In this episode, we're in the second part of our five-part series on equanimity. That may sound like a lot of parts... but we're working on how to navigate through emotional storms with equanimity (and that takes some parts). We're really digging into that phase of an emotional storm when the physical response fires up and our thoughts kick in. Most of the time, our thoughts are slower than our physical response, leaving us with a stressful surge of sensations that can add fuel to what are often negative, unconscious thoughts. Equanimity is a powerful tool to use to help us stay present with the physical sensations and avoid latching on to negative and intrusive thoughts that can keep us spiraling.    Key Takeaways: Theories of emotion like embodied cognition and somatic marker suggest that our physical sensations often move faster than our conscious awareness of what's actually happening... AKA we "feel" things before we understand them. This means we need to create more space between sensation and response so our wiser self can assess the situation. That's where equanimity can come in! You can't fight your physiology anymore (we're channeling REO Speedwagon for this). Suppressing our emotions, thoughts, or sensations is rarely helpful... but we also don't have to take the hook and let these things surge us into an emotional storm. As we practice equanimity, we get better at this. One key strategy is to turn to the feeling and sensations. We can be present to our emotional vulnerability. Notice these feelings with self-compassion. With that awareness, we can catch these signs far earlier, allowing them to dissipate. We do this practice a lot in the Joy Lab program.  If we miss these early signals, unconscious thoughts often surge in. This is when we tend to escalate the issue. Unconscious thoughts are usually negative. They're often called "negative intrusive thoughts." They are so common and you can't stop them from rising up... and that's not really the problem. The problem comes when we latch onto them. With equanimity, we can reduce the tendency to latch on, and in the future, possibly reduce their power when they arise. Three layers of brain outlined by Dr. Emmons. Understanding these layers and how they interact can help us understand how our thoughts can accelerate or dampen an emotional storm.   Links and Sources Mentioned: Joy Lab Program (step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life) Joy Lab Podcast #48 Joy Lab Podcast #12 (Five Pathways to Inner Calm) This episode is a broad overview of what we'll be talking about over the next 5 episodes. It's a really helpful summary! Joy Lab Podcast #34 (Meditation with Music: Heart-Opening Meditation). This is a good body awareness practice Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PDF, we'll link a video soon) Natural outdoor environment, neighbourhood social cohesion and mental health: Using multilevel structural equation modelling, streetscape and remote-sensing metrics (2020; green/blue spaces and mental health analyses) Understanding Emotions: Origins and Roles of the Amygdala (2021) Part 1—You can run but you can't hide: Intrusive thoughts on six continents (2014) Part 2. They scare because we care: The relationship between obsessive intrusive thoughts and appraisals and control strategies across 15 cities (2014) How changing your story can change your life (Lori Gottlieb Ted Talk) On knowing what you are not supposed to know and feeling what you are not supposed to feel. (1979; classic article) Anger in psychological disorders: Prevalence, presentation, etiology and prognostic implications (2016) Warm Lines Directory Full transcript available at: https://www.naturalmentalhealth.com/podcasts/joy-lab-podcast/episodes/2147887782

In this episode and the next four after this, we'll look at how to use equanimity when emotional storms hit. What's equanimity? We see it as a flexible state of steadiness, particularly amidst stress. And even though equanimity is our natural state, it’s the opposite that most of us are familiar with. That opposite goes by a lot of different names: fear, anxiety, irritability, moodiness, upset, agitation, being stressed out. In mental health lingo, it’s often called emotional reactivity. To get us started with our series, we'll learn more about emotional reactivity in this episode and talk about how to tap into equanimity through grounding practices.   Key Takeaways: Equanimity can be described as steadiness, particularly amidst stress or struggles. It may feel absent for you now, but it is your natural state.  Equanimity looks different for all of us.  One key strategy to maintain equanimity amidst stress is to get grounded. You can do this by heading outside and doing something in nature that feels calming and anchoring. You can also do this with others who you feel safe with and who invite a sense of connection for you (people, pets, other animals). If it's too cold to go outside, a sunny window can be just the thing. Add a houseplant, and a pet perhaps, and you've created an indoor, grounding oasis!   Links and Sources Mentioned: Joy Lab Program (step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life) Joy Lab Podcast #12 (Five Pathways to Inner Calm) This episode is a broad overview of what we'll be talking about over the next 5 episodes. It's a really helpful summary! Joy Lab Podcast #34 (Meditation with Music: Heart-Opening Meditation). This is a good body awareness practice Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PDF, we'll link a video soon) Natural outdoor environment, neighbourhood social cohesion and mental health: Using multilevel structural equation modelling, streetscape and remote-sensing metrics (2020; green/blue spaces and mental health analyses) Understanding Emotions: Origins and Roles of the Amygdala (2021) Part 1—You can run but you can't hide: Intrusive thoughts on six continents (2014) Part 2. They scare because we care: The relationship between obsessive intrusive thoughts and appraisals and control strategies across 15 cities (2014) How changing your story can change your life (Lori Gottlieb Ted Talk) On knowing what you are not supposed to know and feeling what you are not supposed to feel. (1979; classic article) Anger in psychological disorders: Prevalence, presentation, etiology and prognostic implications (2016) Warm Lines Directory   Full transcript available at: https://www.naturalmentalhealth.com/podcasts/joy-lab-podcast/episodes/2147883605

In this episode, we're working on our element of Savoring and considering this insight from Henry in last episode: “We act as if we're just reacting to the world around us, but what if the world is actually reacting to us?” We'll try to get to the bottom of this with the wisdom of milkshakes... Key Takeaways: First: Are you savoring the Joy Lab podcast? If so, help us keep it going by giving us a top rating and a review on the platform you're listening on. It really helps us reach others who are ready to uncover their joy.  The milkshake study revealed that participant expectations or mindsets about a milkshake changed how their body processed it. Amazing! Studies like (there are many) reveal that what we think about ourselves and the world around us can shift our current state (physically and psychologically). This puts a lot of power into our hands to shift our mindset in ways that nourish us more.  Head back to episodes 44, 45, and 46 for savoring practices.  Links and Sources Mentioned: Joy Lab Program (step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life) Joy Lab Podcast #46 (Boost Your Mood with Savoring [Back to the Future style]) Joy Lab Podcast #45 (Savoring the Present and Overcoming FOBO [it's kinda like FOMO...]) Joy Lab Podcast #44 (The Art of Savoring Your Past Without Getting Stuck There) Joy Lab Podcast #11(The Forgotten Key to Happiness) Classic book on Savoring (Bryant and Veroff) Current Progress and Future Directions for Theory and Research on Savoring (2021) Mind Over Milkshakes: Mindsets, Not Just Nutrients, Determine Ghrelin Response (study from Crum, et al. referenced in episode) Full transcript available at: https://www.naturalmentalhealth.com/podcasts/joy-lab-podcast/episodes/2147840458

In this episode, we're working on our element of Savoring. First: There will be some solid Back to the Future references (obviously). Second, this type of savoring can sometimes be more accessible than past and present savoring for those dealing with depression. Third, this type of savoring (along with past and present) is associated with a mood boost. It's definitely worth your time.Tune in for how this works and two simple ways to practice savoring the future.   Key Takeaways: Savoring the future is not avoidance or denial. It's instead a conscious skill we can engage in to shift mood and make what we savor more likely to occur. Mental time travel... sound fun? Learn how in this episode! Proactive savoring is what we're learning how to do here. It's different than reactive savoring (which is great as well). With proactive savoring, we're self-generating the experience and positive state that arises. This puts savoring into our control. What often keeps us from savoring? Judgement. We're often focused on looking for what's wrong and comparing. Our imagination is extremely powerful in creating our day-to-day world. We act as if we're just reacting to the world around us, but what if the world is actually reacting to us? A simple savoring strategy is to imagine four plausible and positive scenarios that will happen to you tomorrow. Assess your mood before and after if you like, and try to write down these scenarios in a journal.   Links and Sources Mentioned: Joy Lab Program (step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life) Classic book on Savoring (Bryant and Veroff) Current Progress and Future Directions for Theory and Research on Savoring (2021) Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life (Amy Krouse Rosenthal)  Amy Krouse Rosenthal's website Does savoring increase happiness? A daily diary study Up-regulating positive emotions in everyday life: Strategies, individual differences, and associations with positive emotion and well-being Back to the future: the effect of daily practice of mental time travel into the future on happiness and anxiety Consciousness of subjective time in the brain You May Want to Marry My Husband (Amy Krouse Rosenthal) Seven Notes on Life- Amy Krouse Rosenthal (her talk starts 5 minutes in)   Full transcript available at: https://www.naturalmentalhealth.com/podcasts/joy-lab-podcast/episodes/2147840457

In this episode, we're working on our element of Savoring... and this time, we're savoring the present moment (we savored the past last episode). One of the powerful aspects of this type of savoring is that it really helps us anchor our attention to our experience of savoring vs focusing (or relying) on the actual event. That means we can drum up savoring at any moment and use it as a tool to shift mood in a more positive direction. Tune in for some key strategies and one common obstacle... FOBO (yes, it's different than FOMO).   Key Takeaways: Savoring is about focusing on our experience of pleasure. That means it's more experience focused rather than event focused. Research has shown that savoring neutral events can even be as powerful as savoring big celebrations. Bryant and Veroff note that “To savor an experience, one must possess and apply a certain degree of mindfulness and meta-awareness.” This means the more present we are, the more we can savor. The more we savor, the more we remember (which enables more savoring of the past!). Have you heard about slow-twitch dopamine? Henry just made it up, but it's really cool! That's kind of how we can interpret savoring. It lengthens out our enjoyment and nourishes us more. One key obstacle: FOBO (fear of being over). This is a common experience where we let the realization that something is going to end pull us from the present moment. When this happens, we lose the opportunity to savor.  Savoring can help us be with this understanding of impermanence and even improve our experience in the moment. JOBO (we're loving the acronyms this episode!) can actually help us move beyond FOBO. Mindful photography is a fantastic practice to savor in the present moment, particularly when FOBO rises up.    Links and Sources Mentioned: Joy Lab Program (step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life) Classic book on Savoring (Bryant and Veroff) Current Progress and Future Directions for Theory and Research on Savoring (2021) Amy Bloom's website Up-regulating positive emotions in everyday life: Strategies, individual differences, and associations with positive emotion and well-being Reward-motivated learning: mesolimbic activation precedes memory formation Judy Weiser's website on phototherapy and applications Saving the Last for Best: A Positivity Bias for End Experiences Positive Psychology Progress: Empirical Validation of Interventions. (Seligman, et al.) Consciousness of subjective time in the brain Chased by the Light (book by Jim Brandenburg) Courage and Light (video series with Jim Brandenburg and Parker Palmer)   Full transcript available at: https://www.naturalmentalhealth.com/podcasts/joy-lab-podcast/episodes/2147840455

In this episode, we're working on our element of Savoring. This element is a powerful antidote for chronic busyness and feelings of overwhelm. And maybe best of all... it's pretty easy to do. And offers quick benefits. We're talking about savoring the past in this episode, one of the three types of savoring (the others are savoring the present and future). We'll also address a few obstacles to this element of savoring (e.g., getting stuck in repetitive thoughts about the past or glory day living).     Key Takeaways: Savoring has been defined "as attending, appreciating, and enhancing positive experiences that occur in one’s life" (Bryant & Veroff).  Change doesn't always have to be so hard. Savoring is a tool to help us unlock that pathway of change. Practicing savoring can help us work with our dopamine system in really insightful ways. We can learn how to gain back some control and practice more nourishing skills that bring us pleasure.   Three types of savoring were noted by Bryant and Veroff: Savoring the past (also called reminiscing in the research), savoring the present, and savoring the future (also called anticipation in the research). All of these are associated with positive shifts in mental and physical health. Choose your favorite(s)!  Two commonly discussed emotional regulation strategies are cognitive reappraisal and effective suppression. We think savoring is another that should be discussed more as it works even earlier in an emotion timeline and requires less effort.  We can savor the past without getting locked into it.  Key strategy for savoring the past: Three good things. Here's how to do it: Find a place where you can relax. When you're settled, ask yourself to remember 3 events that were really positive. Write them down if you can and take some time to remember each of them. Then, for each one, reflect on some more details... Why did this happen? What were the circumstances? What was your role in it? Who else was involved and what part did they play in making it happen? End with some deep breaths as you savor any other positive feelings that rise up in your thoughts and in your body.   Links and Sources Mentioned: Joy Lab Program (step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life) Classic book on Savoring (Bryant and Veroff) Current Progress and Future Directions for Theory and Research on Savoring (2021) Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life (Amy Krouse Rosenthal)  Amy Krouse Rosenthal's website Savoring the Past: Positive Memories Evoke Value Representations in the Striatum Cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression strategies role in the emotion regulation: an overview on their modulatory effects and neural correlates Does savoring increase happiness? A daily diary study Up-regulating positive emotions in everyday life: Strategies, individual differences, and associations with positive emotion and well-being Reward-motivated learning: mesolimbic activation precedes memory formation Judy Weiser's website on phototherapy and applications Saving the Last for Best: A Positivity Bias for End Experiences Positive Psychology Progress: Empirical Validation of Interventions. (Seligman, et al.) Back to the future: the effect of daily practice of mental time travel into the future on happiness and anxiety Consciousness of subjective time in the brain You May Want to Marry My Husband (Amy Krouse Rosenthal) Seven Notes on Life- Amy Krouse Rosenthal (her talk starts 5 minutes in)   Full transcript available at: https://www.naturalmentalhealth.com/podcasts/joy-lab-podcast/episodes/2147840454

In this episode, we're working on our element of Inspiration by looking at our passions more closely... Harmonious passions are just like inspiration, they fuel us in nourishing and creative ways. Obsessive passions are quite the opposite. They're associated with negative emotions and rigidity. It's important to understand the difference between these, how they might show up in your life and how you can recalibrate or make a change if your passion has taken hold of you in a way that depletes your mental and physical health.   Key Takeaways: Harmonious passions are good for mental and physical health. The key is that we feel nourished by them and we feel in control.  Obsessive passions are depleting for us. They also feel like responsibilities that control us.  We can recalibrate our passions in healthier ways. Strategies to recalibrate your passions and stoke inspiration:  Try backing off of an activity that feels like it has a hold on you and feels depleting. Creating some space may reignite that harmonious spark for you. Explore a new passion. Try something new that feels exciting and fun to you.    Links Mentioned: Joy Lab Program (step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life) Joy Lab podcast episode 10  ("Inspiration: The Engine of Joy" ... gives some great basics for this element of inspiration)  Joy Lab podcast episode 11  ("The Forgotten Key to Happiness" ... gives some great basics for the element of savoring)  About Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Les Passions de l’Aˆ me: On Obsessive and Harmonious Passion (Vallerand et al.)   Full transcript available at: https://www.naturalmentalhealth.com/podcasts/joy-lab-podcast/episodes/2147840453

The element for this episode is “inspiration.” In the last two episodes, we dug into some strong myths around change and happiness. These centered around the false beliefs that we’re broken; that we need to be fixed; or that we need to change ourselves, our environment, or someone else to feel some happiness. If you haven't listened to those episodes (yet!), just know that those are super sticky myths. They come up a lot. Here at Joy Lab, we work on building ourselves up in powerful ways that quiet that talk.  At the same time, of course we want to make changes in our lives. So, in this episode have five principles that can help you create positive change. The key is that these changes are built from from a foundation of self-acceptance. A place of self-love that fuels change because you care about yourself. And that foundation and fuel inspires changes that are lasting and meaningful.    Key Takeaways: Five principles for inspired change: Inspired change is grounded in radical self-acceptance. Inspired change begins deep within. Inspired change embraces even the resistance to change. Inspired change happens in connection. Inspired change is a process, and not a simple, linear one.   Links Mentioned: Joy Lab Program (step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life) Joy Lab podcast episode 10  ("Inspiration: The Engine of Joy" ... gives some great basics for this element of inspiration):  Joy Lab podcast episode 40 (Resolution #1: You Don’t Need to Be Fixed) Joy Lab podcast episode 41 (The Myths of Change) The Chemistry of Joy and The Chemistry of Joy Workbook (both by Henry Emmons, MD) Broaden and Build Model Integrative Model for Behavioral Prediction (this is not the original article, but a full text version that offers a great background and applies the model to health communication interventions) A functional genomic perspective on human well-being (Dr. Fredrickson study) How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world (Dr. Lally study) On Becoming a Person (Carl Rogers book)   Full transcript available at: https://www.naturalmentalhealth.com/podcasts/joy-lab-podcast/episodes/2147826839  

The element for this episode is “inspiration.” We explored this element last episode, busting the myth that you need to be fixed. In the episode, we’re talking more about the myths of change.   There's a jargon-y term that applies here, it's called the "fallacy of change." This is the belief that in order to be happy, to feel comfortable with ourselves, that something needs to change. We may believe we need to change, but often, we think someone else or something else needs to change. We’ll dive into this myth/fallacy more in this episode. The paradox is, after we acknowledge this myth and move into more self-acceptance, then we break down the wall separating us from our joy. With that new space, our building blocks of joy can more quickly create the steps needed for more lasting, positive changes in our lives.    Key Takeaways: The fallacy of change is the rejection of our current state and a belief that our happiness is not in our own power, but dependent on the people or circumstances around us. Locus of control is important here... an internal locus of control is the belief that the outcomes of your actions are based on what YOU do. That orientation (when it's contextually appropriate) is important for mental health. We can't hold out our happiness based on external circumstances. Do you have a Dan Marino in your life? Someone who you believe held the football wrong on you? If you have no idea what that means, you just need to listen to the episode to gain the pearl of wisdom here (yes, it's from a Jim Carrey movie)... "Spotlighting the right" is a powerful behavioral change strategy. Instead of nagging or punishing, we can focus on the positive behaviors that are moving us toward a goal. It's a simple, but powerful shift. Fear, shame, and guilt are bad motivators for lasting change. They may ignite a first action, but the fuel fizzles out fast and the desired change doesn't have enough positive support to become a healthy habit.  We'll dig more into how we can move beyond these myths in next episode.   Links Mentioned: Joy Lab Program (step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life) Joy Lab podcast episode 10  ("Inspiration: The Engine of Joy" ... gives some great basics for this element of inspiration):  Joy Lab podcast episode 40 (Resolution #1: You Don’t Need to Be Fixed)   Differential associations of locus of control with anxiety, depression and life-events: A five-wave, nine-year study to test stability and change Nudge theory (Thaler's book- Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness) Victor Frankl: The Will to Meaning: Foundations and Applications of Logotherapy.    Full transcript available: https://www.naturalmentalhealth.com/podcasts/joy-lab-podcast/episodes/2147826838

Perhaps you're tuning in as we move into this new near. Have you set any resolutions yet? Whether or not you have, we'd like to suggest you put one resolution on the top of your list. Here it is for you (you can copy and paste as the background on your device): Resolution 1: I don't need to be fixed.  Yup. That's the resolution that will actually fuel more inspiration and positive changes than any other one we can think of. Aren't convinced? Tune into this episode to learn why this kind of strength-based foundation brews up inspiration and sustains positive changes that you want to create in your life. And be sure to head over to our free Resilience Quiz to identify your Resilience Type. It's a powerful tool to help you with this resolution and to move forward from a place of strength.   Key Takeaways: Starting from a place of strength (that we don't need to be fixed) creates a broadening effect in our minds. We're able to see more opportunities, problem-solve obstacles more efficiently, be gentler with ourselves, and stay more motivated to stick with our inspired goals.  Negative emotions are not bad, but when we hang on to them too long, they create constriction in our mind and body. We're not as able to tap into our creativity, inspiration, motivation, and more when negative emotions close us up. We are more than our pathology and/or labels.  Discover your Resilience Type with our free Resilience Quiz to help streamline your activities and come back to balance. This is a powerful tool that helps you create positive changes from a place of strength.    Links Mentioned: Joy Lab Program (step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life) Free Resilience Quiz to identify your Resilience Type and learn the personalized lifestyle strategies that can support you best (including diet, exercise, supplements, and mind-body practices to support sleep, stress management, and mood).  Joy Lab podcast episode 10 (Inspiration: The Engine of Joy)   Full transcript available at: https://www.naturalmentalhealth.com/podcasts/joy-lab-podcast/episodes/2147826731