Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe

Life By Design

Education EN ↓ 97 episodes

Welcome to Life by Design with Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe. This podcast is a space for real conversations about well-being, resilience, performance, leadership, and everyday life – and how the small choices you make each day shape the quality of your life. Living a big, beautiful life isn’t reserved for a select few; it’s built in the ordinary moments, the routines that ground us, the acts of self-care that restore us, and the intentional decisions that align us with what matters most. Each week, we take big ideas and turn them into practical habits, tools, and practices you can actually use. Tho...

Author

Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe

Category

Education

Podcast website

drrobyne.ca

Latest episode

Jul 8, 2026

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Episodes

Understanding Your Go-To Coping Strategies 20.08.2025

When stress or discomfort shows up, how do you respond? In this episode, Dr. Robyne breaks down four common coping strategies—escaping, avoiding, ignoring, and delaying—and reveals why every behavior serves a purpose. You’ll discover how to spot your own patterns, recognize whether they’re helping or hindering your well-being and long-term goals, and shift from autopilot to intentional action. Plu...

The Hidden Reasons Behind Self-Sabotage and What to Do About It 13.08.2025

In today’s episode, Dr. Robyne explores the surprising reasons why we sometimes get in our own way and limit our own success. From external pressures like Tall Poppy Syndrome , which can lead us to dim our light, to internal drivers like our need for control, she reveals how self-sabotaging behaviors often show up as protective responses to fear, judgment, and uncertainty. You’ll learn how to spot...

Why Self-Esteem Fluctuates and How to Anchor It Internally 06.08.2025

In this episode of Resiliency Redefined , Dr. Robyne explores how easily our self-esteem can become entangled with outside validation—and what it takes to return to a more grounded, steady sense of worth. She unpacks the difference between genuine and contingent self-esteem and examines the many ways we learn to measure our value. Dr. Robyne guides you through a process for recognizing when your s...

5 Guiding Principles for Real, Restorative Self-Care 30.07.2025

Self-care can feel hard in a world that rewards doing more, faster, and without rest. Between the pressure to push through and the endless noise about what self-care should look like, it’s easy to lose sight of what actually restores us.  In this episode, Dr. Robyne cuts through the confusion and challenges the myths surrounding self-care and recovery. She shares five guiding principles to help yo...

Accountability Starts with You 23.07.2025

In today’s episode, Dr. Robyne unpacks what it really means to hold ourselves—and others—accountable. She begins with the foundation of self-accountability: knowing your values, defining your personal “line,” and recognizing when you’re operating above or below it. Through relatable stories and honest reflection, she explores how clarity, integrity, and well-expressed expectations shape how we lea...

The Little Things Aren't So Little After All 16.07.2025

In this episode of Resiliency Redefined , Dr. Robyne invites us to pause and reflect on how we can slow down and make what matters most truly matter—even amidst the relentless busyness and pressures of everyday life. She unpacks societal expectations that can leave us feeling guilty, exhausted, or not “enough,” and offers gentle, practical ways to shift from chasing perfection to cultivating prese...

Finding Focus When the Noise Gets Loud 09.07.2025

Do you ever feel like the endless noise and negative self-talk are getting in the way of your success and well-being? In today’s episode, Dr. Robyne unpacks how unhelpful mental noise and repeated thought patterns can quietly shape our beliefs, energy, and sense of self. She explores how worry becomes background noise, why beliefs are often just well-worn thoughts, and how curiosity can loosen the...

How to Have a Difficult Conversation 02.07.2025

In this episode of Resiliency Redefined , Dr. Robyne shares a practical, grounded approach to navigating difficult conversations. She walks through what to consider before the conversation, how to stay clear and focused during it, and why communication rooted in intention and care can be not just productive, but relationship-building.  Whether you’re facing conflict at work or tackling a tough top...

The Truth About Happiness 25.06.2025

In this episode, Dr. Robyne explores the science behind happiness—what it is, what it’s not, and how much of it we can actually influence. She shares how our brain’s neurochemistry responds to small, daily actions, why the “arrival fallacy” keeps us chasing fulfillment that never quite lands, and how grief and joy can coexist. Through honest reflections and everyday strategies, Dr. Robyne invites...

Your Personal Permission Slip to Feel Well 18.06.2025

In this episode of Resiliency Redefined , Dr. Robyne explores the value of self-care in the midst of life’s chaos. She highlights the importance of matching your self-care with the type of rest and renewal you truly need—whether physical, emotional, or cognitive—and invites you to rethink the role of intuition in your daily life. She also offers a powerful reframe: instead of setting goals that le...

Self-Care When Life Feels Hard 11.06.2025

When life is calm, self-care can feel simple. But what happens when everything feels off track, heavy, or overwhelming? In this episode, Dr. Robyne walks you through the EASE framework as a roadmap to help simplify self-care during tough times. She shares practical and sustainable strategies for tending to your head, heart, and body without overcomplicating the process. This episode is a gentle re...

Why Self-Awareness Is More Than Knowing Your Flaws 04.06.2025

What does it really mean to be self-aware? In today’s episode, Dr. Robyne unpacks what it really means to see yourself clearly and kindly. She walks through the four archetypes of self-awareness, explains the difference between internal and external awareness, and shares why recognizing your strengths and what’s working well is just as important as noticing where there’s room to grow. You’ll also...

Sleep Strategies Made Simple 28.05.2025

How do you prepare your mind and body for rest? In this episode of Resiliency Redefined , Dr. Robyne is talking about sleep—an often-overlooked piece of well-being and performance. She explores how our morning habits, the way we wind down, and even what we do with our worries can dramatically impact the quality of our sleep. With practical insights and strategies, she shows how creating supportive...

Sleep: The Missing Piece of High Performance 21.05.2025

In this episode, Dr. Robyne dives into one of the most crucial foundations of our well-being, performance, and long-term success: sleep. While hustle culture glorifies 5 a.m. wake-ups and sleepless nights, research tells a different story—one where most adults need eight hours of quality sleep to truly operate at their best.  She explores the science behind the powerful processes that unfold while...

How Nature Soothes Our Weary Nervous Systems 14.05.2025

In this episode of Resiliency Redefined , Dr. Robyne explores the deeply restorative effects of nature on our mental health and overall well-being. She unpacks the science behind how stepping outside—and escaping a world of 90-degree angles—can lower stress hormones, boost mood, and spark creativity. From morning sunlight and birdsong to the calming rhythm of water and the mesmerizing patterns of...

The Four C's of Engagement 07.05.2025

In this episode, Dr. Robyne introduces the “Four C’s of Engagement”—Crashing, Coasting, Cruising, and Championing—as a practical model for understanding motivation and momentum in the workplace and beyond. She explores how each state impacts our resiliency and performance and offers targeted strategies for leaders to support engagement at every level—from urgent intervention and clear goal setting...

Small Practices, Big Impact: Habits That Transform Your Well-Being and Everyday Life 30.04.2025

This week on Resiliency Redefined , Dr. Robyne continues the conversation around habits—those small, repeated actions that quietly shape the quality of our lives. Inspired by listener questions, she explores why our habits matter so much and where to even begin when it feels overwhelming to make positive changes.  She introduces the concept of the “health hierarchy,” explaining how focusing on fou...

Your Habits Make Up the Quality of Your Life 23.04.2025

In today’s episode, Dr. Robyne dives deep into the science of habit formation—exploring why we do what we do and how to create change that actually sticks. She breaks down the ABC model of behavior, explains how habit stacking can unlock big changes, and highlights why your self-talk and environment may matter more than you realize. You'll learn practical, science-backed strategies to build habits...

Navigating Change: Why It Feels Hard and How We Adapt 16.04.2025

How do we get better at navigating change? In this episode, Dr. Robyne unpacks the psychology behind our reactions to change—why some of us resist it while others embrace it. She explores the impact of our personal history with change, the importance of acknowledging and addressing fear points, and the power of agency in navigating change seasons.  Whether you’re leading a team through uncertainty...

The Right Insight at the Right Time: Finding Your Unlock 09.04.2025

Have you ever had a moment where something just clicked—and suddenly, you saw everything differently? In this episode of Resiliency Redefined , Dr. Robyne dives into the power of unlocks and “aha” moments—those unexpected moments that shift our perspective, open new pathways, and allow us to move forward in ways we didn’t realize we needed.   With a mix of storytelling and science, she explores ho...

The Power of Reinvention: Stretching into New Possibilities 02.04.2025

In this episode, Dr. Robyne explores the powerful process of reinvention—how we evolve in our roles, careers, and identities, and what it takes to embrace change. Whether prompted by uncertainty, stress, or a deep longing for something more, reinvention challenges us to let go of the familiar and step into something greater. Dr. Robyne discusses why we tend to cling to the familiar, how reframing...

Championing Women's Success in the Workplace 26.03.2025

How do we truly support and advocate for women in professional spaces? In today’s episode of Resiliency Redefined , Dr. Robyne explores the challenges, biases, and structural barriers that women face in the workplace. She reflects on her personal experiences and highlights the power of storytelling in driving change. From mentorship and collaboration to the value of encouragement and workplace fle...

Breaking the Guilt Cycle and Rewriting the Rules of Self-Care for Women 19.03.2025

In this episode, Dr. Robyne explores the historical context of women’s roles in society and highlights the incredible strides women have made—while also shedding light on the weight of the invisible labor many still carry. She unpacks the deep-rooted guilt that often accompanies prioritizing oneself, challenges the notion of self-care as a luxury, and reframes it as an essential act of self-stewar...

Burnout Part 2: The Rest You Didn't Know You Needed 12.03.2025

In today’s episode, Dr. Robyne continues the conversation on burnout by diving into practical strategies for recovery. While sleep and physical rest are important, she highlights that true recovery goes beyond that. From emotional and social rest to productivity and spiritual rest, she shares science-backed ways to restore a weary nervous system.   Listen in to learn small but powerful practices t...

Burnout Part 1: The Curse of the Strong 05.03.2025

In this episode of Resiliency Redefined , Dr. Robyne sheds light on what burnout really is, why it happens, and how it affects us. She unpacks the three key signs—exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced efficacy—and explains how burnout isn’t about weakness; it’s often the curse of the strong. She also highlights that burnout isn’t only about long hours and heavy workloads—it's the time spent living and...

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