Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee

Our emotions affect our creativity, learning and problem solving, but also our physical health and our mental health. Feel Better Live More Bitesize is my weekly podcast for your mind, body, and heart.  Each week I’ll be featuring inspirational stories and practical tips from some of my former guests. Today’s clip is from episode 179 of the podcast with Professor Marc Brackett, the founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. Emotions matter more than we think, and, in this clip, Marc explains why being able to understand our own and other’s feelings can have a profound impact on our lives. Thanks to our sponsor http://www.athleticgreens.com/livemore Show notes and the full podcast are available at drchatterjee.com/179 Order Dr Chatterjee's new book Happy Mind, Happy Life: UK version: https://amzn.to/304opgJ US & Canada version: https://amzn.to/3DRxjgp Support the podcast and enjoy Ad-Free episodes. Try FREE for 7 days on Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/3oAKmxi. For other podcast platforms go to https://fblm.supercast.com. Follow me on instagram.com/drchatterjee Follow me on facebook.com/DrChatterjee Follow me on twitter.com/drchatterjeeuk DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

9 Juni 202213min

What does the content of your mind look like? Do you sometimes have thoughts you don't want to have? Do you sometimes feel emotions you don't want to feel? My guest today has recently published a book called Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess: Five Simple, Scientifically Proven Steps to Reduce Anxiety, Stress and Toxic Thinking which contains techniques and practices that can help any of us whether we have a diagnosed mental health problem or not.   My guest is Dr. Caroline Leaf, a cognitive neuroscientist, researcher and best-selling author. Since the 1980s, Dr Leaf has researched the mind-brain connection, the nature of mental health and the formation of memory. She was one of the first in her field to study neuroplasticity and how the brain can change with directed input from our minds. Over the years, Dr Leaf has helped transform the lives of many people around the world - she's helped people with traumatic brain injury, stress, anxiety and depression, but the tools that she shares are relevant for anyone who wants to improve the functioning of their minds.   We begin our conversation talking about the difference between our minds and our brains - these two terms are often used interchangeably but Dr Leaf explains why this is a mistake. She explains how it's our mind, both our conscious mind and our non-conscious mind, that actually control our brain. It is because of this, she says, that we are much more in control of our symptoms than we might think.   Dr Leaf believes that many of the conventional clinical approaches to mental health and well-being are misguided and limiting. Her approach reframes things like depression and anxiety as a response, rather than an illness. Signs and symptoms, she says, always point to a thought or belief that has caused them. So instead of medicating them away, Dr Leaf believes that we need to spend more time looking for the cause.   It is Dr Leaf’s firm belief that we can all benefit from what she calls ‘mind management’. Whether we want to build a healthier, more resilient brain, whether we want more focus or whether we want to reduce negative thoughts that are affecting us, Dr Leaf has pioneered a five-step protocol to help us do so. In this conversation, she reveals just what those steps are and how we can all put them into practice in our everyday lives. Thanks to our sponsors: https://www.leafyard.com/livemore https://www.athleticgreens.com/livemore https://www.vivobarefoot.com/livemore Order Dr Chatterjee's new book Happy Mind, Happy Life: UK version: https://amzn.to/304opgJ, US & Canada version: https://amzn.to/3DRxjgp Show notes available at https://drchatterjee.com/281 DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or qualified health care provider with any questions you have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

7 Juni 20221h 47min

This is part of my re-release series where I am interviewed by my good friend Dr Panja about small daily changes that can make a huge difference.   Why is it that so many of us find it hard to stick to a new diet or lifestyle plan? We all start off well enough – full of energy and optimism but then the novelty soon wears off and life gets in the way. After some time, we are right back where we first started. The fact is, most health plans are based on the common, but incorrect assumption that we can make sweeping and lasting changes to our health by relying solely on willpower and motivation. But for the vast majority of us, this is just not true. This is exactly why I wrote my new book, ‘Feel Better in 5’– I want to empower people to make changes in their life not just in the short term, but ones that will stand the test of time. This week, my good friend Dr Ayan Panja returns to the podcast and we discuss just how we can all make lifestyle changes that last. We talk about how 5 minute chunks of time really can change your life, the importance of human connection when trying to make lifestyle change, why I am such a fan of a rounded approach to health and the ripple effect – how one small change in one aspect of your life can very quickly ripple into other areas. We also discuss what, in our collective 40 years of clinical experience, we have found to actually work with our patients when making lifestyle change. We delve into the latest in behaviour science and how we can use this to help us make new healthy habits. Finally, I explain to Ayan that my goal in writing ‘Feel Better in 5’ was to make health as accessible as possible to people of all backgrounds hence the reason nearly all the recommendations within it are completely free. Ayan finishes by sharing some of his tops tips. I really enjoyed taking some time out to sit down and chat with one of my best friends – I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did! Thanks to our sponsors: https://www.vivobarefoot.com/livemore http://www.athleticgreens.com/livemore Order Dr Chatterjee's new book Happy Mind, Happy Life: UK version: https://amzn.to/304opgJ, US & Canada version: https://amzn.to/3DRxjgp Show notes available at https://drchatterjee.com/280 Support the podcast and enjoy Ad-Free episodes. Try FREE for 7 days on Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/3oAKmxi. For other podcast platforms go to https://fblm.supercast.com. DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

4 Juni 20221h 30min

Stress is a clear example of the mind-body connection at work, yet it remains a link modern medicine fails to address. Feel Better Live More Bitesize is my weekly podcast for your mind, body, and heart.  Each week I’ll be featuring inspirational stories and practical tips from some of my former guests. Today’s clip is from episode 200 of the podcast with a pioneer in the field of integrative health, Dr Andrew Weil. In this clip, he explains why our mind and body are so connected and how a simple, daily breathing method can help reduce anxiety and stress. Thanks to our sponsor http://www.athleticgreens.com/livemore Show notes and the full podcast are available at drchatterjee.com/200 Order Dr Chatterjee's new book Happy Mind, Happy Life: UK version: https://amzn.to/304opgJ US & Canada version: https://amzn.to/3DRxjgp Support the podcast and enjoy Ad-Free episodes. Try FREE for 7 days on Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/3oAKmxi. For other podcast platforms go to https://fblm.supercast.com. Follow me on instagram.com/drchatterjee Follow me on facebook.com/DrChatterjee Follow me on twitter.com/drchatterjeeuk DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

2 Juni 202213min

What does it mean to be a thriving human in the 21st century? The way we currently live is very different from the way humans have lived for the bulk of our evolution. As humanity has evolved and developed technologies to make us more comfortable, many of us have lost our instinctive connection to nature and this has had profound consequences on our physical and mental well-being. So what can we do about this? Well, as it turns out, quite a lot. My guest today is Tony Riddle. Tony is an ultra-endurance athlete and goes by the name of the natural lifestylist. He has spent the last decade developing and refining a robust way of life based upon the principles of a natural lifestyle. He's hosted retreats and workshops, where he has taught thousands of people around the world to live more naturally.   Tony has now written his very first book, Be More Human: How to Transform your Lifestyle for Optimum Health, Happiness and Vitality. The beauty of Tony's natural lifestyle philosophy is its simplicity, rather than a long list of things to incorporate into your busy life, it's actually all about stripping back and simplifying; removing what's not serving us in order to get back to a natural state of well-being. A good way to start is to learn how to ‘down-regulate’ – to calm the fight-or-flight system that’s switched on when we’re under chronic stress. It can be as easy as a minute or two of breathing, exhaling for longer than you inhale. Or a few moments spent in nature.   But he also wants us to experiment with discomfort and inconvenience, antidotes to modern life that will keep our muscles and mind from atrophy. We talk about the benefits of cold immersion and some simple ways in which we can start to bring this into our lives.   We chat about the importance of good quality sleep and why we all may not need the mythical eight hours. Tony describes some posture-enhancing positions we can all adopt, including squats and heel sitting to liberate our joints and spine. He explains why our foot strength dramatically increases when we transition to minimalist shoes and spend more time without our shoes on.   We finished off talking about Tony's deep relationship to running and why he describes it as a spiritual experience. The truth is we are never going back to being hunter-gatherers. But it doesn't mean we can't learn from them. Tony says we don't have to live in the wild to re-wild. This is such an inspiring episode, packed with practical tools that you can try right now. Tony is passionate and knowledgeable and I hope this conversation will help you become happier and healthier. Thanks to our sponsors: https://www.vivobarefoot.com/livemore https://www.athleticgreens.com/livemore https://www.leafyard.com/livemore Show notes available at https://drchatterjee.com/278 DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or qualified health care provider with any questions you have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

31 Maj 20222h

This is part of my re-release series and was first aired in 2019.    How does alcohol fit into your life? Have you ever given it any thought?   My guest on this week’s podcast is Andy Ramage, a performance coach and author. He’s also one of the founders of One Year No Beer, a habit-changing programme that invites people to try 28, 90 or 365 days alcohol free – and see what it does for them. Andy was like many of us, he was not an alcoholic but he was what he calls ‘a middle lane drinker’. He would drink a little bit to unwind, at work events, when he saw his friends and probably a little bit more on the weekends. Andy started off on a 30 day trial without alcohol and now hasn’t drunk any alcohol for six years and says he can’t envisage doing so again. But his agenda is not to make you stop drinking for good. It’s to demonstrate that taking a break from the booze can bring a surprising host of benefits, even if you don’t think of yourself as a problematic drinker.   Andy and I delve into just what some of those benefits might be. We discuss how alcohol is so ingrained in our social lives and often our work culture that often we don’t even consider what life would be like without it. It’s linked to every part of our lives from relaxation and fun to social bonding or even just relieving boredom. We talk about societal expectations and peer pressure and both of us share our own individual stories and our own journeys with alcohol. Finally, Andy shares some brilliant, practical tips to help anyone who maybe considering tactical break from alcohol.   This is a really inspiring conversation. Whether you’re already thinking of cutting down, it’s not something you’ve considered, or even if you’re already abstaining, I hope you’ll find some life-enhancing lessons in this podcast.  Thanks to our sponsors: http://www.athleticgreens.com/livemore https://www.vivobarefoot.com/livemore Order Dr Chatterjee's new book Happy Mind, Happy Life: UK version: https://amzn.to/304opgJ, US & Canada version: https://amzn.to/3DRxjgp Show notes available at https://drchatterjee.com/277 Support the podcast and enjoy Ad-Free episodes. Try FREE for 7 days on Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/3oAKmxi. For other podcast platforms go to https://fblm.supercast.com. DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

28 Maj 20221h 57min

Technology can have such a pervasive impact in all areas of our life from our health and happiness to the quality of our relationships.   Feel Better Live More Bitesize is my weekly podcast for your mind, body, and heart.  Each week I’ll be featuring inspirational stories and practical tips from some of my former guests. Today’s clip is from episode 132 of the podcast with author and expert on the compulsive nature of technology, Adam Alter. In this clip, Adam explains that, whilst there are so many positive uses of technology, we need to be mindful in how we use it. He gives some great tips to help us restore balance and live a rich, meaningful and healthy life. Show notes and the full podcast are available at drchatterjee.com/132 Thanks to our sponsor http://www.athleticgreens.com/livemore Order Dr Chatterjee's new book Happy Mind, Happy Life: UK version: https://amzn.to/304opgJ US & Canada version: https://amzn.to/3DRxjgp Support the podcast and enjoy Ad-Free episodes. Try FREE for 7 days on Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/3oAKmxi. For other podcast platforms go to https://fblm.supercast.com. Follow me on instagram.com/drchatterjee Follow me on facebook.com/DrChatterjee Follow me on twitter.com/drchatterjeeuk DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

26 Maj 202215min

Happiness is a choice. It’s a bold statement, but it’s one I wholeheartedly support. Whether you agree with this statement, or whether the idea sits a little uncomfortably with you, I think you are going to get a lot out of this uplifting conversation. My guest is Mo Gawdat and he has been at both ends of the spectrum on which we might consider happiness lies. And he’s unlocked the key to true contentment, no matter what obstacles you may come across in life.    You might know Mo as the former Chief Business Officer of Google X – a role with status and riches that many might aspire to. You may also know him as the respected ‘happiness expert’, speaker and bestselling author of self-help books like Solve For Happy and his latest book, That Little Voice In Your Head.   We begin our conversation by talking about the concept of success and fulfilment and why his money only gave him joy when he gave it away. We also chat about how the sudden and tragic death of his son at the age of 21 set him on a path to make a billion people happier.   This is a wide-ranging, personal and heartfelt conversation. Listening to Mo’s account is incredibly emotional, yet he’s so full of love, truth and gratitude. I’m so grateful to him for sharing so honestly and authentically but I get the idea that Mo knows no other way. This man embodies the idea that happiness is a set of skills and beliefs that we can all practice. And you can choose to practice them, no matter what life puts in your way. When you listen to him speak, it’s hard not to agree.  Thanks to our sponsors: https://www.calm.com/livemore http://www.athleticgreens.com/livemore https://www.vivobarefoot.com/livemore Order Dr Chatterjee's new book Happy Mind, Happy Life: UK version: https://amzn.to/304opgJ, US & Canada version: https://amzn.to/3DRxjgp Show notes available at https://drchatterjee.com/275 Support the podcast and enjoy Ad-Free episodes. Try FREE for 7 days on Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/3oAKmxi. For other podcast platforms go to https://fblm.supercast.com. DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

24 Maj 20222h 11min