Untangle

Todays encore episode is with Dr. MaryCatherine McDonald, Trauma researcher and Author of the book, "The Joy Reset: Six Ways Trauma Steals Happiness and How to Get It Back.” Her book isn’t just about finding joy; it’s about rewiring our brains and rediscovering our power to cultivate joy EVEN in the darkest moments of life. She describes the barriers that keep us from accessing joy—hypervigilance, emotional numbing, fear of loss, conditioning, guilt, and shame—and then defines ways to tap into positive emotions that can become the very foundation of psychological resilience. In our interview she shares some exercises that make joy, hope and gratitude both bite-sized and accessible and how they can show up even in our toughest moments.I love how she weaves neuroscience into her exploration of trauma and joy, explaining how our brains are biologically wired to both adapt to trauma and heal from it. And…good news…we ARE always biologically capable of joy. Quote from her website: "Joy does not exist only in the moments that are free of pain. In fact, the brightest, tiniest, most important pieces can only be found in the dark. I want to teach you how to harness and amplify the power of that glinting magic–because this sustainable, endless light source will do more than help you get through your darkest, scariest, loneliest times."As always, we’re untangle, the podcast from Muse the brain sensing headband that helps to transform your brain. Use promo code untangle 15 at choosemuse.com for your discount. Resource: https://www.drmcmcdonald.com/Thanks, as always, to our sponsors. Rula. Quince. Born Shoes. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today’s encore episode is with guest Katy Milkman, Wharton University Professor and author of the national bestseller, How to Change, The Science of Getting from Where you are to Where you Want to Be. The book was named one of the top 8 books for healthy living in 2021 by the NY Times. Katy has devoted her career to the study of behavior change, inspired by the fact that 40% of premature deaths are due to behaviors and habits we can actually change. She discusses the importance of understanding the barriers that stand between you and the change you’re trying to make so that you can find the right solution to each particular roadblock. Turning an uphill battle into a downhill one is one of the keys to success. She goes through the most common barriers which tend to be short-term rewards or instant gratification, procrastination, and forgetfulness. She provides some great research and tools to support habit change.Resource: Katymilkman.comThanks to our amazing sponsors: Quince, Berkeley Life, Vinted and Jones Road. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Are you living someone else’s concept of who you are supposed to be? In this episode of Untangle, our guest is Dr. Ellen Albertson, "The Midlife Whisperer," to discuss why the dip in happiness around age 50 isn't a crisis—it’s a wake-up call. Dr. Ellen breaks down the physiological and psychological changes women face during perimenopause and menopause, and introduces her 7-step framework from her book, Rock Your Midlife. Discover how to silence your inner critic, prioritize self-compassion, and harness the "dragonfly" energy to transform your second half of life into your most authentic and vibrant chapter yet.In This Episode, We Cover:The U-Shaped Happiness Curve: Why life satisfaction often dips around age 50 before rising again as we age.The "Anti-Authenticity Trifecta": How people-pleasing, perfectionism, and a harsh inner critic lead to midlife exhaustion.Nervous System Regulation: Why moving out of your comfort zone triggers a "fight-or-flight" response, and how to use HeartMath and breathwork to find safety.Fear vs. Excitement: A psychological hack to reframe your fears as exhilaration so you can start taking joyful risks.Dr. Ellen’s 7-Step Framework: A guided breakdown of finding your true self, loving yourself, energizing your body, reprogramming your brain, rehabbing relationships, empowering yourself, and seeking enlightenment.The Dragonfly Metaphor: Why the dragonfly is the ultimate symbol for midlife transformation and setting boundaries with people who still see you as a nymph.About Our Guest: Dr. Ellen Albertson is a psychologist, registered dietitian, and transformational coach who has spent her career working with midlife women. She is the author of Rock Your Midlife: 7 Steps to Transform Yourself and Make Your Next Chapter Your Best Chapter. After navigating her own midlife awakening, surviving breast cancer, and finding new love, she now splits her time between Vermont and Costa Rica, helping women step into their power.Resources: The midlifewhisperer.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today’s encore episode is with the always popular Dr. Rick Hanson — a Psychologist and NY Times Best Selling author of several books, including the book we discuss in this interview “Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm, and Confidence." He shares how we can hardwire our brains for happiness using practices that help us cultivate and experience the good in our lives while reducing our natural negativity biases. He shares why is it easier to ruminate over hurt feelings, negative feelings rather than to bask in the warmth of being appreciated or positive feelings. The negative stuff is like velcro…it sticks to us. But it doesn’t have to. He says we can build our inner strengths and capacity to override the brains habit of defaulting to pessimism. He suggests a simple method that uses the hidden power of everyday experiences to build new neural structures full of happiness, love, confidence, and peace. As always, we’re Untangle, the podcast from Muse, the brain sensing headband dedicated to unlocking your brains potential AND Meditation Studio the five star app. Unlock 30 days of Meditation Studio for free at choosemuse.com/meditationstudio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's meditation is by Jesse Israel on finding positive energy. It can also be found in the Muse and Meditation Studio apps.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

I’m super excited about today’s guest, Dr. Victoria Maizes. She is Executive Director of the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine and a Professor of Medicine, Family Medicine and Public Health at the University of Arizona. She’s Internationally recognized as a leader in integrative medicine and her book, which we discuss today, is called Heal Faster: Unlock Your Body's Rapid Recovery Reflex. Today she shares the many science backed strategies that help us accelerate recovery from illness or injury by tapping into our body’s innate healing intelligence. Integrative medicine combines the best of conventional healthcare with evidence-based approaches to sleep, nutrition, lifestyle, stress management and complementary therapies. And, as we hear often, she shares the importance of relationships as powerful drivers of recovery and longevity.  Integrative medicine focuses on treating the whole person, not just isolated symptoms. It’s a refreshing conversation and there is quite a bit of practical advice and information here. Resource: drvictoriamaizes.com We hope you’ll check out the muse brain sensing headband at choosemuse.com and use code untangle 15 for your discount. And, thanks to our sponsors: Quince, Welleco, Webroot, Tanasi, Born Shoes, Strawberry.me. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.