Have you ever made a mistake and immediately thought, “I’m so stupid, what’s wrong with me?” Suddenly, you’re not just seeing a mistake, you’re facing a wall of shame, anxiety, distress and procrastination.  Today, Leah and therapist Kimberley Quinlan discuss why being hard on yourself won’t actually make you perform any better, and how we can use self-compassion as a tool for recovering from a failure and moving faster towards our goals.  Kimberley guides Leah through a test developed by Dr. Kristin Neff to measure how much self-compassion Leah actually has in challenging moments.  Follow along with them, and write down your own answers to the questions to see where you fall on the self-compassion scale.  If you liked this episode, you’ll also love this one: Everything You Think You Know About Happiness Is Wrong. Follow Leah Smart and Kimberley Quinlan ⁠on LinkedIn.

As humans, we’re natural storytellers. The stories we tell shape how we see ourselves, others and the world around us. But not all of our stories are helpful — some keep us trapped in cycles of fear, blame or regret. In this week’s episode, Leah shares a simple exercise from grief expert David Kessler to help you investigate how you tell your stories and rewrite the ones keeping you stuck. Using three examples from her own life, Leah breaks down her narratives, separating fact from fiction and discovering more empowering versions of her stories. To go deeper, check out David Kessler’s Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief Workbook, which includes this and other tools for healing and reflection. Listen to Leah’s full conversation with David ⁠here⁠.

When author and entrepreneur Nick Ortner first discovered tapping, he had no idea the impact it would have on his life. Nearly two decades later, he’s helped millions manage stress, anxiety, chronic pain and other physical and mental health challenges using the research-backed practice also known as Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). This week, Nick joins Leah to break down the science behind tapping, how it targets the brain’s stress response and why naming the negative emotions we carry with us is the first step to letting those emotions go. He also guides Leah through a short tapping exercise you can follow along with, and explains how tapping can be used in conjunction with other tools like meditation, therapy and mindfulness to support your mental and emotional well-being. If you liked this episode, you’ll also love this one: Can't Meditate? Just Breathe with JP Crimi Follow ⁠Leah Smart⁠ and ⁠Nick Ortner⁠ on LinkedIn.

Every single day, we’re confronted with more information than we could possibly verify. So how do we ever know we’re right? And what do we do when we find out we’re wrong? This week on Everyday Better, professor Alex Edmans shares why you’re probably less open-minded than you think—and what you can do about it. As a researcher, Alex loves data. But after witnessing firsthand our tendency to cherry-pick the data we want to be true, he began searching for a better way to find truth in an era of information overload. In this conversation, Alex breaks down our most common mental biases and shares the steps you can take to confront them. He also explains why challenging our beliefs is the key to living a freer, more self-led life. Get Alex’s book May Contain Lies: How Stories, Statistics, and Studies Exploit Our Biases – And What We Can Do About It here. If you liked this episode, you’ll also love this one: Demystifying Wellness Trends with Medical Journalist Dr. Trisha Pasricha Follow Leah Smart and Alex Edmans on LinkedIn.

Most of us avoid thinking about death until it hits close to home – but what if facing it head-on could actually help you live more peacefully and joyfully?  This week, Leah sits down with Julie McFadden, better known as Hospice Nurse Julie. After working as an ICU nurse for many years, Julie transitioned to hospice care, where she now helps patients and families navigate the end of life with honesty, compassion and even a little humor. In their conversation, Julie reflects on her personal philosophy: that contemplating death daily has helped her live with more intention and contentment. She also breaks down the biology of how we die and explains end-of-life phenomena. Whether you’ve faced loss yourself or want to live more fully today, this episode will shift the way you think about life, death and everything that happens in between. If you liked this episode, you’ll also love this one: How a Career in Hospice Care Made Nurse Hadley “Death Positive”

Do you ever wish you had more time for what matters most to you? Today, Leah shares a simple time management exercise designed to bring more clarity and joy to your schedule. Developed by researcher Cassie Holmes — a fan-favorite guest on the show — this technique, known as Time Crafting, helps you understand how you’re really spending your time and how to build your calendar around what energizes you. Using her own schedule as a guide, Leah walks through the Time Crafting method step-by-step. She shares which activities left her feeling fulfilled, which ones drained her energy and what changed after just one week of mindfully tracking her time. If you’ve ever reached the end of a packed day and wondered where your time went — or questioned if you spent it on what truly matters — this exercise is for you. Listen to Leah’s full conversation with Cassie Holmes here. Download Cassie’s templates for Time Crafting here.

“Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” We’ve all heard it, maybe even lived by it. But what if turning your passion into a career is doing more harm than good?  In this episode, sociologist Erin Cech challenges our cultural obsession with finding fulfillment at work. Drawing from her book “The Trouble with Passion”, Erin explains how the “passion principle” can exacerbate societal inequalities as well as burnout. She also shares practical questions to ask yourself about the relationship you want to have with paid work, and offers ways to find meaning in a variety of places. If you liked this episode, you’ll also love this one: Redefine Your Relationship to Work with Former Top Magazine Editor Jennifer Romolini

Morra Aarons-Mele, host of the podcast "The Anxious Achiever," long understood her challenges at work as byproducts of anxiety and depression. She had a hard time working for other people and often found herself saying the wrong thing in meetings. But a recent discovery changed everything: Morra learned she’s neurodivergent. That realization helped her reframe not only her struggles, but also her strengths, and paved the way towards a more authentic, empowered way of working. In this week's episode of Everyday Better, Morra shares how embracing her neurodivergence helps her tap into her full potential. She and Leah discuss what neurodivergence encompasses, the hidden power of introversion and how our workplaces need to evolve to support a broader range of minds. Morra also explains why difference isn’t a liability but a competitive advantage, and how to leverage your own unique strengths to show up stronger at work.  If you liked this episode, check out Morra’s podcast “The Anxious Achiever” here. Listen to my conversation with Dr. Barry Kudrowitz on why play and humor belong at work here.

Leah is back from maternity leave! In her first episode back, she and her producers talk about her birth story, the tools she used to manage anxiety during pregnancy and how she’s learning to let go of control and live in the moment.

After nearly a decade in remission, bestselling author, speaker and cancer survivor Suleika Jaouad learned that her leukemia had returned. Confronted with profound uncertainty about her future, she turned to journaling as both a creative practice and means of survival. And through writing, Suleika discovered a powerful shift in perspective: to live each day as if it were her first, not her last. On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, Suleika joins guest host Jessi Hempel to share insights from her latest book “The Book of Alchemy: A Creative Practice for an Inspired Life.” She reflects on what illness taught her about productivity, identity and success, and how creativity can help anyone metabolize grief, reclaim joy and reimagine what’s possible in uncertain times. If you liked this episode, you’ll also love this one: No Regrets Living: Designing Your Life Brief With Brand Strategist Bonnie Wan

For years, Dr. Russell Kennedy tried everything to treat his crippling anxiety – therapy, medication – nothing worked. It wasn’t until he stopped searching in his head and started looking to his body that everything changed. Today, Russell helps others heal by targeting what he calls “background alarm,” a residue of unresolved childhood trauma stored in the body. On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, Leah sits down with Russell to explore why traditional treatments for anxiety often fall short, and what it really takes to heal from the inside out. Russell shares the somatic tools and mindset shifts that have helped him and his patients regulate their nervous systems, reconnect with their inner child and break free from the anxiety loop. He also explains why healing starts not with fixing your thoughts but by feeling what’s been buried in your body all along. If you liked this episode, you’ll also love this one: Why We Panic: The Evolutionary Roots of Anxiety and How to Copy Today

This week, Leah shares her story of living with and learning to manage her anxiety. Additional Resources: Anxiety and Depression Association of America A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson Anxiety Rx by Dr. Russell Kennedy Overcoming Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts by Dr. Martin Seif and Dr. Sally Winston The Tapping Solution by Nick Ortner

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, Everyday Better is spotlighting some of the most common, yet least understood, mental health challenges. This week, ABC News’ Chief National Correspondent Matt Gutman joins Leah to share his personal journey with anxiety and panic attacks – struggles he hid for nearly two decades, even while reporting live on national television. But in 2020, after a career-altering on-air mistake, Matt was forced to confront his panic head-on, or walk away from the job he loved. In his book “No Time to Panic,” Matt explores the science behind anxiety and panic attacks. He explains why humans have panic attacks and how evolution has made anxiety a surprisingly adaptive trait. He also shares the practical tools and mindset shifts that helped him regain control, from breathwork and mindfulness to self-compassion and daily gratitude rituals.  Get Matt’s book No Time to Panic here. If you liked this episode, you’ll also love this one: Conquer Everyday Anxiety with Dr. Wendy Suzuki

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, we’re exploring some of the most common, yet least understood, mental health challenges. This week, Leah speaks with Dr. Anna Lembke, author of “Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence.” Anna shares the science behind compulsive overconsumption and explains how the brain’s pleasure-pain balance can lead us into addictive loops — even when it comes to seemingly harmless behaviors. If you liked this episode, you’ll also love this one: The Number One Predictor of a Long and Happy Life with Dr. Robert Waldinger

Here at Everyday Better, we’re always striving to improve our mental health. This May, in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, we’re exploring some of the most common, yet least understood, mental health challenges. This week, Leah’s joined by four-time Grammy nominated singer-songwriter and mental health advocate Jewel. Before she got famous, Jewel was a homeless teenager battling an addiction to shoplifting – who, despite her circumstances, committed to finding happiness for herself. Today, Jewel shares how that commitment has kept her grounded in the face of fame, protected her from burnout and equipped her with the tools to heal her self-worth. Find information on Jewel’s upcoming Mental Health Awareness Month events here. If you liked this episode, you’ll also love this one: Annie Grace’s Guide to Conscious Behavior Change

When it comes time to choose a career, we’re often told to follow our passions and optimize for things like title and salary. But rarely do we pause to consider the impact of our work and whether or not it actually matters. In a world where preventable tragedies occur every day, failing to consider the social impact of our careers is a missed opportunity – and perhaps a moral failing, too.  On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, guest host Jessi Hempel talks with historian and bestselling author Rutger Bregman about his new book “Moral Ambition: How to Stop Wasting Your Talent and Start Making a Difference.” Rutger introduces his concept of “moral ambition,” which challenges readers to rethink what it means to success. Rutger makes the case that talented, privileged professionals must move beyond aiming for status, wealth and personal achievement and use their skills to address the world’s most pressing problems. Preorder Rutger’s book here. If you liked this episode, you’ll also love this one: Finding Your Purpose Through Ikigai with Tim Tamashiro 

After Jodi Wellman’s mother passed away at just 58-years-old, Jodi was left to clean out her apartment. Everywhere she looked, she found remnants of her mother’s unfulfilled dreams: business cards from enterprises that never took off, book manuscripts that were never submitted. The experience forced Jodi to realize that life is painfully short, and it’s up to us to make the most of it. A speaker, author and executive coach, Jodi wants you to think more about death. On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, she shares the essential things we all need to know about death and dying and how we can use our mortality as a motivator to live our lives more fully. Follow Jodi Wellman on LinkedIn and follow Leah Smart on LinkedIn and Instagram. If you liked this episode, your next listen should be this one: How to Make the Most of Your 24 Hours with Researcher Cassie Holmes

In this special episode of Everyday Better, Leah walks through one of her favorite personal growth exercises: defining your core values. When you're facing a tough decision and unsure which path to take, a clearly defined set of values can equip you with the clarity and confidence you need to move forward.  After explaining her own approach to uncovering what truly matters, Leah revisits some powerful moments from a previous conversation with personal growth educator Amanda Hilton. Together, they discuss prompts for identifying the values that resonate most deeply with you and how to apply them in your own life to make better decisions. Listen to Leah’s full conversation with Amanda Hilton here. Download Brené Brown’s List of Values here.

We often imagine mentorship as a formal relationship between an experienced professional and someone who’s just starting out. But sometimes the most valuable guidance doesn’t emerge from something structured, but from candid conversations with colleagues. On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, we’re bringing you one of those conversations. Leah is joined by two of her LinkedIn colleagues, Jessi Hempel and Gianna Prudente, for an honest discussion about their biggest career challenges. In their conversation, they discuss imposter syndrome, work-life balance and what happens when Plan A—and maybe Plans B, C, and D—don’t work out. For more advice on mentorship, subscribe to the Everyday Better newsletter. Follow Jessi Hempel on LinkedIn. Follow Gianna Prudente on LinkedIn. Follow Leah Smart on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Thomas Curran is a Professor of Psychology at the London School of Economics and the author of The Perfection Trap: Embracing the Power of Good Enough. In it, he charts the recent rise in perfectionism among young people, exposes the paradoxical effects of perfectionism on everything from work performance to relationships and argues for a “good enough” approach to work that prioritizes sustainability over achievement. On this week’s episode of Everyday Better, Thomas joins Leah to discuss the harms of perfectionism and how to break free from both internal and external pressures to be perfect. Leah and Thomas also take a critical look at the concept of the “growth mindset” and reflect on their own journeys toward overcoming perfectionism. If you liked this episode, your next listen should be this one: The Art of Feel Good Productivity with Ali Abdaal