In this episode, we feature:
An interview with behavior expert and best selling author, Daniel Pink.
Workout to reduce stress.
Reframe your self-talk.
Sleep displacement is killing you.
And more ways you can improve your health today!
For more information, and to sign up for our private coaching, visit tesh.com
Our Hosts:
John Tesh: Instagram: @johntesh_ifyl facebook.com/JohnTesh
Gib Gerard: Instagram: @GibGerard facebook.com/GibGerard X: @GibGerard
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Unknown (00:07):
Gib, hello and welcome to another episode of the
podcast. I'm Gib Gerard. Todaywe have another intelligence for
your health with Connie Celica.
Episode, our guest this week isnone other than best selling
author Daniel Pink. He's got anew book called The Power of
regrets. You'll be hearing fromhim. So here we go without
further ado, intelligence foryour health. With Connie Celica,
(00:30):
dry indoor air can make yourallergies worse because it can
increase congestion in yoursinuses and nasal passages, the
solution is to get a humidifier,especially in the bedroom while
you sleep. Dr Nita Ogden is anallergist and immunologist, and
she says that will keep yourrespiratory tract lubricated.
(00:51):
However, other indoor allergens,like mold, can grow like crazy
in a moist environment, so youwant a happy medium between too
dry and too humid, so set yourhumidifier below 50% too much
sitting is harmful to yourhealth. So how do you know if
you're too sedentary? Here aresome signs you're not moving
(01:12):
enough. First, you're often outof breath, even just carrying a
load of towels to the washingmachine. Cardiologist Dr sanul
correales says when we sit, wetake shallow breaths, which
provide less oxygen to our heartand muscles compared to when
we're standing and moving, andweaker muscles will leave you
feeling winded after even theslightest bit of exercise,
(01:34):
another sign you're toosedentary, you're always
fatigued. Research from theUniversity of Georgia shows that
within just two days ofinactivity, the body begins to
decondition itself, which meansit's shutting down and preparing
to be less active. And that canleave you feeling fatigued. A
final sign you aren't movingenough memory glitches hours
(01:56):
spent sitting lead to a thinningof the brain lobe responsible
for memory. So being toosedentary can lead to
forgetfulness, but a dose ofexercise will not only boost
blood flow to that area, it canalso help with age related
cognitive issues coming up.
We'll talk to Daniel Pink,author of the new book The Power
of regret. He'll share a list ofthe most common regrets people
(02:19):
have around the world andexplain how we can begin to
overcome them, but first, ifyou're in pain, mentally,
dialing it down like the volumeon the TV can make you feel
better. That's according toDartmouth neuroscience
professor, Dr Tor wagger, hisresearch shows that when people
touched a hot plate, theyactually felt less pain when
(02:40):
they mentally turned it down bytelling themselves it was cooler
than it actually was, comparedto those who just ignored it,
which means if you're feelingoverheated or your running
shorts start chafing, tellyourself it doesn't hurt that
badly, that mental tweak willhelp the sensation of pain feel
less intense, so you can pushthrough and finish your 10k or
(03:04):
survive a sweltering heat wave.
Do you know someone who alwaysorders an iced coffee even in
the dead of winter? There's apsychological reason why iced
coffee lovers can't give it upeven in cold weather, and the
simplest answer is, it's theirroutine. Psychologist Dr Deborah
(03:25):
Gillman says, As with a lot ofroutines, once they're formed,
it becomes ingrained. So dailyiced coffee drinkers may stick
with it simply out of habit,because making the same decision
every day saves mental energyfor other tasks and decisions.
Routines provide a sense ofstability in an otherwise
unpredictable world, and knowingwhat to expect can make people
(03:48):
feel more secure and lessanxious. Another reason some
people prefer iced coffee, theflavor is less intense. The
hotter the coffee, the strongerthe flavor, since high heat
opens up temperature sensitiveproteins on our taste buds. Cold
drinks also make people feelalert and refreshed, on top of
the boost from caffeine, whereashot beverages make us feel more
(04:12):
relaxed. Okay, listen to this.
If you're anxious aboutsomething that's happening
tomorrow, get a little moresleep tonight, according to the
experts at UC Berkeley,increasing your sleep before a
stressful event by turning in alittle earlier or sleeping a
little later can reduce anxiety.
It works by decreasing activityin the area of the brain that
(04:34):
heightens stress, the amygdala.
So if you have a job interviewtomorrow, an exam or an
important sales call, get alittle more sleep, and you'll
feel calmer and more in control.
Tomorrow. Today, our specialguest is Daniel Pink, a New York
Times best selling author who'swritten books about motivation,
persuasion, time management andmore. Pink's latest is called
(04:57):
the power of regret. How look.
Backward moves us forward. So Iasked him to break down the most
common regrets most people haveat some point. What
I found is that around theworld, people have the same four
regrets. One is what I call afoundation. Regret. A foundation
regret is if only I'd done thework. These are regrets people
have about not saving enoughmoney, about smoking but not
(05:20):
taking care of their health,about small decisions early that
lead to bad consequences later.
Second category are what I callboldness regrets. Boldness
regrets are if only I'd takenthe chance. These are regrets
that people have about nottraveling, about not speaking
up, about not asking people outon dates, about not starting
businesses. These are regretspeople have when they're at a
(05:41):
juncture and they can play itsafe or take the chance, and
when they don't take the chance,they often, often, often regret
it. Third category moralregrets. Moral regrets are, if
only I'd done the right thing.
These are people, again, who areat a juncture. They can do the
right thing, they can do thewrong thing. They do the wrong
thing, not always, but a heck ofa lot of the time, people regret
(06:03):
it, especially things likebullying, marital infidelity,
other kinds of transgressions.
And finally, the fourth categoryare connection regrets.
Connection regrets are if onlyI'd reached out. These are
regrets of relationships, notjust romantic relationships, but
the full spectrum ofrelationships we have in our
lives, and oftentimes theserelationships drift apart. And
(06:24):
we want to reach out, but we'reskittish about it. We think it's
going to be creepy, we think theother side won't care, and we're
wrong. And so it drifts aparteven further. And then sometimes
it's too late. And so when youlook at the regrets from all
over the world, it's these fourthings over and over,
foundation, regrets, if only I'ddone the work, boldness,
regrets, if only I'd taken thechance. Connection, regrets, if
(06:47):
only I'd reached out and moralregrets, if only I'd done the
right thing. Today,we're talking to Daniel Pink,
whose latest book is called ThePower of regret. He says, even
though most people try to avoidor even deny they have regrets.
Lots of research shows we canactually use our regrets in ways
that boost our mental health andhelp us become better problem
(07:09):
solvers, better negotiators andhappier people overall. Pink
says it all starts withreframing how we talk to
ourselves after making mistakesthat we regret. One
incredibly important point onmental health in general and
regret in particular, is we needto reframe how we think of
(07:31):
ourselves and our regrets andmistakes, when we stumble, when
we screw up, the way we talk toourselves is cruel, it's
vicious. Our self talk isabsurd. It's angry and it's
vindictive and it's mean, and weshouldn't do that. We should
talk to ourselves with the samegenerosity that we would talk to
(07:56):
somebody else. And so oneimportant way to arrest the
march toward rumination. Oneimportant way to arrest the
march toward some of these othermental health problems is to
treat ourselves with selfcompassion, to treat ourselves
with kindness rather thancontempt, to recognize that our
mistakes, our screw ups, ourregrets, are part of the human
(08:19):
condition. It happens toeverybody, and also that any
mistake that we make is a momentin our lives, not the full
measure of our lives. And whenwe do that, just simply teaching
people self compassion can do agreat deal in helping people
stop the dissent into seriousproblems, but also start the
process for making sense of ourregrets and drawing lessons from
(08:42):
them.
If you don't have time for yourusual hour long workout, just
exercise a little like go for a10 minute walk or bike around
the neighborhood. A study inHuman Resource Management found
regular exercisers are better athandling work life conflicts
compared to people who slack offon fitness, because exercise is
proven to lower stress, which inturn empowers us to tackle tough
(09:06):
tasks at work and at home. Thatmeans the next time the boss
dumps extra work on your desk,you'll be less likely to feel
overwhelmed if you've carved outat least a few minutes a day for
exercise. Today's medical termspinal disc herniation. That's
the full name for a herniateddisc, which refers to when one
(09:27):
of the soft cushions or discsthat separate the sections of
your spine suddenly tears orslips out of position, as 3
million North Americans discovereach year, having a slipped disc
can be extremely painful, first,because it means the bones along
your spine may be grindingtogether. Plus, when a disc
(09:47):
pushes up against a nerve, itcan trigger everything from
shooting pain along your back tonumbness and weakness that
extends all the way to your armsand legs. Research shows that
most herniated discs. Are simplythe result of aging, because as
we get older, our discs tend todry out and become less
flexible, which makes them moreprone to tearing or sliding out
(10:10):
of place, and that's more likelyto happen in men, by the way,
since they don't need extra roomin their body to carry a baby,
so their spines are straighterand even less flexible than a
woman's The good news is thatmany slipped disc issues repair
themselves with rest and gentlestretching, but talk to your
doctor if you experience pain ornumbness that lasts more than a
(10:33):
week since that could mean youneed surgery. And that's today's
medical term spinal discherniation coming up. We'll hear
more from Daniel Pink, bestselling, author of the new book
The Power of regret. He'llexplain how imagining a phone
call to yourself 10 years fromnow can help make you happier
and less stressed today. Butfirst, if you're trying to build
(10:56):
muscle, do this functionalfitness move after picking up
grocery bags or your laundrybasket. When you put them back
down, lower them slowly,according to Edith Cowan
University, you'll build moremuscle because you'll get extra
time under tension. It's calledan eccentric muscle contraction
in which activated muscles arelengthened. And even if you only
(11:20):
do that for three seconds a day,you'll strengthen your muscles
more than lifting a weight orholding a weight. Putting the
weight down slowly will do morefor your muscles. When you know
you should go to bed but youdecide to keep scrolling on your
phone or watching one moreepisode of a TV show, there's a
term for that. Researchers callit sleep displacement. And
(11:42):
according to a study by theAmerican Academy of Sleep
Medicine, 91% of people reportlosing sleep because they stayed
up past their bedtime looking ata screen, whether their phone or
TV. And part of the reason wehave sleep displacement is
because apps are designed to beaddictive. They're not designed
to help you relax. They'redesigned to keep your attention
(12:06):
and although it may feel good inthe moment to get your fix of
scrolling or watching videos,the result is we end up feeling
exhausted the next day andconstantly being sleep deprived.
Is a recipe for burnout, weightgain and disease. It's why
health experts say your firsthealth priority should be to get
seven hours of quality sleepeach night. Okay, listen to
(12:30):
this. Don't sip a margaritabefore your meal. According to
McGill University, people whosipped an alcoholic drink 30
minutes before eating ate 15%more food. Why? Because alcohol
whets our appetite and makesfood taste better, so you eat
more. In studies whereparticipants were asked to rate
(12:51):
their hunger throughout theexperiment, researchers found
people had higher hunger ratingsafter drinking alcohol. If you
still want that Margarita, sipit after your meal back with
more health intelligence fromDaniel Pink, author of the new
book The Power of regret. Itexplores some of the ways we can
harness the negative emotionsmost people associate with
(13:12):
regret and turn them intosomething positive. For example,
pink says one proven way to livea happier life with almost no
regret is to constantly practiceself distancing.
Self distancing is a techniquethat we can use for solving our
own problems and drawing lessonsfrom our own experiences. And
(13:33):
the reason we need to selfdistance is that we don't do a
very good job of addressing ourown problems, largely because
we're too close to it. We're tooenmeshed in the details. We're
like scuba divers, in ourregrets, in our decision making,
and what we need to be areoceanographers. So there are a
whole bunch of techniques thatone can use to get some
distance. So let's say you havea regret, you've forgiven
(13:56):
yourself, you've disclosed it,you're trying to find a lesson
in it to go forward, some thingsthat you can do. It sounds
goofy. Talk to yourself in thethird person. So I shouldn't
say, What should I do? I shouldsay, what should Dan do? That is
an effective technique. Othertechniques you can say, what
would I tell my best friend todo? That's one of the best
(14:16):
decision making tools that Iknow of, because it gives you
that distance. When I have beenin situations people come to me
and say, Oh, I don't know whatto do. Should I do this? Should
I do that? And I say to them,Well, what would you tell your
best friend to do? They almostalways know. They know what
their best friend should do.
They're just not ready to dothat themselves. They're not
clear that that's the lesson forthemselves as well. Back
(14:37):
with more health intelligencefrom Best Selling Author and
thinker Daniel Pink, and one ofhis techniques to live a life
with no regrets is to imaginemaking a phone call not to a
friend but to yourself 10 yearsfrom now. And I asked him how
that can help us have fewerregrets.
The U of 10 years from now hasyour best interest in mind, and
(14:58):
I think we can make a very. Safebet, what the U of 10 years from
now is going to be interestedin, what the U of 10 years from
now is going to care about. TheU of 10 years from now is not
going to care about whether youbought a blue car or a gray car.
The U of 10 years from now isnot going to care about whether
you wore you know, your your redshirt today, or your green shirt
today. But the U of 10 yearsfrom now we know from this
(15:20):
collection of regrets from20,000 people, is very likely to
care if you didn't build astable foundation for yourself
and for your family. Is going tocare if you didn't take a
chance, if you didn't dosomething, if you had the
opportunity to be bold and youchickened out, the U of 10 years
from now is going to have somewords with you. The U of 10
years from now wants you to begood. It wants you to make the
(15:41):
right call. It wants you to makethe moral decision. And I think
most of all, the U of 10 yearsfrom now, wants you to make
decisions that fosterconnection, belonging and love
by reaching out to people whoyou care about and who care
about you. Here'sa quick way to clear brain fog
in the morning, sip some icewater. According to UCLA
research, it can boost yourmental alertness by 40% in five
(16:05):
minutes. That's because thewater quickly rehydrates brain
cells, and the cold temperaturechills your brain, which
releases energizing beta waves,more intelligence for your
health. From Daniel Pink, a bestselling author whose books
include when the scientificsecrets of perfect timing. In
that one, he says, one way to bemore productive and truly
(16:27):
flourish at work is to takeregular breaks. I asked Daniel
Pink how he defines the mosteffective and restorative
breaks. Thereare some design principles for
taking breaks that restore ourenergy, our focus and our well
being. There are five coreprinciples of restorative
breaks. First, something beatsnothing, so even a very short
(16:49):
break is better than no break atall. Second, moving is better
than stationary. So breaks whenwe're in motion, when we're
moving around, are far morerestorative than breaks that are
sedentary. Three social BeatsSolo. This is pretty
interesting, that breaks withother people are more
restorative than breaks on ourown, and this is true even for
(17:11):
introverts. Four, outside isbetter than inside. So breaks
when we're in nature, even in anurban setting, just simply being
outside is better than beinginside. And finally, number
five, fully detached beats semidetached. So a break has to be a
break. A break is not going outfor a walk with your nose in
(17:32):
your Instagram feed or your workemail. And so when we line these
things up, it seems like theideal break is for people you
know every afternoon to take a15 minute walk outside with
someone they like, talking aboutsomething other than work and
leaving their phones behind. Ithink that that 15 minute
(17:53):
afternoon walk break every daywould restore a lot of well
being in the workplace and a lotmore productivity on the job,
here'sa strange, natural cure to help
your body heal faster. Get somewild blueberries, and if you get
a little cut, or scrape cleanthe wound, then squeeze the
(18:13):
juice of one wild blueberry onit or dab it on there, fresh or
frozen, it doesn't matter, thencover the cut with a bandage.
According to the University ofMaine, the polyphenol compounds
in wild blueberry juice increasethe rate at which blood vessels
regrow, and that can speed upthe healing process by two days.
And scientists say wildblueberries have up to three
(18:37):
times more healing polyphenolsthan regular cultivated
blueberries, so make sure theones you get are wild. Here's an
email I received at Connie atintelligence for your health.com
It comes from Dana Esparza, whowrites My friends say we should
not wear sunscreen because itblocks our ability to get
vitamin D from the sun. Is thattrue. Dana, tell your friends it
(19:00):
is not true. Theoretically, itmakes sense if sunscreen blocks
the UVB rays that burn or tanthe skin, it should also lower
vitamin D levels. But accordingto Harvard Medical School, that
is not the case, because nomatter how much sunscreen you
apply, and even if you reapplyit religiously, a portion of the
sun's rays will still reach yourskin. In fact, a study compared
(19:24):
the D levels in people who weretold to use sunscreen all summer
and another group that used aplacebo cream, and there was no
difference in their vitamin Dlevels, mainly because people
are very inconsistent whenapplying sunscreen and they miss
spots like the ears, the scalpand the back of the neck and
knees. But if you want to getmore vitamin D beyond what the
(19:45):
sun provides, the answer is foodand supplements. Talk to your
doctor about supplements and addthese foods to your diet. Wild
caught fish like tuna, mackereland salmon also eat more liver,
egg yolks. Cheese, shiitakemushrooms and foods fortified
with vitamin D, like breakfastcereal and orange juice. Thank
you for your email. Dana, I hopethis helps. Okay, listen to
(20:09):
this. Here's the best treatmentfor tired feet. Soak them at two
different temperatures. In otherwords, put them in cold water
for 10 to 15 minutes, then putyour feet into hot water for the
same length of time and continueuntil your feet feel better.
Podiatrist, Dr Leslie Campbellsays that alternately constricts
and dilates blood vessels andhelps flush away the fluid that
(20:32):
causes swelling and that dogtired on your feet all day,
feeling and to draw out evenmore excess fluids, add Epsom
salts to the water. Do this oncea month to extend your life by
up to 10 years. No gym required.
Have an artistic experience,whether that's through a
(20:54):
coloring book, watercolorpaints, or going to a museum.
According to the book, yourbrain on art research shows that
art experiences, whether as amaker or an enjoyer, rewires our
brains, triggering the releaseof neurochemicals, hormones and
endorphins. That means that artcan radically improve our
physical and mental health, andit's why more healthcare
(21:17):
providers are prescribing artsengagement to treat a bunch of
conditions from heart disease tochronic pain, dementia and
depression. And if you'recreating art, it does not have
to be good for it to benefityou. One study found that doing
45 minutes of any kind of artlowered the stress hormone
cortisol by as much as 25% Otherresearch shows art making
(21:39):
strengthens our executivefunction and decision making,
and just one art experience permonth can extend your life by 10
years more intelligence for yourhealth and behavior expert
Daniel Pink, if you'd like toknow more about him or his
latest book, The Power ofregret, check out the power of
regret.com and Earlier, he saidthe most restorative kind of
(22:02):
work break is a 15 minute walkoutside in nature, ideally with
a friend and no phone. But ifthat's not an option for you,
pink says there's anothereffective break that you should
never skip during the day, andthat is your lunch break. Lunch
is valuable because it's a breakthat human beings are not wired
(22:23):
to work relentlessly without anybreak at all. You know, we've
been, you know, this is anotherarea where we've been sold a
bill of goods. We think that theway to get more work done and
better work done is to powerthrough. We also think somehow
it's morally virtuous to powerthrough and the evidence, which
is overwhelming, says that's nottrue, that that in in the very
(22:49):
important domains of life, ofhigh performance, things like
elite athletes or elitemusicians, they think of breaks
as part of their performance,not as deviations from their
performance, Not as aconcession, not as a sign of
weakness, but as a sign ofstrength. Professionals take
breaks. Amateurs are the oneswho don't take breaks. That's it
for our show today, our specialintelligence for your health
(23:11):
with Connie Selig, edition ofthe podcast, I'm Gib Gerard.
Don't forget to rate comment andsubscribe on Apple podcast.
Spotify, wherever you get yourpodcast. It helps us out a lot.
And also you can reach out to uson social media. All of our
links are listed down in theshow notes. We try to respond to
every DM, every mention of theshow, because ultimately, we do
the show for you guys. So thankyou so much for listening. You.
Gib, hello and welcome to another episode of the
podcast. I'm Gib Gerard. Todaywe have another intelligence for
your health with Connie Celica.
Episode, our guest this week isnone other than best selling
author Daniel Pink. He's got anew book called The Power of
regrets. You'll be hearing fromhim. So here we go without
further ado, intelligence foryour health. With Connie Celica,
(00:30):
dry indoor air can make yourallergies worse because it can
increase congestion in yoursinuses and nasal passages, the
solution is to get a humidifier,especially in the bedroom while
you sleep. Dr Nita Ogden is anallergist and immunologist, and
she says that will keep yourrespiratory tract lubricated.
(00:51):
However, other indoor allergens,like mold, can grow like crazy
in a moist environment, so youwant a happy medium between too
dry and too humid, so set yourhumidifier below 50% too much
sitting is harmful to yourhealth. So how do you know if
you're too sedentary? Here aresome signs you're not moving
(01:12):
enough. First, you're often outof breath, even just carrying a
load of towels to the washingmachine. Cardiologist Dr sanul
correales says when we sit, wetake shallow breaths, which
provide less oxygen to our heartand muscles compared to when
we're standing and moving, andweaker muscles will leave you
feeling winded after even theslightest bit of exercise,
(01:34):
another sign you're toosedentary, you're always
fatigued. Research from theUniversity of Georgia shows that
within just two days ofinactivity, the body begins to
decondition itself, which meansit's shutting down and preparing
to be less active. And that canleave you feeling fatigued. A
final sign you aren't movingenough memory glitches hours
(01:56):
spent sitting lead to a thinningof the brain lobe responsible
for memory. So being toosedentary can lead to
forgetfulness, but a dose ofexercise will not only boost
blood flow to that area, it canalso help with age related
cognitive issues coming up.
We'll talk to Daniel Pink,author of the new book The Power
of regret. He'll share a list ofthe most common regrets people
(02:19):
have around the world andexplain how we can begin to
overcome them, but first, ifyou're in pain, mentally,
dialing it down like the volumeon the TV can make you feel
better. That's according toDartmouth neuroscience
professor, Dr Tor wagger, hisresearch shows that when people
touched a hot plate, theyactually felt less pain when
(02:40):
they mentally turned it down bytelling themselves it was cooler
than it actually was, comparedto those who just ignored it,
which means if you're feelingoverheated or your running
shorts start chafing, tellyourself it doesn't hurt that
badly, that mental tweak willhelp the sensation of pain feel
less intense, so you can pushthrough and finish your 10k or
(03:04):
survive a sweltering heat wave.
Do you know someone who alwaysorders an iced coffee even in
the dead of winter? There's apsychological reason why iced
coffee lovers can't give it upeven in cold weather, and the
simplest answer is, it's theirroutine. Psychologist Dr Deborah
(03:25):
Gillman says, As with a lot ofroutines, once they're formed,
it becomes ingrained. So dailyiced coffee drinkers may stick
with it simply out of habit,because making the same decision
every day saves mental energyfor other tasks and decisions.
Routines provide a sense ofstability in an otherwise
unpredictable world, and knowingwhat to expect can make people
(03:48):
feel more secure and lessanxious. Another reason some
people prefer iced coffee, theflavor is less intense. The
hotter the coffee, the strongerthe flavor, since high heat
opens up temperature sensitiveproteins on our taste buds. Cold
drinks also make people feelalert and refreshed, on top of
the boost from caffeine, whereashot beverages make us feel more
(04:12):
relaxed. Okay, listen to this.
If you're anxious aboutsomething that's happening
tomorrow, get a little moresleep tonight, according to the
experts at UC Berkeley,increasing your sleep before a
stressful event by turning in alittle earlier or sleeping a
little later can reduce anxiety.
It works by decreasing activityin the area of the brain that
(04:34):
heightens stress, the amygdala.
So if you have a job interviewtomorrow, an exam or an
important sales call, get alittle more sleep, and you'll
feel calmer and more in control.
Tomorrow. Today, our specialguest is Daniel Pink, a New York
Times best selling author who'swritten books about motivation,
persuasion, time management andmore. Pink's latest is called
(04:57):
the power of regret. How look.
Backward moves us forward. So Iasked him to break down the most
common regrets most people haveat some point. What
I found is that around theworld, people have the same four
regrets. One is what I call afoundation. Regret. A foundation
regret is if only I'd done thework. These are regrets people
have about not saving enoughmoney, about smoking but not
(05:20):
taking care of their health,about small decisions early that
lead to bad consequences later.
Second category are what I callboldness regrets. Boldness
regrets are if only I'd takenthe chance. These are regrets
that people have about nottraveling, about not speaking
up, about not asking people outon dates, about not starting
businesses. These are regretspeople have when they're at a
(05:41):
juncture and they can play itsafe or take the chance, and
when they don't take the chance,they often, often, often regret
it. Third category moralregrets. Moral regrets are, if
only I'd done the right thing.
These are people, again, who areat a juncture. They can do the
right thing, they can do thewrong thing. They do the wrong
thing, not always, but a heck ofa lot of the time, people regret
(06:03):
it, especially things likebullying, marital infidelity,
other kinds of transgressions.
And finally, the fourth categoryare connection regrets.
Connection regrets are if onlyI'd reached out. These are
regrets of relationships, notjust romantic relationships, but
the full spectrum ofrelationships we have in our
lives, and oftentimes theserelationships drift apart. And
(06:24):
we want to reach out, but we'reskittish about it. We think it's
going to be creepy, we think theother side won't care, and we're
wrong. And so it drifts aparteven further. And then sometimes
it's too late. And so when youlook at the regrets from all
over the world, it's these fourthings over and over,
foundation, regrets, if only I'ddone the work, boldness,
regrets, if only I'd taken thechance. Connection, regrets, if
(06:47):
only I'd reached out and moralregrets, if only I'd done the
right thing. Today,we're talking to Daniel Pink,
whose latest book is called ThePower of regret. He says, even
though most people try to avoidor even deny they have regrets.
Lots of research shows we canactually use our regrets in ways
that boost our mental health andhelp us become better problem
(07:09):
solvers, better negotiators andhappier people overall. Pink
says it all starts withreframing how we talk to
ourselves after making mistakesthat we regret. One
incredibly important point onmental health in general and
regret in particular, is we needto reframe how we think of
(07:31):
ourselves and our regrets andmistakes, when we stumble, when
we screw up, the way we talk toourselves is cruel, it's
vicious. Our self talk isabsurd. It's angry and it's
vindictive and it's mean, and weshouldn't do that. We should
talk to ourselves with the samegenerosity that we would talk to
(07:56):
somebody else. And so oneimportant way to arrest the
march toward rumination. Oneimportant way to arrest the
march toward some of these othermental health problems is to
treat ourselves with selfcompassion, to treat ourselves
with kindness rather thancontempt, to recognize that our
mistakes, our screw ups, ourregrets, are part of the human
(08:19):
condition. It happens toeverybody, and also that any
mistake that we make is a momentin our lives, not the full
measure of our lives. And whenwe do that, just simply teaching
people self compassion can do agreat deal in helping people
stop the dissent into seriousproblems, but also start the
process for making sense of ourregrets and drawing lessons from
(08:42):
them.
If you don't have time for yourusual hour long workout, just
exercise a little like go for a10 minute walk or bike around
the neighborhood. A study inHuman Resource Management found
regular exercisers are better athandling work life conflicts
compared to people who slack offon fitness, because exercise is
proven to lower stress, which inturn empowers us to tackle tough
(09:06):
tasks at work and at home. Thatmeans the next time the boss
dumps extra work on your desk,you'll be less likely to feel
overwhelmed if you've carved outat least a few minutes a day for
exercise. Today's medical termspinal disc herniation. That's
the full name for a herniateddisc, which refers to when one
(09:27):
of the soft cushions or discsthat separate the sections of
your spine suddenly tears orslips out of position, as 3
million North Americans discovereach year, having a slipped disc
can be extremely painful, first,because it means the bones along
your spine may be grindingtogether. Plus, when a disc
(09:47):
pushes up against a nerve, itcan trigger everything from
shooting pain along your back tonumbness and weakness that
extends all the way to your armsand legs. Research shows that
most herniated discs. Are simplythe result of aging, because as
we get older, our discs tend todry out and become less
flexible, which makes them moreprone to tearing or sliding out
(10:10):
of place, and that's more likelyto happen in men, by the way,
since they don't need extra roomin their body to carry a baby,
so their spines are straighterand even less flexible than a
woman's The good news is thatmany slipped disc issues repair
themselves with rest and gentlestretching, but talk to your
doctor if you experience pain ornumbness that lasts more than a
(10:33):
week since that could mean youneed surgery. And that's today's
medical term spinal discherniation coming up. We'll hear
more from Daniel Pink, bestselling, author of the new book
The Power of regret. He'llexplain how imagining a phone
call to yourself 10 years fromnow can help make you happier
and less stressed today. Butfirst, if you're trying to build
(10:56):
muscle, do this functionalfitness move after picking up
grocery bags or your laundrybasket. When you put them back
down, lower them slowly,according to Edith Cowan
University, you'll build moremuscle because you'll get extra
time under tension. It's calledan eccentric muscle contraction
in which activated muscles arelengthened. And even if you only
(11:20):
do that for three seconds a day,you'll strengthen your muscles
more than lifting a weight orholding a weight. Putting the
weight down slowly will do morefor your muscles. When you know
you should go to bed but youdecide to keep scrolling on your
phone or watching one moreepisode of a TV show, there's a
term for that. Researchers callit sleep displacement. And
(11:42):
according to a study by theAmerican Academy of Sleep
Medicine, 91% of people reportlosing sleep because they stayed
up past their bedtime looking ata screen, whether their phone or
TV. And part of the reason wehave sleep displacement is
because apps are designed to beaddictive. They're not designed
to help you relax. They'redesigned to keep your attention
(12:06):
and although it may feel good inthe moment to get your fix of
scrolling or watching videos,the result is we end up feeling
exhausted the next day andconstantly being sleep deprived.
Is a recipe for burnout, weightgain and disease. It's why
health experts say your firsthealth priority should be to get
seven hours of quality sleepeach night. Okay, listen to
(12:30):
this. Don't sip a margaritabefore your meal. According to
McGill University, people whosipped an alcoholic drink 30
minutes before eating ate 15%more food. Why? Because alcohol
whets our appetite and makesfood taste better, so you eat
more. In studies whereparticipants were asked to rate
(12:51):
their hunger throughout theexperiment, researchers found
people had higher hunger ratingsafter drinking alcohol. If you
still want that Margarita, sipit after your meal back with
more health intelligence fromDaniel Pink, author of the new
book The Power of regret. Itexplores some of the ways we can
harness the negative emotionsmost people associate with
(13:12):
regret and turn them intosomething positive. For example,
pink says one proven way to livea happier life with almost no
regret is to constantly practiceself distancing.
Self distancing is a techniquethat we can use for solving our
own problems and drawing lessonsfrom our own experiences. And
(13:33):
the reason we need to selfdistance is that we don't do a
very good job of addressing ourown problems, largely because
we're too close to it. We're tooenmeshed in the details. We're
like scuba divers, in ourregrets, in our decision making,
and what we need to be areoceanographers. So there are a
whole bunch of techniques thatone can use to get some
distance. So let's say you havea regret, you've forgiven
(13:56):
yourself, you've disclosed it,you're trying to find a lesson
in it to go forward, some thingsthat you can do. It sounds
goofy. Talk to yourself in thethird person. So I shouldn't
say, What should I do? I shouldsay, what should Dan do? That is
an effective technique. Othertechniques you can say, what
would I tell my best friend todo? That's one of the best
(14:16):
decision making tools that Iknow of, because it gives you
that distance. When I have beenin situations people come to me
and say, Oh, I don't know whatto do. Should I do this? Should
I do that? And I say to them,Well, what would you tell your
best friend to do? They almostalways know. They know what
their best friend should do.
They're just not ready to dothat themselves. They're not
clear that that's the lesson forthemselves as well. Back
(14:37):
with more health intelligencefrom Best Selling Author and
thinker Daniel Pink, and one ofhis techniques to live a life
with no regrets is to imaginemaking a phone call not to a
friend but to yourself 10 yearsfrom now. And I asked him how
that can help us have fewerregrets.
The U of 10 years from now hasyour best interest in mind, and
(14:58):
I think we can make a very. Safebet, what the U of 10 years from
now is going to be interestedin, what the U of 10 years from
now is going to care about. TheU of 10 years from now is not
going to care about whether youbought a blue car or a gray car.
The U of 10 years from now isnot going to care about whether
you wore you know, your your redshirt today, or your green shirt
today. But the U of 10 yearsfrom now we know from this
(15:20):
collection of regrets from20,000 people, is very likely to
care if you didn't build astable foundation for yourself
and for your family. Is going tocare if you didn't take a
chance, if you didn't dosomething, if you had the
opportunity to be bold and youchickened out, the U of 10 years
from now is going to have somewords with you. The U of 10
years from now wants you to begood. It wants you to make the
(15:41):
right call. It wants you to makethe moral decision. And I think
most of all, the U of 10 yearsfrom now, wants you to make
decisions that fosterconnection, belonging and love
by reaching out to people whoyou care about and who care
about you. Here'sa quick way to clear brain fog
in the morning, sip some icewater. According to UCLA
research, it can boost yourmental alertness by 40% in five
(16:05):
minutes. That's because thewater quickly rehydrates brain
cells, and the cold temperaturechills your brain, which
releases energizing beta waves,more intelligence for your
health. From Daniel Pink, a bestselling author whose books
include when the scientificsecrets of perfect timing. In
that one, he says, one way to bemore productive and truly
(16:27):
flourish at work is to takeregular breaks. I asked Daniel
Pink how he defines the mosteffective and restorative
breaks. Thereare some design principles for
taking breaks that restore ourenergy, our focus and our well
being. There are five coreprinciples of restorative
breaks. First, something beatsnothing, so even a very short
(16:49):
break is better than no break atall. Second, moving is better
than stationary. So breaks whenwe're in motion, when we're
moving around, are far morerestorative than breaks that are
sedentary. Three social BeatsSolo. This is pretty
interesting, that breaks withother people are more
restorative than breaks on ourown, and this is true even for
(17:11):
introverts. Four, outside isbetter than inside. So breaks
when we're in nature, even in anurban setting, just simply being
outside is better than beinginside. And finally, number
five, fully detached beats semidetached. So a break has to be a
break. A break is not going outfor a walk with your nose in
(17:32):
your Instagram feed or your workemail. And so when we line these
things up, it seems like theideal break is for people you
know every afternoon to take a15 minute walk outside with
someone they like, talking aboutsomething other than work and
leaving their phones behind. Ithink that that 15 minute
(17:53):
afternoon walk break every daywould restore a lot of well
being in the workplace and a lotmore productivity on the job,
here'sa strange, natural cure to help
your body heal faster. Get somewild blueberries, and if you get
a little cut, or scrape cleanthe wound, then squeeze the
(18:13):
juice of one wild blueberry onit or dab it on there, fresh or
frozen, it doesn't matter, thencover the cut with a bandage.
According to the University ofMaine, the polyphenol compounds
in wild blueberry juice increasethe rate at which blood vessels
regrow, and that can speed upthe healing process by two days.
And scientists say wildblueberries have up to three
(18:37):
times more healing polyphenolsthan regular cultivated
blueberries, so make sure theones you get are wild. Here's an
email I received at Connie atintelligence for your health.com
It comes from Dana Esparza, whowrites My friends say we should
not wear sunscreen because itblocks our ability to get
vitamin D from the sun. Is thattrue. Dana, tell your friends it
(19:00):
is not true. Theoretically, itmakes sense if sunscreen blocks
the UVB rays that burn or tanthe skin, it should also lower
vitamin D levels. But accordingto Harvard Medical School, that
is not the case, because nomatter how much sunscreen you
apply, and even if you reapplyit religiously, a portion of the
sun's rays will still reach yourskin. In fact, a study compared
(19:24):
the D levels in people who weretold to use sunscreen all summer
and another group that used aplacebo cream, and there was no
difference in their vitamin Dlevels, mainly because people
are very inconsistent whenapplying sunscreen and they miss
spots like the ears, the scalpand the back of the neck and
knees. But if you want to getmore vitamin D beyond what the
(19:45):
sun provides, the answer is foodand supplements. Talk to your
doctor about supplements and addthese foods to your diet. Wild
caught fish like tuna, mackereland salmon also eat more liver,
egg yolks. Cheese, shiitakemushrooms and foods fortified
with vitamin D, like breakfastcereal and orange juice. Thank
you for your email. Dana, I hopethis helps. Okay, listen to
(20:09):
this. Here's the best treatmentfor tired feet. Soak them at two
different temperatures. In otherwords, put them in cold water
for 10 to 15 minutes, then putyour feet into hot water for the
same length of time and continueuntil your feet feel better.
Podiatrist, Dr Leslie Campbellsays that alternately constricts
and dilates blood vessels andhelps flush away the fluid that
(20:32):
causes swelling and that dogtired on your feet all day,
feeling and to draw out evenmore excess fluids, add Epsom
salts to the water. Do this oncea month to extend your life by
up to 10 years. No gym required.
Have an artistic experience,whether that's through a
(20:54):
coloring book, watercolorpaints, or going to a museum.
According to the book, yourbrain on art research shows that
art experiences, whether as amaker or an enjoyer, rewires our
brains, triggering the releaseof neurochemicals, hormones and
endorphins. That means that artcan radically improve our
physical and mental health, andit's why more healthcare
(21:17):
providers are prescribing artsengagement to treat a bunch of
conditions from heart disease tochronic pain, dementia and
depression. And if you'recreating art, it does not have
to be good for it to benefityou. One study found that doing
45 minutes of any kind of artlowered the stress hormone
cortisol by as much as 25% Otherresearch shows art making
(21:39):
strengthens our executivefunction and decision making,
and just one art experience permonth can extend your life by 10
years more intelligence for yourhealth and behavior expert
Daniel Pink, if you'd like toknow more about him or his
latest book, The Power ofregret, check out the power of
regret.com and Earlier, he saidthe most restorative kind of
(22:02):
work break is a 15 minute walkoutside in nature, ideally with
a friend and no phone. But ifthat's not an option for you,
pink says there's anothereffective break that you should
never skip during the day, andthat is your lunch break. Lunch
is valuable because it's a breakthat human beings are not wired
(22:23):
to work relentlessly without anybreak at all. You know, we've
been, you know, this is anotherarea where we've been sold a
bill of goods. We think that theway to get more work done and
better work done is to powerthrough. We also think somehow
it's morally virtuous to powerthrough and the evidence, which
is overwhelming, says that's nottrue, that that in in the very
(22:49):
important domains of life, ofhigh performance, things like
elite athletes or elitemusicians, they think of breaks
as part of their performance,not as deviations from their
performance, Not as aconcession, not as a sign of
weakness, but as a sign ofstrength. Professionals take
breaks. Amateurs are the oneswho don't take breaks. That's it
for our show today, our specialintelligence for your health
(23:11):
with Connie Selig, edition ofthe podcast, I'm Gib Gerard.
Don't forget to rate comment andsubscribe on Apple podcast.
Spotify, wherever you get yourpodcast. It helps us out a lot.
And also you can reach out to uson social media. All of our
links are listed down in theshow notes. We try to respond to
every DM, every mention of theshow, because ultimately, we do
the show for you guys. So thankyou so much for listening. You.
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Ridiculous History
History is beautiful, brutal and, often, ridiculous. Join Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown as they dive into some of the weirdest stories from across the span of human civilization in Ridiculous History, a podcast by iHeartRadio.