Finding the Throughline with Kate Hanley

Today I’m talking about an overall approach to life that helps keep your mind open and your brain sharp, now and well into the future.  And that attitude is to be a lifelong learner.  A lot of people think they can do their beloved crossword or sudoku and keep their brains strong. But what I’ve been learning by working on a book with my last guest, Dr. Heather Sandison, is that doing what you’ve a...

Today I'm interviewing Dr. Heather Sandison, who is the founder of the Solcere medical clinic and the residential elder care facility in Marama in Southern California–the first memory care facility to have the goal of returning its residents to independent living.  Heather is working on a book where she details her evidence-based approach--full disclosure, I am helping her write that book and as w...

A recent survey found that sixty-four percent of all Americans say that their biggest fear about growing older is that they will suffer from dementia. I share that fear! So this week I’m diving into some evidence-based strategies you and I and everyone can implement to take great care of those beautiful brains of ours, so that it can take care of us now and well into the future. Today are three of...

Remember how bewildering and awkward and silly puberty was?? Well, midlife is basically puberty in reverse. Huge hormonal shifts. The dawn of a new phase of life. A body you may or may not recognize. As the mother of a 14 year old daughter, I can see the similarities between us and you know what? A lot of it is awesome. Come find out why.  This episode sponsored by:  Better Help Learn more about y...

Thinking about today’s episode the lyric from “Landslide” keep running through my head: “Children get older and I’m getting older too.” Whew! Deep.  Today I’m talking to Meagan Francis, host of the podcast Mother of Reinvention, mom of 5 kids (who range in age from 13 - 25), somewhat recently divorced, self-employed since she was 25 years old, and no stranger to pivoting. I asked Meagan about how...

I’ve been talking to friends and hearing from listeners that a lot of you are pondering life changes–maybe it’s because the kids are grown, or just because it’s time to switch things up. Or maybe your hand is being forced because you’re dealing with some kind of health thing. The common theme I’ve detected is that it’s happening at midlife.  It has also been a time that has been shown time and tim...

Now that I’ve gotten to do a deep dive into everyone else’s planning process, I’m psyched to incorporate pieces from everyone’s approach into my own. I took last year off from planning–after the pandemic years, I just wasn’t in the mood, frankly. So this year, I’m feeling pumped and hope you are too. Today I’m sharing the details of what I’m doing, where and when, using what tools, and what I hope...

I don’t know about you but I just love hearing how different people go about their New Year’s planning, and today’s guest offers a totally cool and different take on the process. I’m talking with Kimothy Joy, an artist, mentor, and author of a series of really cool guided journal/organizer hybrids called “Focus Pocus.” Kimothy’s process helps you bring your heart in to the process, first, and then...

The New Year’s Plan Jam keeps rolling today with my interview with Jessica Tudos, a professional organizer and life designer who helps people who are multi-passionate (raising my own hand here) take good care of all the parts of their lives and all the things they care about.  This is my second time interviewing Jessica (she came on to talk about life admin earlier in the year) and this time I get...

Welcome to Day 2 of the first ever New Year’s Plan Jam. Today, I’m replaying an interview with Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, a New York City cardiologist who specializes in helping women take care of their hearts (because, after all, heart disease is the number one killer of women–take that, breast cancer).  While not an interview on New Year’s planning per se, Dr. Steinbaum shares a TON of great informa...

Welcome to the first ever New Year’s Plan Jam! This week, I’m interviewing four different types of experts and asking them to share their own personal New Year’s planning rituals and routines. (I’ll share my own on Friday, too.) First up is Sarah Hart-Unger, host of the Best Laid Plans podcast (who was on the show earlier this fall during the week on planning–and who was a big hit). Sarah is a pla...

You know how it can be so hard to wake up? Maybe it’s cold outside, you didn’t sleep great, you’ve got a lot of stuff to get done that day and you just don’t want to do it? But you drag yourself out of bed and get going but maybe never really shake off the sluggishness? Today’s self-care can help you feel more alive and strengthen your immune system. It also helps you sleep better. In ONLY 30 SECO...

You know how your energy can conk out in the afternoon? And you start craving something to perk you back up, and maybe something to distract you and keep you going for another couple hours until the work day is through? Today’s quick self-care tip is delicious, restorative, feels like a treat, and is so so good for you and can get you in some really lovely brain waves.  This episode sponsored by: ...

Your nervous system is an information super highway that dictates how stressed you feel, how well you’re sleeping and digesting, and whether you want to bite someone’s head off. Today I’ve got three easy ways for you to communicate with your nervous system and help it help you. No supplies needed.  This episode sponsored by:  Better Help Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoic...

When you’ve been sitting all day you feel it in your body–your neck and shoulders get tight, maybe you get a headache, you’re fatigued… blech. Today’s 5-minute self-care is something you can do that requires NO EFFORT and brings your body back into a better alignment that is also profoundly relaxing.  This episode sponsored by:  Better Help Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adch...

During this holiday hullabaloo, when it may feel like time is at a premium, I’m focusing on sharing EASY, FAST, and MEGA-POWERFUL ways to show yourself some TLC.  First up is something that refreshes your eyes, brain, and spirit and has even been shown to help patients recovering from surgery get out of the hospital faster and be less crabby to their nurses. No, seriously.  Study on benefits of a...

Anxiety is often the result of living in the future--thinking about what hasn’t happened yet, perhaps even dreading it. Of course, it’s not bad to think about the future--you do want to give thought to where you’re headed and planning is generally a pretty handy skill to have–BUT, like anything else, it can become a habit. Living in the future can become pretty uncomfortable because your body can’...

I’ve heard anxiety described as “excitement without breath,” Meaning, anxiety isn’t 100 percent bad. In fact, it’s often a sign that we are up to something big, or important. In today’s episode, I’m sharing a breathing technique that brings breath into the picture and helps you get out of that locked-up, stressed-out, worried state. It’s easy, and we’ll do it together so that you’ll have the muscl...

I’m re-airing an interview from December 2020 with Leigh Medeiros, a screenwriter and creativity coach who has lived with anxiety for over 30 years and is working on a memoir about how it’s affected her life.  You’ll hear some references to the height of the pandemic, but certainly, the things Leigh shares about understanding anxiety and learning to work with it skillfully still apply.  Leigh Mede...

You could spend most of the day and night worrying–and how unproductive and unpleasant is that?  Today I’m sharing how to put up some boundaries around your attention so that you set aside specific time and space for worrying–a technique I learned about from a 9-year-old.  This episode sponsored by:  Better Help Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I’m talking about anxiety. I mean, mid-December–‘tis the season, isn’t it? Lots to do, lots of expectations to manage, lots of opportunities to feel like your experience doesn’t match the cultural narrative of how the holidays are ‘supposed’ to be.  Sometimes anxiety is absolutely appropriate. But many times it isn’t a match for whatever it is you’re facing–it’s like using a chef’s knife...

This week I’ve been sharing new ways of thinking that can help you stay in a more positive place. And today I wanted to answer a listener question that relates to this idea, and offers a mindset hack to help.  Camille from Canada writes, “Lately I’ve realized that I spend a lot of time–too much time–and energy on worrying about other people. I love being a good friend and family member to others,...

I’m guessing that the voice you use to talk to yourself isn’t currently all that friendly or supportive. So today’s mindset hack is to try on a new inner voice. (My current fave? Dolly Parton! Or, my dog, if she could speak English).  This episode sponsored by:  Better Help Nutrafol promo code “BETTER” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A mode of thinking that can really keep us stuck in that place of feeling upset and down and small-minded is judgment, whether we’re judging other people, or judging ourselves.  So today I’m replaying an interview from 2020 that breaks down what judgment is, and how we can understand where it comes from so that we can work with it more skillfully. Here goes! Check out Suzanne’s website This episod...

How many times have you beaten yourself up for spending money or time on something that didn’t end up panning out? It’s easy to do, because we tend to think of time and money as zero sum games--once they’re gone, they’re gone, and they’re never coming back. Which is not actually true. So let’s break up the shame cycle that is all too often built into spending both money and time with a quick minds...