript here Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at [email protected]. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

In this episode, we're exploring Dr. Gabor Maté's fifth and final level of compassion: The compassion of possibility. We'll dig into how we can see beyond suffering and dysfunction to recognize the good within ourselves and others. This is a skill we can all practice and get better at. And importantly, this isn't some toxic positivity exercise. This is a skill that helps us see the whole picture, the full truth of whatever we're looking at. Seeing that full picture allows us to step into our wisdom and power so that we can make decisions that are more nourishing. About: The Joy Lab Podcast blends science and soul to help you cope better with stress, ease anxiety, and uplift mood. Join Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek for practical, mindfulness-based tools and positive psychology strategies to build resilience and create lasting joy. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts!   Like and follow Joy Lab on Socials:  Instagram TikTok Linkedin Watch on YouTube   Sources and Notes: Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life. Previous episodes for this series: Part 1: Ordinary Human Compassion & Self-Compassion to Improve Mental Health Part 2: Understanding Ourselves & Others Part 3: Reducing Self-Criticism & Judgment by Recognizing Our Shared Human-ess Part 4: Facing Pain and Finding Freedom Gabor Mate's website. Full transcript here Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at [email protected]. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

The poet Rumi shared this wisdom: "Grief can be the garden of compassion. If you keep your heart open through everything, Your pain can become your greatest ally in your life's search for love and wisdom." The poetry of Rumi makes that process sound like a smooth and blissful journey. Of course, the reality is that the work of being open amidst tough stuff, seeing our suffering, accepting our pain, and moving on can be messy and difficult. AND, no matter how many times we try and fall short, it's still healing work. We'll dig into this journey throughout the episode, how we can be open to and see the truth of our pain, and how to apply compassion and practical steps to move beyond what might be holding us back.  About: The Joy Lab Podcast blends science and soul to help you cope better with stress, ease anxiety, and uplift mood. Join Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek for practical, mindfulness-based tools and positive psychology strategies to build resilience and create lasting joy. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts!   Like and follow Joy Lab on Socials:  Instagram TikTok Linkedin Watch episode on YouTube  Sources and Notes: Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life. Previous episodes for this series: Part 1: Ordinary Human Compassion & Self-Compassion to Improve Mental Health Part 2: Understanding Ourselves & Others Part 3: Reducing Self-Criticism & Judgment by Recognizing Our Shared Human-ess Gabor Mate's website Full transcript here Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at [email protected]. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

We're digging into the Dr. Gabor Maté's third level of compassion in this episode: The compassion of recognition. This level emphasizes realizing the shared nature of pain and loss, reminding us that we are not alone. We'll highlight the 'illusion of separation' and how breaking through it can deepen our connections and ease our struggles. We'll also share the 'Judge, Mirror, Bridge' exercise to help us practice compassion by identifying judgments, finding similarities within ourselves, and bridging connections with others.  About: The Joy Lab Podcast blends science and soul to help you cope better with stress, ease anxiety, and uplift mood. Join Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek for practical, mindfulness-based tools and positive psychology strategies to build resilience and create lasting joy. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts!  Like and follow Joy Lab on Socials:  Instagram TikTok Linkedin YouTube Sources and Notes: Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life. Previous episodes for this series: Part 1: Ordinary Human Compassion & Self-Compassion to Improve Mental Health Part 2: Understanding Ourselves & Others Gabor Mate's website. How can I love myself more... and love others more too? [ep. 174] Full transcript here Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at [email protected]. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

Stuck in judgement? If so, you're not alone. In this episode, we're exploring the 'compassion of understanding,' the second level in Dr. Gabor Maté's five levels of compassion. This level of compassion can help us move beyond judgment and into curiosity and understanding. We'll talk about some strategies to put this into action so that we can cultivate compassion both for ourselves and others.     About: The Joy Lab Podcast blends science and soul to help you cope better with stress, ease anxiety, and uplift mood. Join Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek for practical, mindfulness-based tools and positive psychology strategies to build resilience and create lasting joy. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts!   Like and follow Joy Lab on Socials:  Instagram TikTok Linkedin Watch this episode on YouTube   Sources and Notes: Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life.  Previous episodes for this series: Part 1: Ordinary Human Compassion & Self-Compassion to Improve Mental Health Gabor Mate's website. Sometimes I Just Sits... (the power of solitude) [Joy Lab ep. 74]   Full transcript here Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at [email protected]. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

In this episode of the Joy Lab Podcast, we're not just defining compassion, but we're really getting into its relationship with mental health. We'll start by highlighting the important difference between pain and suffering and then get into how compassion, especially self-compassion, serves as a powerful antidote to ease stress responses. This episode also sets the stage for a 5-part series examining Dr. Gabor Maté's five levels of compassion, starting with ordinary human compassion. We'll dive into lots of practical examples (e.g., when you say something you wish you hadn't) and how to apply compassion. About: The Joy Lab Podcast blends science and soul to help you cope better with stress, ease anxiety, and uplift mood. Join Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek for practical, mindfulness-based tools and positive psychology strategies to build resilience and create lasting joy. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts!   Like and follow Joy Lab on Socials:  Instagram TikTok Linkedin Watch this episode on YouTube     Sources and Notes: Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life.  Gabor Mate's website. Dr. Krisitin Neff's website (self-compassion.org).   Full transcript here.    Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at [email protected]. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

Settle in for this short meditation with Dr. Henry Emmons. The practice involves relaxing and imagining meaningful connections with loved ones, fostering a sense of gratitude, and enriching your web of relationships. Prepare to center yourself, feel your connections, and settle into the belonging that is part of your existence.  About: Cope with stress, anxiety, and depression better with the Joy Lab Podcast. Learn evidence-based mental health practices and mindfulness skills to boost happiness, resilience, and emotional wellbeing.   Like and follow Joy Lab on Socials:  Instagram TikTok Linkedin YouTube   If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts! Sources and Notes: Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life. Follow this mediation with one of our episodes on love and self-love: Self-Love and Finding Light in the Darkness (encore) [ep. 226] Self-Love: What It Is (and how it's not narcissism) [ep. 227]   Full transcript here. Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at [email protected]. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

Join us (Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek) as we explore the differences between self-love and narcissism. We'll dig into some common misconceptions and psychological spectrum of narcissism along with the importance of cultivating genuine self-love. Most importantly, we'll highlight the essential fact that self-love is a skill that can be practiced and is essential for a joyful, meaningful life.  About Joy Lab: Find your joy with the Joy Lab Podcast - practical tools, mindfulness techniques, and positive psychology to help you manage stress, calm anxiety, uplift mood, and live with more meaning and resilience.  If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts!   Like and follow Joy Lab on Socials:  Instagram TikTok Linkedin YouTube   Sources and Notes: Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life. Joy Lab Episode about FOBO. Series on authenticity from our Joy Lab podcast: Unmasking Your True Self: Exploring Authenticity and Awe [ep. 216] Embrace Your True Self: Accepted, Connected, & In The Game [ep. 217] The Road Most Travelled: Awakening Through Suffering [ep. 218]  Follow Your Bliss: Awakening to Joy [ep. 219] The Still Small Voice: Awakening with soulfulness [ep. 220] Stephen Fry's website and books. Carlson, E. N., Vazire, S., & Oltmanns, T. F. (2011). You probably think this paper's about you: narcissists' perceptions of their personality and reputation. Journal of personality and social psychology, 101(1), 185–201. Access here. Nook, E. C., Jaroszewski, A. C., Finch, E. F., & Choi-Kain, L. W. (2022). A Cognitive-Behavioral Formulation of Narcissistic Self-Esteem Dysregulation. Focus (American Psychiatric Publishing), 20(4), 378–388. Access here.   Full transcript here. Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at [email protected]. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

Self-love is a skill that takes daily practice. And if you're feeling a bit out of practice... well, you're not alone. In this episode, we're diving into our Element of Love by focusing on the wisdom of James Baldwin as he encourages us all to find light within darkness. We'll talk about the relationship of self-love and mental health, self-love as a tool for behavior change, the importance of spotlighting positive actions, and the transformative power of kindness in practical situations.  About: Cope with stress, anxiety, and depression better with the Joy Lab Podcast. Learn evidence-based mental health practices and mindfulness skills to boost happiness, resilience, and emotional wellbeing.   Like and follow Joy Lab on Socials:  Instagram TikTok Linkedin Sources and Notes: Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life.  Excerpt from James Baldwin's Nothing Personal.  Article: Less Screaming, More Weightlifting: The Army Is Reinventing Basic Training for Gen Z    Full transcript available here. Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at [email protected]. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

Welcome to a bite-sized episode kicking off our Month of Love this September. It's likely you're feeling some of the busy energy as we transition into this new season (that back-to-school energy never really leaves us!). Despite the hustle and bustle, we want to encourage you to carry forward the fun, rest, and nourishment we've built up together these last few months. Be sure to subscribe and follow so you don't miss any of our love-filled episodes this month. Sending lots of love your way! About Joy Lab: Find your joy with the Joy Lab Podcast - practical tools, mindfulness techniques, and positive psychology to help you manage stress, calm anxiety, uplift mood, and live with more meaning and resilience.   Like and follow Joy Lab on Socials:  Instagram TikTok Linkedin  If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts!  Sources and Notes: Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life.   Sources and full transcript here. Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at [email protected]. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. Note: On Jan 1st, 2025, the Joy Lab Podcast and Program moved from Natural Mental Health to the nonprofit Pathways North.

Join us (Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek) as we dig into the concept of GOMO, the Guarantee of Missing Out, as a more empowering alternative to FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) and FOBO (Fear of Being Over). We'll talk about how making choices inherently involves letting go of other possibilities, which, though initially daunting, can lead to a sense of freedom and relief. We'll lean on insights from Oliver Burkeman's 'Four Thousand Weeks' and Barry Schwartz's 'Paradox of Choice,' as we explore some practical strategies to navigate the overwhelming array of choices in modern life and the art of letting go to make space for what you're most connected to.    If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts!   Sources and Notes: Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life. Joy Lab Episode about FOBO. Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman Series on authenticity from our Joy Lab podcast: Unmasking Your True Self: Exploring Authenticity and Awe [ep. 216] Embrace Your True Self: Accepted, Connected, & In The Game [ep. 217] The Road Most Travelled: Awakening Through Suffering [ep. 218]  Follow Your Bliss: Awakening to Joy [ep. 219] The Still Small Voice: Awakening with soulfulness [ep. 220] Farivar, S., Wang, F., & Turel, O. (2022). Followers' problematic engagement with influencers on social media: An attachment theory perspective. Computers in Human Behavior, 133. Access here.  Ruth King's website.   Full transcript here.   Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at [email protected]. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

Join us (Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek) as we dig into this phenomenon of 'pathological productivity.' We'll talk about how over-focusing on productivity can lead to mental and physical health issues, why us humans have a deep aversion to idleness, why rest can feel "bad," and most importantly, how we can get out of this kind of pathological productivity and embrace rest and play in ways that nourish us.   If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts! Sources and Notes: Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life. Joy Lab episodes referenced: Where's Your Third Place? [ep. 171] Sometimes I Just Sits... (the power of solitude) [ep. 74] Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman Series on authenticity from our Joy Lab podcast: Unmasking Your True Self: Exploring Authenticity and Awe [ep. 216] Embrace Your True Self: Accepted, Connected, & In The Game [ep. 217] The Road Most Travelled: Awakening Through Suffering [ep. 218]  Follow Your Bliss: Awakening to Joy [ep. 219] The Still Small Voice: Awakening with soulfulness [ep. 220] Chandola, T., Ling, W., & Rouxel, P. (2025). Are anxious Mondays associated with HPA-axis dysregulation? A longitudinal study of older adults in England. Journal of Affective Disorders, 389. Access here.   Full transcript here.   Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at [email protected]. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.  

Join us (Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek) as we talk about "joyless urgency," a brilliant phrase coined by Marilynne Robinson. The short story is that our modern kind of hustle culture and constant busyness often leads to little personal fulfillment. So what's causing all this urgency? We've highlighted some important reasons in some recent episodes (see links below). Today, we'll introduce another one: too much social media. We'll focus on something called "problematic engagement" and how excessive use on social media can fuel a cycle of anxiety and temporary relief followed by more anxiety and temporary relief and then more anxiety... you get the picture. Awareness is the first step to get out of this cycle and we'll hit on that a bit in this episode. And be sure to tune in for the next several episodes as we'll cover some practical steps you can take to get out of joyless urgency and back into joy.   If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts!   Sources and Notes: Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life. More about Marilynne Robinson from The Poetry Foundation Joy Lab Episodes referenced: Worrier? You're Not Alone. Here's Why We Worry... [ep. 213] Unmasking Your True Self: Exploring Authenticity and Awe [ep. 216] Embrace Your True Self: Accepted, Connected, & In The Game [ep. 217] The Road Most Travelled: Awakening Through Suffering [ep. 218]  Follow Your Bliss: Awakening to Joy [ep. 219] The Still Small Voice: Awakening with Soulfulness [ep. 220] Farivar, S., Wang, F., & Turel, O. (2022). Followers' problematic engagement with influencers on social media: An attachment theory perspective. Computers in Human Behavior, 133. Access here.   Full transcript here.   Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at [email protected]. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

The renowned play researcher, Dr. Brian Sutton-Smith, said that the "The opposite of play is not work, the opposite of play is depression." There's a lot of truth to that. In this episode, we (Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek) explore how play and having fun is woven into our human nature and why it's so essential for our mental health. We'll even touch on some surprising facts about how old rats can grow more brain cells than younger rats (it applies to humans too!) and why even retirees, who might experience every day as a holiday, report increased happiness on federal holidays. We hope you come away from this episode with more motivation to rest and play.  If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts! Sources and Notes: Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life. Series on authenticity from our Joy Lab podcast: Unmasking Your True Self: Exploring Authenticity and Awe [ep. 216] Embrace Your True Self: Accepted, Connected, & In The Game [ep. 217] The Road Most Travelled: Awakening Through Suffering [ep. 218]  Follow Your Bliss: Awakening to Joy [ep. 219] The Still Small Voice: Awakening with soulfulness [ep. 220] More on Dr. Brian Sutton Smith from the National Institute for Play. Merz, J. & Osberg, L. (2006). Keeping in touch: A benefit of public holidays. Access here. Rosso, L. & Wagner, R. (2021). Causal Effect of Public Holidays on Economic Growth. Access here.    View full transcript here.   Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at [email protected]. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

Join us (Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek) as we wrap up our Month of Awe by exploring the concept of the 'Still, Small Voice' and its role in authenticity and soulfulness. We'll talk about the importance of turning inward, listening to our inner voice, and forming a relationship with our wisest self. Not sure what to listen for? Thankfully, even though our inner voice is unique to us, there are some universal characteristics to look out for. We'll get into those specifics so you can listen in with more confidence and take action in ways that nourish you and those around you.  If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts!  Sources and Notes: Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life. Related Joy Lab Episodes: Unmasking Your True Self: Exploring Authenticity and Awe [ep. 216] Embrace Your True Self: Accepted, Connected, & In The Game [ep. 217] The Road Most Travelled: Awakening Through Suffering [ep. 218]  Follow Your Bliss: Awakening to Joy [ep. 219] Mary Oliver (website for her work) Parker Palmer and the Center for Courage and Renewal   Full transcript here. Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at [email protected]. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.