The One You Feed - Learn Good Habits To Increase Mindfulness And Happiness And Decrease Anxiety And Depression

In this episode, David Epstein explores why doing more can leave us overwhelmed, and how the right constraints can help us focus and make meaningful progress. Drawing on his book, Inside the Box: How Constraints Make Us Better, David shares why unlimited freedom can be surprisingly paralyzing and why adding another self-improvement habit isn’t always the answer. He and Eric discuss how to protect your attention, stop endlessly preparing, and make room for what matters before your to-do list is finished. Feeling overwhelmed in your life? Check out ⁠⁠Overwhelm is Optional ⁠⁠— a 4-week email course that helps you feel calmer and more grounded without needing to do less. In under 10 minutes a day, you’ll learn simple mindset shifts (called “Still Points”) you can use right inside the life you already have. ⁠⁠Sign up here for only $29!⁠ Key Takeaways: Why limits can spark creativity by pushing us beyond our most familiar ideas How simple routines and clear boundaries reduce the burden of

In this episode, Eric joins Dr. Laurie Santos on The Happiness Lab to explore why lasting change takes more than willpower—and how to develop the skills that make it easier. Drawing on his recovery from addiction and his book, How a Little Becomes a Lot, Eric shares how manageable actions help us build momentum and regain trust in ourselves. They also discuss how to choose goals that reflect what matters to you and keep making progress when motivation fades. Free Guide: Outsmart the Hidden Saboteurs of Self-Control. What’s been holding you back lately? In this free guide, Eric shares the six common saboteurs that quietly derail our best intentions—like autopilot behavior, self-doubt, and emotional escapism—and offers practical strategies to help you regain control and move forward. Download your free copy at ⁠oneyoufeed.net/ebook.⁠ Key Takeaways: Why struggling to change doesn’t mean something is wrong with you—and how treating change as a skill opens up new possibilities How starting sma

In this episode, Dr. Zaldy Tan explores how to live well with memory loss and what an Alzheimer’s diagnosis means for individuals and the people who love them. Drawing on his own experience caring for family members with Alzheimer’s, he discusses the questions many of us carry about forgetfulness, aging, and the fear of losing our independence. Together, they discuss how to stay connected as memory changes, make important decisions early, and approach caregiving with compassion—including for yourself. His new book is What to Remember When You Are Forgetting: How to Live and Thrive with Memory Loss, Alzheimer's, and Other Dementias Free Guide: Outsmart the Hidden Saboteurs of Self-Control. What’s been holding you back lately? In this free guide, Eric shares the six common saboteurs that quietly derail our best intentions—like autopilot behavior, self-doubt, and emotional escapism—and offers practical strategies to help you regain control and move forward. Download your free copy at oneyoufeed.net/e

Are you playing a game you actually want to win? In this episode, Seth Godin explores how to make intentional choices about the life you’re building—and recognize when someone else’s definition of success is steering you off course. Drawing on his book, This Is Strategy, Seth shares why chasing more can distract us from what matters, how the systems around us shape our behavior, and why a disappointing outcome doesn’t necessarily mean we made a bad decision. Good Wolf RemindersA little wisdom, right when you need it. Start receiving free text reminders designed to help you pause, reflect, and take meaningful action. Sign up at oneyoufeed.net/sms. Key Takeaways: Why strategy matters in everyday life, beyond business and career goals How to recognize the systems shaping your choices—and find opportunities to act differently Why measuring the wrong things can pull you away from the change you want to make How to shift your attention from achieving more to doing work that matters The dif

In this episode, John Miles explores the mattering effect and how to find your way back to meaning and connection when you feel invisible in your own life. Drawing on his experience of achieving career success while feeling increasingly disconnected, John explains how we can slowly lose our sense of worth when life becomes a constant effort to prove our value. He also discusses how to recognize that gradual withdrawal, reconnect with the meaning in everyday actions, and make more room for relationships that help us feel seen. This conversation offers a starting point for anyone who’s getting things done but struggling to feel fully present in the life they’re living. Good Wolf RemindersA little wisdom, right when you need it. Start receiving free text reminders designed to help you pause, reflect, and take meaningful action. Sign up at oneyoufeed.net/sms. Key Takeaways: Why feeling like you matter involves both feeling valued and knowing you make a difference How the “slow fade” can leave you physica

In this episode, Mariana Alessandri explores how to stop feeling bad about feeling bad, and why difficult emotions don’t mean there is something wrong with you. Drawing from her book, Night Vision: Seeing Ourselves Through Dark Moods, she discusses how the pressure to stay positive adds shame to pain, what it means to be on your own side, and how to support someone who’s struggling without trying to cheer them up. This conversation offers a more compassionate way to understand your emotions and feel less alone in them. Feeling overwhelmed in your life? Check out ⁠⁠Overwhelm is Optional ⁠⁠— a 4-week email course that helps you feel calmer and more grounded without needing to do less. In under 10 minutes a day, you’ll learn simple mindset shifts (called “Still Points”) you can use right inside the life you already have. ⁠⁠Sign up here for only $29!⁠ Key Takeaways: How judging yourself for difficult emotions adds another layer of suffering Why the pressure to “choose happiness” can leave

In this episode, Cory Allen explores how to find calm when life won’t slow down and the pressure to keep doing more feels constant. Drawing from his new book, The Quiet Age, Cory shares how the tension we carry shapes our experience and why low moods can tell convincing lies about our self-worth. He also discusses letting go without giving up, making room for rest, and recognizing that a thought can feel real without being true. This conversation offers practical ways to meet difficult moments with greater clarity and find space to breathe within the life you already have. Feeling overwhelmed in your life? Check out ⁠⁠Overwhelm is Optional ⁠⁠— a 4-week email course that helps you feel calmer and more grounded without needing to do less. In under 10 minutes a day, you’ll learn simple mindset shifts (called “Still Points”) you can use right inside the life you already have. ⁠⁠Sign up here for only $29!⁠ Key Takeaways: How to recognize the everyday tension that makes small frustrations feel

In this episode, Scott Stabile discusses how to be enough as you are and how to grow without shaming yourself. He explores how self-love and self-acceptance can support meaningful change, as well as how to practice self-compassion when it feels out of reach, recognize the small ways you already care for yourself, and loosen the grip of other people’s judgments. Drawing from his book Enough as You Are, Scott offers practical ways to build a more loving relationship with yourself, even when you’re struggling, making mistakes, or wishing you were further along. ⁠A Weekly Bite of Wisdom:⁠ Want to go deeper with the ideas we explore on The One You Feed? Every Wednesday, you’ll receive a short, practical email that turns insights about mental health, relationships, purpose, habits, and personal growth into simple practices you can use right away. You’ll also receive our Weekend Podcast Playlist that includes a recap of the week’s episodes with our featured guests. It’s free, takes about a minute to read, and

In this episode, Mark Nepo talks about how the words we use shape the way we experience our lives. Drawing on Mark’s new book The Language of the Soul, he explores how words can help us make room for pain and fear or make those experiences feel even bigger. Mark also discusses what it means to be wholehearted, why ordinary moments don’t have to feel extraordinary to matter, and how to return to a fuller sense of life when we’ve lost touch with it. A Weekly Bite of Wisdom: Want to go deeper with the ideas we explore on The One You Feed? Every Wednesday, you’ll receive a short, practical email that turns insights about mental health, relationships, purpose, habits, and personal growth into simple practices you can use right away. You’ll also receive our Weekend Podcast Playlist that includes a recap of the week’s episodes with our featured guests. It’s free, takes about a minute to read, and is enjoyed by thousands of readers each week. Sign up at oneyoufeed.net/newsletter. Key Takeaways: The wo

In this episode, Sari Botton discusses how to start a new chapter when you think it’s too late and explains what happens when the life you expected stops making sense. At 54, writer and editor Sari Botton struggled to get interviews for jobs she was qualified for and feared her career was over. Now, at 60, she’s doing some of her most fulfilling work. In this episode, Sari and Eric talk about the realities of getting older, how to tell what deserves acceptance and what’s worth pushing back against, and why an unexpected crossroads can still lead somewhere good. ⁠Free Guide: Outsmart the Hidden Saboteurs of Self-Control.⁠ What’s been holding you back lately? In this free guide, Eric shares the six common saboteurs that quietly derail our best intentions—like autopilot behavior, self-doubt, and emotional escapism—and offers practical strategies to help you regain control and move forward. Download your free copy at ⁠oneyoufeed.net/ebook.⁠ Key Takeaways: Getting older can bring loss and new possi

In this episode, Diane Shiffer, author of The Smallest of Joys, discusses how to find joy even when life is hard. She shares how small moments of beauty have helped her navigate anxiety, depression, grief, and uncertainty, and why joy and heartbreak don’t have to cancel each other out. Diane also explains her simple “sit and stare” practice, the freedom of accepting a seven-out-of-ten life, and how changing what we pay attention to can change the way we experience our lives. Free Guide: Outsmart the Hidden Saboteurs of Self-Control. What’s been holding you back lately? In this free guide, Eric shares the six common saboteurs that quietly derail our best intentions—like autopilot behavior, self-doubt, and emotional escapism—and offers practical strategies to help you regain control and move forward. Download your free copy at oneyoufeed.net/ebook. Key Takeaways: How to recognize and preserve the small moments that bring you joy Why pain and beauty can exist at the same time without diminishi

In this episode, Jonah Berger explains why we fight the changes we know we need. Jonah explains why pushing harder, piling on more reasons, or simply telling ourselves what we “should” do can actually create more resistance. Instead, he shares how identifying and removing the barriers to change can make transformation easier and more sustainable. They explore why small steps are often more effective than dramatic ones, how to work with our natural resistance, the hidden cost of staying with what’s “good enough,” and how the people around us quietly shape our choices. ⁠Good Wolf Reminders⁠ A little wisdom, right when you need it. Start receiving free text reminders designed to help you pause, reflect, and take meaningful action. Sign up at ⁠oneyoufeed.net/sms.⁠ Key Takeaways: Why pushing harder can actually make change more difficult How identifying barriers can make change easier Why giving ourselves choices reduces resistance How to turn a “should” into something we actually want to do Wh

In this episode, Dr. Marisa G. Franco explores why feeling insecure doesn’t mean you’re back at the beginning, and how real self-worth may come from learning to make room for every part of yourself. She and Eric discuss why old insecurities can return even after years of growth, how past experiences continue to shape our reactions in the present, and why intellectual insight isn’t always enough to change how we feel. Marisa explains what it means to become “secure-ish,” how acknowledging difficult emotions can help us regulate them, and why true security isn’t about never feeling anxious, rejected, or uncertain. It’s about trusting that we can meet those feelings when they arise. Good Wolf RemindersA little wisdom, right when you need it. Start receiving free text reminders designed to help you pause, reflect, and take meaningful action. Sign up at oneyoufeed.net/sms. Key Takeaways: Why feeling insecure doesn’t erase the progress you’ve already made How acknowledging difficult emotions helps us regul

In this episode, Allison Aubrey explores midlife reinvention and how to create your own script for what comes next. She shares why midlife can be less about winding down and more about rediscovering parts of ourselves that may have been set aside during years of work, parenting, and responsibility. Allison and Eric discuss moving from performance to play, working with fear and self-doubt, reconnecting with intuition, and finding a renewed sense of purpose. They also explore the surprising role dreams can play in revealing what we really want and how to close the gap between knowing what’s good for us and actually doing it. ⁠⁠A Weekly Bite of Wisdom:⁠⁠ Want to go deeper with the ideas we explore on The One You Feed? Every Wednesday, Eric shares a short, practical email that turns insights about mental health, relationships, purpose, habits, and personal growth into simple practices you can use right away. You’ll also receive our Weekend Podcast Playlist featuring a recap of the week’s episodes. It’s free

In this episode, Jim Kwik explores how the thoughts, habits, and choices we repeat each day shape who we become. He explains why we’re always training our brains—whether we’re practicing focus or distraction, resilience or avoidance—and how small, intentional actions can strengthen self-trust and create lasting change. Jim also shares why protecting the first moments of your morning matters, how to move beyond the impossible standard of work-life balance, and practical ways to train your attention, regulate your emotions, and create more harmony in your life. Feeling overwhelmed in your life? Check out ⁠⁠Overwhelm is Optional ⁠⁠— a 4-week email course that helps you feel calmer and more grounded without needing to do less. In under 10 minutes a day, you’ll learn simple mindset shifts (called “Still Points”) you can use right inside the life you already have. ⁠⁠Sign up here for only $29!⁠ Key Takeaways: How repeated thoughts and behaviors reshape the brain Why we become what we con

In this episode, Jane Ratcliffe explores how to accept what you can’t change without giving up. After a traumatic brain injury dramatically altered the course of her life, Jane spent years navigating debilitating symptoms while holding onto an enduring sense of hope, joy, and gratitude. She and Eric explore the complicated balance between accepting reality and continuing to fight for change, why being “okay” can sometimes keep us from asking for the help we need, and how self-forgiveness, imagination, and a deeper sense of interconnectedness can help us live with what we cannot fix. Jane’s story offers a moving reminder that acceptance doesn’t have to mean surrender—and that even in the midst of difficulty, there can still be room for beauty, connection, and hope. ⁠A Weekly Bite of Wisdom:⁠ Want to go deeper with the ideas we explore on The One You Feed? Every Wednesday, Eric shares a short, practical email that turns insights about mental health, relationships, purpose, habits, and personal growth into

In this episode, Elizabeth Dunn and Jiaying Zhao discuss the surprising choices that can make you happier and help the planet at the same time. Drawing on research in happiness, behavior change, and climate science, they challenge the idea that climate action has to mean guilt, sacrifice, or giving up everything you enjoy. They explain how to find the “sweet spot” where choices that reduce carbon emissions also improve well-being, whether that means rethinking what you eat, buy, or how you travel. They also reveal why some of the actions we focus on most may have less impact than we think, how our everyday choices influence the people around us, and why choosing one meaningful change you actually enjoy may be far more powerful than trying to change everything at once. Their new book is Leave the Lights On: How Joyful Decisions Can Save Our Species A Weekly Bite of Wisdom: Want to go deeper with the ideas we explore on The One You Feed? Every Wednesday, Eric shares a short, practical email that turn

In this episode, Pádraig Ó Tuama explores how to find wisdom in the things you’re struggling with by looking more closely at the emotions, desires, and stories beneath our experiences. He and Eric discuss why fear and anger often point to deeper needs, how to stay present with difficult emotions without becoming consumed by them, and why some lessons simply can’t be rushed. Pádraig also shares insights on belonging, the stories that shape our identities, and what healthy communities can teach us about questioning our beliefs. Along the way, they explore poetry, prayer, desire, and how paying closer attention to what’s happening within and around us can help us meet life with greater curiosity and openness. Free Guide: Outsmart the Hidden Saboteurs of Self-Control. What’s been holding you back lately? In this free guide, Eric shares the six common saboteurs that quietly derail our best intentions—like autopilot behavior, self-doubt, and emotional escapism—and offers practical strategies to help you regai

In this episode, David Gandelman explores how to tell the difference between intuition and anxiety and why learning to trust your inner voice requires more than simply “going with your gut.” David discusses how fear, desire, and resistance can masquerade as intuition, and why genuine intuition is something we develop through practice. He also explores how meditation can help us reclaim energy lost to rumination and worry, the tension between comfort and growth, and why acceptance isn’t a switch we flip but a process of working through what’s actually here. Free Guide: Outsmart the Hidden Saboteurs of Self-Control. What’s been holding you back lately? In this free guide, Eric shares the six common saboteurs that quietly derail our best intentions—like autopilot behavior, self-doubt, and emotional escapism—and offers practical strategies to help you regain control and move forward. Download your free copy at oneyoufeed.net/ebook. Key Takeaways: Why negative thoughts can be so seductive—and how

In this episode, Leslie John explores why you should say the thing you’re afraid to say and how opening up can strengthen trust, deepen relationships, and improve our well-being. She explains why we’re often biased toward keeping things to ourselves, the hidden costs of holding back, and how to decide when sharing is worth the risk. Leslie also shares practical ways to become more aware of what we’re not saying, navigate difficult conversations, and reveal more of ourselves without crossing the line into sharing something we might regret. Good Wolf Reminders: A little wisdom, right when you need it. Start receiving free text reminders designed to help you pause, reflect, and take meaningful action. Sign up at ⁠oneyoufeed.net/sms.⁠ Key Takeaways: Why we often default to holding back without realizing it How opening up can build trust and deepen connection The hidden emotional and mental costs of keeping things to yourself Why we tend to overestimate the risks of saying what we really think or