The Wise Effort Show

Solitude is part of wellbeing. Alone time allows you to ponder good questions, explore creativity, and consider what it means to be a good human. In this episode, Stephen Batchelor, a former Buddhist monk, shares the art of solitude, what it means to be a secular Buddhist, the value of going against the stream, how to live an ethical life, and the intersection between Buddha and Socrates. Find som...

Creative Hopelessness is a powerful tool in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to increase motivation to change and evolve new behaviors. In this real play, Rikke Kjelgaard demonstrates the key questions you can ask yourself to start to get unstuck from unhelpful patterns. Related Resources Get enhanced show notes for this episode Become a Wise Effort Community member Sign up for my newslette...

Elisabet Lahti wants you to learn how to harness your power differently with embodied fortitude, gentleness, and determination. Sisu is a Finnish concept that refers to a unique blend of courage and tenacity, especially in the face of adversity. It’s an inner strength that helps you keep going under extreme pressure. In this episode, Elisabet shares her journey of Sisu, her 1500-mile run across Ne...

What is it like to be a child of war? How can we transform suffering with the power of compassion? In this episode, ACT psychologist Diana Hill interviews social worker and war refugee Dalya Sarkees about her experience growing up in 3 Iraqi wars, the trauma of finding a new identity in the US, and the inner and ancestral resources she leaned on to make the impossible possible. Many of us feel pow...

One of our biggest challenges in life is adapting to change. Brad Stulberg, author of the book Master of Change, believes we need to “Be in conversation with change instead of it happening to you. Set appropriate expectations and adjust them when necessary. Cultivate a rugged yet flexible sense of self.” In this episode, Diana and Brad explore how we can thrive amidst change by developing a more f...

Everything you do and feel occurs in a context. You are shaped by your learning history, your environment, other people, and you are continuously shaping the world around you. In this episode, Emily Sandoz shares how you can apply the ACT concepts of functional contextualism and interbehaviorism to build a juicier, richer, values-based life. Learn to resource yourself and thrive in whatever contex...

Many of us feel overwhelmed with current events, the tragedies in our world, and the business of our lives. In this episode, Diana offers two simple, evidence-based skills to practice when you are overwhelmed. Related Resources Get enhanced show notes for this episode Become a Wise Effort Community member Sign up for my newsletter Order my book, Wise Effort: How to Focus Your Genius Energy on What...

What do you want to do with this one wild and precious life? In this Wise Effort Together sneak peek, hear highlights from the upcoming 3-day event. What does it mean to you to care for your well-being, relationships, and the planet in ways that are wise, effective, and flexible? Related Resources Get enhanced show notes for this episode Become a Wise Effort Community member Sign up for my newslet...

If there’s one skill we all need to be practicing right now, it is acceptance. Acceptance is central to maintaining healthy relationships, making a behavior change, pursuing meaningful goals, and being at peace with yourself. But how do you do it? What does it look like? In this solo episode, Diana sits down with you to explore what acceptance means and what gets in the way of accepting. Diana sha...

We think a lot about changing our eating habits, drinking habits, and exercise habits. But what about our mental habits? If you are stuck in habits of self-criticism, avoidance, worrying, or resisting what is, you won’t get very far. In this replay of a favorite episode, Dr. Diana Hill takes a fresh perspective on habit change by exploring 5 science-backed mental habits that will make your life be...

Diana’s cleaning out her episode closet and sharing the best nuggets of wisdom from her favorite guests. Tune in to learn creative ways to apply principles of curiosity, flexibility, and wise action to your nervous system, your relationships, and beyond. Related Resources Get enhanced show notes for this episode Become a Wise Effort Community member Sign up for my newsletter Order my book, Wise Ef...

Anxiety is a double-edged sword. Anxious achievers are rewarded for their accomplishments and drive, but they can also get stuck in stress, worry, and impulsive doing. In this episode, Morra Aarons-Mele explores anxious achievement at work and parenting and offers tangible strategies to transform your anxiety into a superpower. Related Resources Get enhanced show notes for this episode Become a Wi...

The Eightfold Path includes eight practices of liberation and freedom from suffering. In this episode, Buddhist scholar and meditation teacher Gil Fronsdal presents each element of The Noble Eightfold Path and how it relates to our daily living. Diana Hill shares the intersection between these practices and ACT and how together they support the development of wisdom. Related Resources Get enhanced...

Many of us spend a lot of time feeling self-conscious and comparing ourselves to others. Why do we judge ourselves so relentlessly? Why do we strive so hard to be special or successful or to avoid feeling rejected? In this episode, Dr. Ron Siegel shares why we get caught in the habit of endless self-evaluation and how to break it. You will learn to step back from obsessing so much about how you me...

Many working parents feel that they aren’t doing a good enough job in any of the roles they fill. Instead of trying to get rid of parental guilt, in this real play, Dr. Diana Hill works with psychologist Dr. Emma Waddington to get more psychologically flexible with it. Diana will demonstrate each of the core processes of ACT and then debrief the role play and explore which interventions had the bi...

Practicing yoga can help us become kinder to ourselves, more aware of our thoughts and actions, and more present in parenting. In this episode, world-renowned yoga teacher Sarah Ezrin guides us in applying the principles of yoga to become a more flexible, open-hearted, and balanced parent. You will practice six yoga poses to support rest, strength, stability, and trust in your parenting and learn...

Diana Hill sits down for tea with Brother Phap Huu in the hermitage of the Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. They explore engaged Buddhism, teenagers and phone use, the concept of inter-being, the power of intention, and how to rest in our modern-day busyness. Related Resources Get enhanced show notes for this episode Become a Wise Effort Community member Sign up for my newsletter Order my book, Wise Ef...

Back from a family retreat at Plum Village Monastery, Dr. Diana Hill shares the top 6 lessons she learned. You don’t have to go to a monastery to find peace of mind because, as Thich Nhat Hanh teaches, “Happiness is here and now.” In this episode, Diana offers you practices to wake up, engage with the world more mindfully, and find a little more space in your day to enjoy your life. Related Resour...

Dr. Jud Brewer started off curious, and he continues to apply that curiosity in all that he does as a mindfulness researcher, psychiatrist, and writer. In this episode, Diana Hill explores Dr. Jud’s career path and uncovers the key mindsets he applied to keep his work meaningful and interesting. Listen in to learn how the power of wise effort, interest curiosity, and kindness can transform your ca...

When you are perfectionistic and productive, you might get praise from others, or feel like you have control in your life. But there are negative side effects to your rigidity and drive, like burnout or missing out on the life you really want. In this real play, Rhonda Merwin shows us how to do a functional analysis of your behavior to learn what is driving it and how to use attunement, flexibilit...

Shantum Seth is a dharma teacher ordained by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, who leads pilgrimages in the footsteps of the Buddha. In this episode, Shantum Seth shares about the power of spiritual pilgrimage, how to bring compassion into our everyday life, the ethics of the Eightfold Path, and how to cultivate moments of awakening. Related Resources Get enhanced show notes for this episode Become a Wi...

This real play is like stepping into a therapy room with Dr. Diana Hill. Diana demonstrates how to view your problems as an interconnected network of biological, sociocultural, and psychological factors. The DSM is limited when it comes to looking at the complexity of human beings. It lacks individualization, tends to medicalize your problems, overemphasizes symptom reduction, and does not guide w...

Want less drain and more love in your long-term relationship? Becoming psychologically flexible with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy can help you get present, refocus on your relationship values, and find deeper connection. In this conversation, Dr. Diana Hill and Dr. Russ Harris explore five things that drain your relationship, the traps of being right and blaming, a powerful skill to ground yo...

Internal Family Systems (IFS) is an evidence-based therapy that helps you transform and heal your wounded and protective parts. In this “real play,” Dr. Richard Schwartz demonstrates IFS on Diana Hill’s “binger” and “restrictor” parts. He guides Diana in separating and dialoguing with her inner parts and helps her respond with compassionate and courageous self-leadership. They then unpack and debr...

According to Dr. Shelly Harrell, soulfulness is a healing, transformative depth of experience that brings us into our interconnected presence. In this special Juneteenth episode, Diana and Dr. Harrell explore the wisdom of African-centered traditions that bring us a more soulful way of living. Dr. Harell shares how she came to soulfulness, the relationship between mindfulness and soulfulness and t...