Walk and Talk

Dr. Tayyab Rashid shares how he started in the space of positive psychotherapy. He delves into the importance of focusing on the good of a person, whilst acknowledging pain and suffering. Tayyab sees himself as a story curator, so join Sue and Tayyab to listen to what inspires him and the experiences he has to share.

In this episode, Sue discusses the difference between global evaluation of wellbeing and daily states of wellbeing. Join Sue as she reflects on a study that helps explain why results from the two evaluations may differ and what this means for all of us.

Andrew Digby is a conservation biologist based in New Zealand, focusing on protecting two endangered birds; the Kākāpō and the Takahe. Listen along to this intriguing session as Andrew explains his journey, what and who is involved in his role and how what he does links to his own wellbeing, and potentially ours! Follow more of Andrew's work on Twitter @takapodigs and https://www.doc.govt.nz/kakap...

Professor Felicia Huppert shares how her love of learning and curiosity led her to the life of research. Sue and Felicia talk about the significance of context and relationships when looking at global policy, and the differences between countries when looking at their wellbeing profile, even though they might have the same satisfaction with life scores. Listen along to learn more about global well...

Listen along as Sue delves into research which aims to replicate Ellen Langer’s Counterclockwise study from 1979, though include longitudinal results. Join Sue as she discusses the possible implications of this research around the language we use and the rules we play by.

Join Sue and David Laws as they discuss the value of traveling the world and the importance of taking action on our dreams, such as painting and writing his book. David shares his view of quantum physics and his experience at a   medical training weekend where he observed and experienced how the power of thought is an example of quantum physics in action. David also talks about his innov...

Ilona Boniwell discusses her recent research, which has focused on positive psychology and positive psychology coaching in the workplace. Ilona shares how she became one of the European leaders in positive psychology and how she started the European Network of Positive Psychology (ENPP). Ilona also outlines some of the strategies she uses for her wellbeing and the importance of balance between a p...

Join Sue and Kelvyn as they discuss Kelvyn’s journey into leadership development. They delve into the importance of travel and the impact it has had on their lives.   Kelvyn explains the challenges with cultural differences and language barriers when working overseas. Listen along to learn more about the significance of self-awareness, implementing necessary boundaries and work and life...

Professor Dianne Vella-Brodrick’s body of work is focused on ensuring wellbeing programmes are tangible, engaging and personalised. In our intriguing chat, we explored the fascinating area of biofeedback and the use of technology and wearable devices to track emotional and physiological responses. Listen along and gain valuable insight into her holistic approach to research and be inspired by the...

Sue delves deeper into the importance and impact of language and wellbeing literacy. Sue walks through a research paper that explored how to use language as a lever for population wellbeing. Language changes the way we perceive the world and has an influence on our experiences. Listen along to hear the findings and how to apply this in our everyday lives.

Join Sue and Tania as they delve into how emotional intelligence (using the MSCEIT) has been linked to wisdom – the importance of being able to make wise decisions. How does emotional regulation impact our ability to make wise decisions and how does what we know about the brain link to this? How does this knowledge impact leaders and how they prioritise? Listen along to learn more about...

Dr Kim Cameron's extensive research on organisational virtuousness, effectiveness, quality culture and the development of leadership excellence has been published in more than 130 academic articles and 15 scholarly books. Join in on our enlightening conversation surrounding the fact that humans have an inherent tendency towards the positive. We practice the heliotropic effect of pulling towards li...

Join Sue as she delves into the topic of societal emotional environments. Sue looks at a study conducted in 49 countries to understand how the expression of negative or positive emotions impacts life satisfaction and wellbeing within individuals and society as a whole. Listen along as Sue discusses the findings and how they link to other research.

Join Sue and Stuart as they discuss the importance of creating meaning for leaders, to ensure a positive climate for the team. They look at how processes and systems only get us so far, the rest is in how we show up and how we understand others. Stuart delves into the reasons behind why he uses horses to develop emotional intelligence and increase awareness of those around us. Listen along to lear...

Dr Caitlin Cowan is an NHMRC fellow at the University of Sydney whose research aims to enhance our understanding of the interactions between the brain, the gut, and the microbes within. In this informative chat, Sue and Caitlin explore this fascinating topic and shed light on what science tells us about how these wonderful creatures impact our thoughts, feelings, and behaviours! What is the link b...

Our podcast this week explores recent research on reciprocity and capitalisation.  How you respond to others influences their intentions around future capitalisation towards you?  Listen in and assess how your enthusiastic responses influence your relationships as Sue explores a study the manipulates active constructive and active destruction responding and the quality of wellbeing – inc...

Join Sue and Scott as they discuss different ways to flourish. Scott reflects on his journey of incorporating positive psychology in a global, corporate role and the impact this had on his colleagues. Listen along as Sue and Scott identify what has helped people flourish through covid and what activities can be done to stretch and grow our psychological richness.

Dr Todd B. Kashdan is a Professor of Psychology at George Mason University and a leading authority on wellbeing, curiosity, psychological flexibility, and resilience. During this conversation, Todd shared his thoughts on intriguing themes including education, social pressures, and the need to push boundaries. How much weight should we be placing on university or academic degrees? What is the link...

Dr Alex Linley is globally recognised as an expert in strengths. In this heart-warming and informative chat, Sue and Alex discuss the philosophy behind various strengths profile assessments and shed light on the fundamental need for a dynamic and flexible approach to strengths spotting. The pairs shared enthusiasm for an evidence-based application of strengths interventions shines through as they...

This week’s podcast explores a fascinating paper on collective wellbeing and post-traumatic growth during Covid19. It reveals only 1% of research has been based on positive outcomes such as strengths spotting, energising leadership, increased awareness, gratitude, and community. Sue focuses on opportunities to implement positive psychology tools and the intentional use of language. How can wellbei...

Join Sue and Tania as they ponder the role of nostalgia. Tania reflects on her personal experiences and the bittersweet nature of this emotion. Nostalgia allows us to savour moments from our past, which can create feelings of loss or sadness whilst simultaneously leading to gratitude and optimism about the future. Through awareness of our response to nostalgia, we can assign positive meaning. List...

In this intriguing chat, Sue discusses language and life with an expert in the field. Without a linguistic frame of reference, how do we make sense of emotions and experiences? Sue and Tim decipher the importance of language in the conceptual mapping of our wellbeing and share insight into the need for more cross-cultural inclusion and global perspectives in positive psychology.  

Join Sue and Tania for reflections surrounding the fascinating themes of perception and curiosity. The pair discuss a multi-national research paper that reveals it is the perceived level of access to support that alters an individuals’ level of wellbeing rather than the actual level of care they may receive. How do gratitude, trust and appreciation change our perception, and, in turn, what is the...

How can we get our brain neurons firing and reignite our wellbeing habits as the holiday season comes to an end? Join Sue and Tania as they reconnect and discuss the research behind their daily ‘Ta-Da’ list activities - intentional bite-size practices that support your goals and align with your values. From juggling and gratitude journaling to language apps and burpees – listen along and be inspir...

Throughout her flourishing career, Denise has taught globally on strengths-focused leadership, resilience, and positive psychology. In this episode she shares her insights with Sue in an equally candid and considered chat. They touch on various concepts, including psychological safety, ruthless prioritisation, self-compassion, and radical acceptance.