The Awesome Human Podcast

If you feel overwhelmed with stress or stuck in a daily cycle of burnout, today’s episode will help. - Nataly shares tips and practices to help you better manage stress, set boundaries, and support yourself through challenges. She also talks with Kerri Palamara McGrath, MD, Director of the Center for Physician Well-Being at Mass General Hospital about ways Kerri practices self-care and supports he...

Do you experience a ton of anxiety around change? - That’s totally normal! Change is hard, even if it's good change. In this episode, Nataly shares insights into why change brings stress and anxiety and offers 3 science-backed practices -- plus a bonus idea! -- to help you find more ease through whatever change you're facing. - What you'll learn: How the brain reacts to change and w...

Do the words "well-being" and "work" sound like opposites to you? - They shouldn't! Nataly talks with Jen Fisher, Chief Well-Being Officer at Deloitte, about how to make well-being a realistic priority at work and strategies that individuals, teams, and organizations can use to help cultivate it. - What you'll learn: Specific strategies to help you set better boundari...

Is your brain constantly pulling you into worrying about the future? - In this episode, Nataly shares strategies you can use to help you focus your attention on the joy of the present moment without over-focusing on it being over or ruminating on what might go wrong in the future. - What you’ll learn:   How to practice the Lens of Gratitude to feel more joy in your day  An effective practice to us...

During this special Masterclass episode, Nataly and Erica offer strategies and practical tips to help you support yourself, your team, and your organization through the many challenges and changes of transitioning to the post-pandemic world of work. - They cover:   Specific actions that leaders and HR professionals can do to support employees’ emotional and mental health.   Tips and rituals for ma...

Are you having trouble getting motivated? - This is an awesome episode for you! Nataly shares the science of temporal landmarks and “fresh starts” and how you can use it to help you get motivated to achieve meaningful goals. - What you’ll learn: Research about how “fresh starts” can boost our motivation The 4 steps to help you use the power of “fresh starts” to get motivated to achieve a goal How...

Do you want to learn what foods can help reduce stress and anxiety? - In this episode, Nataly interviews Uma Naidoo, MD, author of Your Brain On Food, psychiatrist, nutritional expert, and professional chef! They talk about what foods to eat to help feel less stressed and anxious, how to substitute healthier treats when you have sugar cravings, and why water is so essential for emotional health an...

Do you get stuck in an endless cycle of worrying about the future or regretting what happened in the past? - In this episode, Nataly shares science-backed tips and strategies to help you interrupt the negative thought cycle, stop wasting your emotional energy, and better manage stress and anxiety. - What you’ll learn: How uncertainty affects the brain and causes it to make up worst-case scenarios...

Do you feel like you have to hide your feelings to be successful or loved? - Nataly talks with Melissa Bernstein, co-founder of Melissa & Doug toys and author of the newly released Lifelines: An Inspirational Journey from Profound Darkness to Radiant Light. Melissa opens up about her lifelong battle with depression, which she kept hidden from everyone while building a super-successful company...

Do you easily become overwhelmed when something goes wrong? - In this episode, Nataly shares how she practiced the emotional fitness skills of Acceptance, self-compassion, and Gratitude to keep her cool and stay focused during a recent challenge. She also offers some straight talk about how not indulging her inner critic actually helped her solve the problem -- instead of spinning out of control a...

Do you experience imposter syndrome or feel like you’re not good enough? - Then this episode is for you! Nataly interviews Suzanne Koven, primary care physician and writer in residence at Mass General Hospital and the author of Letter to a Young Female Physician. Suzanne’s insights about overcoming imposter syndrome are unique and powerful -- and often, unexpected. - What you’ll learn:  How to ide...

Are you stuck in the “I’ll be happy when...” cycle? - In this episode, Nataly shares the five powerful lessons she has learned about happiness. She shares research and simple practices to help you break free from the mental traps that keep you unhappy and teaches you how to find joy, meaning, and a sense of connection in the present moment -- how to shift from “I’ll be happy when…” to practicing h...

If you’re feeling isolated, lonely or just stuck feeling down, this episode will help. - Nataly talks with Andy Proctor, positive psychology expert and the host of More Happy Life podcast, about the powerful effect of human connection on your health and happiness.  Andy shares fascinating research and insights, how to practice small "bids for connection" even when you're busy, and a...

Do you have trouble turning off your brain even when you’re on vacation? - Do you feel like you should always be busy or you’re not being productive? - You’re not alone -- and today’s episode is for you. Nataly, a fellow workaholic, shares practical ways to put your working brain on pause and convincing research about why it’s important to prioritize rest (including why rest will actually make you...

Do you hold yourself back because you’re afraid of how people might judge you? - Are you afraid to share your thoughts openly at work? - In this episode, Nataly dives head first into realistic and powerful strategies to help you find the courage to be more authentic -- at work and outside of work. She shares her own journey to becoming more open and the practices she has learned to work through th...

How can you turn everyday experiences, including at work, into moments of meaning and connection? - The answer is through rituals. In this episode, Nataly talks with Erica Keswin, bestselling author of Rituals Roadmap: The Human Way to Transform Everyday Routines Into Workplace Magic, about creating meaningful yet simple rituals at work and how rituals can help us during times of challenge and unc...

Do you find yourself always worrying about the future? - Do you want to learn how to find more moments of joy and calm, even amidst challenges and uncertainty? - In this episode, Nataly shares how the Japanese concept of Ichigo Ichie can help you live more mindfully and find a sense of inner calm even when times are uncertain. While doing a quick painting on a Buddha board (which she talks through...

Is your self-doubt holding you back from living the life you want? - Then tune into this conversation between Nataly and Chris Brock, host of the Conversations on Living podcast, author, and a life-long student of mindfulness. Nataly and Chris talk about overcoming self-doubt, breaking free of stories that hold us back, and what it means to have courage (including why it has nothing to do with bei...

Do you feel guilty about taking time for yourself? - Are you burning out from being overcommitted and have a hard time setting boundaries? - In this episode, Nataly offers some straight talk and super-practical tips to help you bust through the guilt around self-care and make it a realistic part of your day, even if you’re really busy. As a recovering people-pleaser, she knows first-hand how hard...

Do you feel overwhelmed and stressed out when times are difficult? - Do you want to learn strategies to help you be more resilient during challenges? - In this episode, Nataly shares 5 science-backed skills and tangible, simple ways to practice them to boost your resilience during challenges and better manage your stress and overwhelm. She reveals her powerful definition of resilience (that has no...

Does your fear of rejection get in your way of giving your best to what’s meaningful to you? - Are you struggling with imposter syndrome? - Then this episode is for you! Nataly interviews Matthew Del Negro, actor, podcast host, and author of 10,000 NOs, about his experience in overcoming rejectiong, handling imposter syndrome, and tapping into his true sense of purpose to overcome self-doubt. - Wh...

Do you think you’re good at hiding your emotions from others? - Do you try to avoid dealing with your emotions when they feel too difficult or uncomfortable? - Join Nataly today as she explains why we, as human beings, are really good at sensing each other’s emotions and how they are written on your Emotional Whiteboard. Nataly talks about how not acknowledging your emotions risks causing unnecess...

Do you feel guilty about taking time to rest? - Does your brain have you convinced that taking breaks and resting is unproductive? - This episode will change your mind. Nataly interviews Alex Soojung-Kim Pung, a leading researcher on rest and author of Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less, who shares why rest increases productivity and creativity and how to get the most out of your break...

Do you often struggle with self-doubt and feeling like you’re not good enough? - In this powerful episode, Nataly shares research and powerful mindset shifts and practices to help you shift out of self-doubt and fuel your courage and emotional and mental energy to do what’s meaningful to you. This isn’t empty motivational talk, but a blueprint to help you edit your thoughts so you can work through...

What is the difference between having a positive mindset and toxic positivity? - And what can you do to adopt a positive mindset to help you struggle less through challenges you face? - A true positive mindset has nothing to do with always thinking only positive thoughts -- which is not possible and actually damaging to your emotional and mental health. It’s about shifting your mindset to look for...