The Plant Yourself Podcast

Thoughts on the episode? Let us know. One of the hot trends in behavior modification is gamification: that is, turning our goals and activities into behavioral chunks in order to win points and, sometimes, prizes. Gamification has its place, but there are a couple of pitfalls to watch out for. How best to gamify, and when not to - these are the subjects of today's podcast. Click to subscribe...

Thoughts on the episode? Let us know. Often a coaching client will end a session by saying, "Wish me luck" after setting a goal and making a plan to achieve it. In health coaching, this phrase is a huge red flag that the client is going to fail. Click to subscribe to the Mindset Mastery Memo. Support the show

Thoughts on the episode? Let us know. What's the most important dietary rule? Is raw better than cooked food? Why shouldn't I always avoid foods that give me an upset stomach? This conversation with Dr Will Bulsiewicz, author of the just-published Fiber Fueled, will make you rethink everything you know about the link between diet and health. Click to subscribe to the Mindset Mastery Memo...

Thoughts on the episode? Let us know. Sometimes I hear from clients that they've done all they can, and they can't move the needle. They're stuck. They've hit a plateau. And there's simply nothing more to be done. What do we do then?=============================================Tip Jar: https://plantyourself.com/giftGet Coached: https://plantyourself.com/laserBecome a Healt...

Thoughts on the episode? Let us know. Say you want to stop eating junk food, or drinking soda, or watching porn, or whatever. Maybe you've read a motivating article or seen a video, or gotten a scary medical result, or just got fed up at your current reality. So you set an intention, and then… you end up doing the same thing again. And again. Click to subscribe to the Mindset Mastery Memo. Su...

Thoughts on the episode? Let us know. Lots of us are moving less during this stay-at-home time. But we're often eating just as much, or more, or more frequently, or worse. It's easy to say, "Just eat less," but it's not that easy to do. In this short episode, I share three strategies for reducing caloric intake without feeling deprived. Click to subscribe to the Mindset Ma...

Thoughts on the episode? Let us know. Will Bonsall is a self-described "back-to-the-land hippie homesteader," and author of two extremely important and prescient books: Will Bonsall's Essential Guide to Radical Self-Reliant Gardening, and Through the Eyes of a Stranger, an adventure novel that explores what a sustainable society might look like following what he calls "the cala...

Thoughts on the episode? Let us know. In the Jewish tradition, we say "Blessed is the righteous judge" upon hearing of a death. That's pretty much the opposite of how we may feel at that moment. We'd rather lash out at the unfairness of it, rather than praising the deity that ordained the death. So that incantation gives us the space to choose a response, rather than be jerked...

Thoughts on the episode? Let us know. Meditation apps have become a huge market. Headspace, Calm, 10% Happier, Insight Timer, and others promise stress relief, better health, and even spiritual contentment to users. Gregory Price Grieve, professor of religion at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, studies the nexus of spirituality and digital media. He recently published an article tit...

Thoughts on the episode? Let us know. Michael Schwarz is the founder of Treeline Cheese, a plant-based cheese company dedicated to ending the suffering caused by the animal-based dairy industry. He's also the child of one of the great heroes of the South African anti-apartheid struggle, Harry Schwarz. In our conversation, we try to connect the dots between political activism and vegan cheesem...

Thoughts on the episode? Let us know. One of the factors that weakens any system - a garden, a community, a nation - is lack of diversity. Monocultures provide economies of scale, but also opportunities for scaled disaster. A messy, diverse ecosystem is far healthier and more resilient. Today I talk about how we support diversity in our garden, and why the messiness and inefficiency is more than c...

Thoughts on the episode? Let us know. Today I talk about one element of my gardening practice and philosophy: working with, rather than against nature. This includes growing perennials, mulching with wood chips, and refraining from unnecessary tilling. Click to subscribe to the Mindset Mastery Memo. Support the show

Thoughts on the episode? Let us know. Those of us in one kind or another of "limbo" - life, career, relationship - are all facing the same question: what do we do with our time and energy right now to support our future? When the future is so uncertain, our old "default" answers can feel insufficient. Today I talk about my own "investment philosophy" with regard to ti...

Thoughts on the episode? Let us know. Some of us have had more time for self-care over the past few weeks than we even know what to do with. And we're loving it. How can we take advantage of this time to make ourselves, our families, our communities, and our societies healthier and more compassionate? Click to subscribe to the Mindset Mastery Memo. Support the show

Thoughts on the episode? Let us know. How we got home from South Africa. (Not particularly interesting; just an update for folks who've been listening for the past two weeks and were wondering what happened to us.)Returning tomorrow with a clear and rested head, for all new daily episodes. Click to subscribe to the Mindset Mastery Memo. Support the show

Thoughts on the episode? Let us know. We may be going home tomorrow. There are dozens of unknowns, and we have little to no control over any of them. I'll stay in touch as I can! Click to subscribe to the Mindset Mastery Memo. Support the show

Thoughts on the episode? Let us know. In tough times, you might expect people to hunker down and hoard what's theirs. We see some of that these days, for sure. But we also see incredible displays of generosity. I personally am benefiting from the generosity of my listeners as I broadcast from lockdown in South Africa. Today I talk about how generosity benefits us as givers and receivers. Clic...

Thoughts on the episode? Let us know. People are comparing their experience of lockdown as an endless repetition of Goundhog Day, the 1993 Bill Murray movie about a man trapped in the same day over and over again. What I recall about that movie was, once Bill Murray's character makes peace with his situation, he uses it to better himself. Click to subscribe to the Mindset Mastery Memo. Suppor...

Thoughts on the episode? Let us know. In a world full of conspiracy theories, how can we know what to believe? We can't. But we can choose to adopt worldviews based on whether they empower us to help ourselves, others, and the world. Click to subscribe to the Mindset Mastery Memo. Support the show

Thoughts on the episode? Let us know. In these challenging times, we may think we have a lot of decisions to make. And we can agonize over those decisions and feel tremendous regret if they don't work out the way we hoped they would. But it's almost impossible to make rational decisions when the future is so unpredictable. Past experience doesn't provide a road map anymore. Instead...

Thoughts on the episode? Let us know. I'm very very constrained these days. Locked down in a foreign country with luggage for a 3-week vacation, with no light at the end of the tunnel. Crappy internet, little social contact outside my family, and beautiful hikes all around that I can't go on. And those same constraints also are providing opportunities for me to shake up my routines, inno...

Thoughts on the episode? Let us know. Many of us are bored right now, in lockdown or sheltering in place. We can paper over our boredom with mindless consumption, or we can use it to begin a process of profound healing. Click to subscribe to the Mindset Mastery Memo. Support the show

Thoughts on the episode? Let us know. Glenn Murphy returns to the podcast in the nick of time, to help understand, manage, and overcome stress reactions and symptoms in this time of fear, lockdown, and uncertainty. He shares an evolutionary perspective on why this pandemic produces stress responses unlike other typical stressors, and offers exercises, solutions, and mindsets to help us get through...

Thoughts on the episode? Let us know. It's easy for me (and I guess, a lot of us) to focus on the negative these days. I'm reminding myself daily to look for things to be grateful for - and finding them! Click to subscribe to the Mindset Mastery Memo. Support the show

Thoughts on the episode? Let us know. In these strange times, we have an opportunity to remember what is essential, and what is fluff. Who are we really, and how can we carry that realization forward once we attain a new equilibrium? Click to subscribe to the Mindset Mastery Memo. Support the show