Finding the Throughline with Kate Hanley

This week, I’m doing something new–sharing the handful of things right now that I am loving so much that I find myself talking about them with friends and family. So I figured, why not share them with you, too?  Today’s current obsession is a show–but it’s not any show. It’s a show that models body acceptance and celebrates bodies of all sizes. I’ve been watching it with my daughter and I can feel...

We’ve all been there–we had the whole day open to do as we pleased, and we had all these things we wanted to get done, but by the time 5 oclock rolls around, we haven’t done squat.  Today’s episode is about how to avoid frittering away the day.  And today’s episode is inspired by a listener question. Hooray! If you have a question or quandary you’d like me to address on a future episode, email me...

The dumb little things you have to do repeatedly can eat up your time and drag your energy down. Since this week is all about ways to take better care of the intersection of time, energy, and happiness, finding solutions for these minor aggravations is the subject of today’s episode.  I don’t know about you, but I find teeny little changes ridiculously exciting, which means I’m ridiculously excite...

Today I’m talking with Dr. Cassie Holmes, professor at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management, social psychologist who researches the intersection of time and happiness, and who teaches a wildly popular MBA class on how to change the way you think about time in order to boost happiness. She generously shares her evidence-based strategies for changing your approach to time and making more space for t...

When you’re cracking open your planner, or opening up your digital calendar (I use both)--here’s what we tend to do: put in the things we have to do first. Things like commute, work, have this meeting or this appointment. And then we try to squeeze in everything else around it–things like, do something with friends, exercise, read, do our hobbies. All those things make us who we are and add enjoym...

Time isn’t just this tangible thing that you can parcel out and have it behave in predictable ways. So let’s stop trying to make it our b-i-t-c-h, whaddya say?  The thing is, when you are feeling good and in a groove, mentally, physically, and spiritually, you cut through tasks like a hot knife through butter. It’s better, then, to stop trying to manage your time, and focus instead of managing you...

A big reason we make plans is to stave off stress–if you know what’s happening when, it gives you a feeling of control and helps you know that you’re doing the things that you need and want to do. And there’s a certain type of planning can also make you significantly happier, and not the kind of satisfaction that comes from having all your ducks in a row, but actual happiness that recharges your c...

If planning is so great–and because I’m devoting a week of episodes to it, I think it’s clear that I do believe in the power of planning–what do you do when plans change? Does that mean all your effort is wasted?  That’s what we’re talking about today. (I think we can all relate to dashed plans now that we’re in a post-COVID world.) This episode sponsored by:  Better Help Zapier Learn more about y...

Today, I'm interviewing planning expert Sarah Hart-Unger, host of the Best Laid Plans podcast. A self-described "compulsive list maker and life planner," Sarah's planning prowess has been honed through experience. In addition to Best Laid Plans, Sarah is also the co-host of the Best of Both Worlds podcast, with Laura Vanderkam; is a pediatric endocrinologist; has three kids; and is a daily blogger...

As great as planning is, it’s important to give yourself the space of having no plans on a regular basis.  John Lennon said life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans–planning for no plans means you’re just giving yourself some space for life to unfold without totally derailing what you had planned. (Plus, what NOT to do during this unplanned time.) Relevant blog post: Plan for No Pl...

This week I’m sharing ways to make planning less stressful and more happy-making.  Today’s big idea is that there’s a type of planning that most of us don’t even think to make room for on our calendars, but that can help us do our best thinking and ensure that we pay good attention to the things that matter most (and that tend to get drowned out in a typical day). It’s called the Shultz Hour–liste...

Insomnia tends to follow two basic patterns–difficulty getting to sleep, and difficulty staying asleep. Today’s episode is for the folks in the second camp, who wake up in the middle of the night and have a hard time getting back to sleep.  I have several strategies to share that you can use to help you get the rest of your z’s.  This episode sponsored by:  Zapier Nutrafol promo code “BETTER” Lear...

Today’s episode is for anyone who’s insomnia style of choice is to wake up in the middle of the night and have problems getting back to sleep.  I have really interesting and, ultimately, good news for you. Humans have only been sleeping straight through the night as a matter of general practice since the Industrial Revolution. Before that, it was customary to be up for an hour or so in the middle...

I recently discovered something that helps me sleep better every time and it’s something you don’t often hear about. And that is turning off–or moving–your WiFi router before you go to bed. Call me crazy if you must, but I swear that WiFi keeps me awake! Maybe I’m just an environmentally-sensitive oddball… but maybe, you are two. I have an experiment for you to try, just to see if electromagnetic...

A good night’s sleep can feel elusive when you’re in the grip of insomnia. There are some very fundamental things that can you can do before bed that will help change your sleep story and get the rest you’re craving. Come learn both the what and the why of the key ingredients for sleep.  This episode sponsored by:  Zapier Nutrafol promo code “BETTER” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megapho...

All your basic advice on sleeping better starts with developing a bedtime routine, which is a great thing to have (and one I talk about on tomorrow’s episode). BUT, good sleep starts much earlier in the day than bedtime. In fact, it starts as soon as you wake up.  Listen in and discover the things you can do during the day that will help you get the rest you need at night.  This episode sponsored...

One criteria I had for this week’s grab-and-go breakfasts is that they do not involve dirtying a pan during the morning hustle. Which rules out eggs, right? Wrong. This is a cooking method for ‘fried’ eggs popularized by Mark Bittman that is going to crack breakfast wide open (I could not resist the pun).  Charity, whom I interviewed two episodes, has another mind-bending no-pan-dirtying way to co...

You probably are already aware of parfaits as a breakfast option. But did you know that you can pack them to go??? I’ve got a story, plus how to make them delicious without being a total sugar bomb, as, let’s face it, most parfaits are.  What’s your favorite easy/tasty/healthy breakfast? Tell me at kate@katehanley.com and I’ll share it on a future episode! This episode sponsored by: Zapier.com Lea...

Mornings are hectic. People are grumpy. And there’s breakfast to be had. Today I’m interviewing Charity Mathews of Foodlets.com and author of numerous cookbooks for kids about her best tips for making breakfast drama-free. (She shares a recipe that involves the microwave that blew my mind.) Charity’s website Foodlets on Instagram Foodlets on Facebook Foodlets on Pinterest The Foodlets YouTube chan...

I admit I discovered chia pudding when I was on the ketogenic diet a few years ago and needed something to fill the dessert void. But chia pudding also makes an awesome breakfast, tastes kind of like rice pudding (and if you’re not into that texture, I’ve got a fix for you), provides heaps of fiber, protein, and omega-3 fatty acids, and keeps you pleasantly full for a few hours. PLUS, did I mentio...

My kids are starting school today. My new highschooler needs to be ready for the bus at 7am (WHY?). And my mind has been whirling on what we can do about making breakfast easier while still providing plenty of fuel for all the thinking and learning and social navigation. I’ve come up with four customizable grab-and-go nutritious and tasty breakfasts throughout this week.  Today’s breakfast is over...

We’ve all got stuff in our closet that we don’t wear, don’t like, maybe don’t even remember how it came to be ours. It might be tempting to just toss it into a dumpster and be done with it, or stick it in a bunch of trash bags and haul it to the local thrift store, but 57% of all donated items still end up in the landfill. Today I’m sharing how you can minimize the environmental impact of your unw...

Sure it’s fun to get a bargain when you’re clothes shopping, but the fashion industry–particularly fast fashion–is really tough on the environment. Today I’m sharing an environmentally friendly way to get great clothes for cheap (that DOESN’T involve supporting cheap clothing brands that exploit human and natural resources). AND, how spending more money for the rest of your clothes saves you–and t...

Once hailed as the material of the future, plastic has become a real problem for the planet--it uses fossil fuels to make, burning it or letting it decompose releases a lot of chemicals into the environment, and recycling it doesn't seem to be making much of a dent. Is it possible to reduce your plastic in a meaningful--and still doable--way? That's what I’m asking Stephanie Seferian, author of Su...

What do you do when you’re sick of what you’ve been wearing. OR, you’ve got something coming up where you want to look sharp. You go shopping, right!? Whee!! Well, yes, but you don’t need to leave the house to shop at the most environmentally sustainable place on the planet–AKA, your own closet.  ClosetMaid survey An article about the Movinga survey on percentage of clothes worn Average items of c...