Learn with Sue - Walk and Talk: Recent Episodes
Sue Langley
Join Sue Langley for a new series of podcasts where Sue talks about the science of emotions and emotional intelligence, positive psychology and wellbeing, and neuroscience all based on science, research, and evidence. The podcasts will include chats with friends and colleagues as well as expert "In Conversation" discussions with amazing individuals from around the world.
Email Sue if you have any questions - questions@learnwithsue.com.au
Sue's websites
www.learnwithsue.com.au www.langleygroup.com.au www.langleygroupinstitute.com
Intro music - www.justinbreame.com
In this episode, Sue is thinking about strengths and would love to get you thinking about yours! Listen along as Sue reflects on her recent strengths sessions and how using her strengths made an incredibly long day one of her best days!
Glenn Flood works in the food industry, focusing on solving leadership and team issues to support the wellbeing of teams in hospitality. Glenn started as a chef and then worked on shows such as MasterChef Australia, assisting with the recruitment of the judges! Listen along to this episode where Sue and Glenn discuss hospitality and wellbeing!
Lindsay Oades is back to share his current research on wellbeing! Listen along to this episode where Sue and Lindsay talk about wellbeing models, wellbeing literacy and how to make it relevant to various populations.
Matt Henricks is the founder of the Helping Hands Programme and Water Works Programme, which are team-building and leadership workshops with a bigger purpose! Listen along as Sue and Matt delve into Matt's entrepreneurial journey and focus on the bigger picture!
For more information on the Helping Hands and Water Works programmes, please click here.
In this episode, Sue looks at assumptions and the impact these can have on our interactions, perspectives and more! Listen along as Sue reflects on her recent experiences with assumptions and what the research says!
Dr Sarah Pressman has been passionate about stress and wellbeing her whole life, well before she became a researcher. Listen along to this episode as Sue and Sarah talk about psychoneuroimmunology, the power of positive emotions and how these could be an antidote to stress!
Anne Riches started with a law degree, found her way into HR and then launched her own business in change, leadership and emotional intelligence! Listen along as Sue and Anne discuss Anne's journey in this space, including how Anne paved the way for looking at how people function through change in Australia and advocating for mental health!
As April is Stress Awareness Month, Sue looks at the different impacts of stress! Listen along as Sue discusses how we can embrace, manage and handle stress and pressure!
Lucy Airs is back to join Sue in this episode! Lucy is a coach who focuses on leadership and has been in the positive psychology space for over ten years! Listen along as Sue and Lucy discuss appreciative inquiry, positive psychology, horses and more!
Professor Lord Richard Layard started as a school teacher and then moved to the London School of Economics, where he has now been for 60 years! Listen along as Sue and Richard discuss the measurement of happiness and wellbeing!
Robert King is a chartered account with the tagline 'proud to be boring accountants', and has known Sue for 19 years! Listen along as Sue and Robert discuss what draws Robert to accounting and how he came up with his company tagline!
In this episode, Sue and Tania are reunited in London, discussing their current adventures attending a number of conferences over the last few weeks! Listen along as Sue and Tania delve into their experiences, learnings, and highlights!
Nikki Beaumont is the founder of Beaumont People and has a wealth of knowledge and experience in business and people. Listen to this episode as Sue and Nikki delve into Nikki's career journey and passion.
David Butcher is the Principal of the British School of Jakarta and has spent his life educating and teaching in seven countries across his career! Listen along to this episode as Sue and David explore David's career journey and the impact he has had as a positive disruptor.
In this episode, Sue reflects on her take aways from an event she attended as well as her thoughts on research she recently read! Listen along as Sue discusses her epiphanies and brings her thoughts together.
Eric Brymer is a researcher who focuses on understanding the relationship between human beings, the environment and health and wellbeing. Listen along as Sue and Eric discuss the human-nature experience!
Chris Cummings has organised a number of Wellbeing at Work events all over the world over the last ten years! Listen along as Sue and Chris discuss the journey of Wellbeing at Work and the importance of focusing on wellbeing as leaders.
In this episode, Sue discusses the MSCEIT assessment and her own reports. Listen along to learn more about how the MSCEIT assessment measures emotional intelligence and what strategies we can use to improve our emotional intelligence.
In this episode, Sue delves into the research of emotions and how our language has an impact. Listen along as Sue looks at why having accurate language to describe how we feel is so important and impactful to the way we experience emotion.
Karen Guggenheim is the founder and CEO of the World Happiness Summit (WOHASU), which she started as a way to share more about happiness beyond pleasure. Listen along as Sue and Karen discuss how WOHASU came to be and how it has evolved.Watch Karens TedTalk
World Happiness Summit
In this first episode of 2024, Sue discusses what we have coming up on Learn with Sue and walks us through some interesting questions to think about for our year ahead! Listen along as Sue delves into how we can make our unusuals usual!
Ellen Langer is back! In the final episode of 2023, Sue and Ellen delve deeper into Ellen's most recent book. Listen along to learn more about Ellen's personal and professional journey and understand more about the control we have over our lives.
Rob Metcalfe is a friend and mentor to Sue, with a keen interest in leadership and changing leadership in organisations. Listen along as Sue and Rob delve into leadership and what this looks like globally.
Nic Marks is a statistician best known for his work on the Happy Planet Index. Listen along as Sue and Nic delve into how the UK developed the first national set of indicators of wellbeing and the impact this has had.
In this podcast, Sue looks at the impact of news, information overload and language on our wellbeing. Listen along as Sue delves into research on how specific language can impact our memory and what we can do with this information.
In this podcast, Sue explains why it is important to reflect on what our perfect day or perfect weekend looks like. Listen along as Sue discusses the themes she has noticed doing this exercise in groups and what we can do with this information.
In this podcast, Sue looks at the role of technology in fostering wellbeing. Listen along as Sue discusses technology's positive and potential adverse impacts on our wellbeing.
Professor Isaac Prilleltensky has a history in research and practical application in community wellbeing and has lived in various countries around the world. Listen along as Sue and Isaac discuss the importance and impact of community wellbeing and mattering.
Marie McLeod has a background in social work, positive psychology and adult education and is the founder of Thrive Ability. Listen along as Sue and Marie discuss the role of education in therapy and how positive psychology interventions provide practical tools to support individuals who really need it.
Rachel Dillon founded Move with Us, an online fitness app for females, and Crop Shop Boutique, a female activewear brand. Listen along as Sue and Rachel discuss the importance of empowering others and feeling comfortable being who we are.
Professor Michael Pluess focuses on developmental psychology and looks at the extent to which genes and the environment shape individuals. Listen along to this session as Sue and Michael discuss the research into genetics and sensitivity.
Dr Gordon Spence has spent most of his time in the coaching, positive psychology and, more recently, the health space. Listen along as Sue and Gordon discuss the research around healthy aging and the barriers individuals face when it comes to being active.
In this session, Sue looks at the benefits and impact of travel. Listen along as Sue explains how travel impacts where we spend our time psychologically and how this impacts our wellbeing.
Professor Neal Ashkanasy started his career as an engineer in water resources and was motivated to study emotions to understand what makes leaders and decision-makers tick. Listen along to learn more about Neal's journey and research.
Dr Suzy Green has been working in the positive psychology and coaching space for many years and started as a clinical psychologist. Listen along as Sue and Suzy discuss how things have developed in this space and what the future of positive psychology would ideally look like.
Welcome to Season 3 of our Learn with Sue Walk and Talk Podcast! In this session, Sue delves into existentialism. Listen along as Sue explores meaning in life, free will and six existential questions from Paul Wong.
Eric Brymer is a researcher who focuses on understanding the relationship between human beings, the environment and health and wellbeing. Listen along as Sue and Eric discuss how the environment impacts our health and wellbeing.
Dr Robert Biswas-Diener is the author of Positive Provocation, and in this session, Sue and Robert explore what this term means. Listen along to this fascinating conversation as Robert explains the importance of asking good questions and the impact this can have.
Chris is a property auctioneer, and with his strength of narrator, he shares some of the interesting and wonderful opportunities he has had throughout his career! Listen along as Sue and Chris discuss the importance of adaptability and doing things that bring meaning to our lives.
Michelle McQuaid has been in the holistic positive psychology space for many years, identifying herself as a wellbeing teacher for the last decade and, more recently, identifying as an unrealised artist. Listen along as Sue and Michelle discuss the balance between research and practice and bringing wellbeing into the workplace.
In this episode, Sue reviews a research paper called Emotion in Organizations: Theory and Research by Hillary Elfenbein. Listen along as Sue looks at the detail in the paper, reviewing the science behind emotions and how this translates to the workplace.
Trudy Bateman has worked in the positive psychology space, particularly in the area of strengths, for many years and has a mission to help everyone to feel comfortable in their own skin and be their authentic self. Listen along to this episode as Sue and Trudy discuss the changes in positive psychology, wellbeing and strengths over the years.
Lord Gus O'Donnell has spent most of his career in the political arena, with a keen interest in wellbeing. Listen along as Sue and Gus discuss wellbeing in politics and what this may look like from a global perspective.
In this episode, Sue speaks about the art (and science) of feeling a little bit better after her previous experiences in Italy. Listen along to the second episode of Sue's thoughts while on her Italian adventure!
Gemma McCaw played for the Black Sticks, New Zealand's women's hockey team, and went to the Olympics - a dream she had since she was little. Listen along as Sue and Gemma discuss changing our perspectives around big goals and the impact this has on our wellbeing.
Meike Bartels researches how wellbeing and happiness are linked to our genetics. Listen along as Sue and Meike discuss how genes and environment are consistently influencing us and how we can use this knowledge.
Pip Henry-Moore's career has been in people culture transformation, with a passion for working with and in teams. Listen along as Sue and Pip discuss the new focus of HR professionals and leaders and what this might look like in the future.
In this episode, Sue and Tania discuss mental health and anxiety in light of Mental Health Awareness Week in the UK. Listen along as Sue and Tania explore science, experience and strategies.
John Helliwell is one of the founders of the World Happiness Report. Listen along to this session to learn about the origin of the World Happiness Report and the impact it has had on the world.
Gudrun Snorradottir has been in the positive psychology space for many years and is currently a leadership coach. Listen along as Sue and Gudrun discuss leadership, coaching and how positive psychology has changed and developed over the last few years.
In this episode, Sue speaks about the art (and science) of feeling useless and being out of one's comfort zone. Listen along to this session as Sue recaps her time in Italy and uses the research to explain her experience.
Dr Jessica Payne's research is focused on sleep, stress, cognition and emotion and how they are linked. Listen along to learn more about how these interact. You can find more information here:
Richard Digby is a Transformation Director at Jaguar Land Rover in the UK. Having always had a passion for cars, Richard describes his career journey and how his family influenced his path. Listen along to this intriguing conversation as Sue and Richard discuss the highlights of his career and how he looks after hiswellbeing.
In the final part of Sue and Tania’s discussions about the World Happiness Summit, they focus on the conversations around the creation of the World Happiness Summit (WOHASU) and wellbeing on an individual level.
Listen along to another session with Sue and Tania as they continue to discuss their thoughts on the World Happiness Summit. In this session, Sue and Tania focus on the conversations and research on benevolence, wellbeing and sustainability.
Listen along to Sue and Tania as they discuss their thoughts on the World Happiness Summit and their other adventures in Italy!! This podcast was recorded outside at Lake Como so you will hear the sounds of Italy on a busy Sunday Morning!
David is passionate about education and psychology and bringing the two together. Listen along as Sue and David discuss what makes a world class teacher and the importance of bringing positive psychology into the classroom.
Sue and Jill worked together in the travel industry and Jill has a passion for travel, particularly experiencing new cultures. Listen along as Sue and Jill discuss the wonders and experiences of travel
Why do we tend to find comfort in teddy bears? Listen along to this interesting and informative session with Sue as she highlights the research behind the psychological function of stuffed toys and the comfort they can provide.
Lynne has a passion for looking at what lights people up and helping women fulfil their true potential. Listen along as Lynne and Sue discuss strengths-based coaching and positive aging.
Dr Robert Quinn is one of the founders of Positive Organisational Scholarship and has focused on positive leadership and change in organisations for the last 35 years. Listen along to this captivating session to learn more about his research and experience and the extraordinary changes he has seen using Positive Organisational Scholarship principles.
In this episode, Sue and Tania discuss the fear of death and how looking after yourself can help alleviate this fear.
Clive is an organisational coach who works across a wide range of organisations. His aim is to help individuals understand the link between their wellbeing and their performance. Listen along as Sue and Clive discuss how this looks across organisations and why it is important to understand.
There are many quotes that we may have heard that we can agree with, though not all quotes inspire us. Listen along as Sue discusses the quotes and advice that has inspired her and why.
As the holidays approach, Sue discusses how she uses this break to reflect on the year that has passed and plan for the year ahead. Listen along as Sue reflects on her goals and the importance of pushing ourselves to achieve them.
Agapi has been a foster carer for over 20 years, sharing her home, love, support and humour with over 100 children. Listen along as Sue and Agapi talk about meaning, using our strengths, and finding the balance between purpose and pleasure.
Sue reviews an article that explores the word, the theme, the ethos of ‘vitality’. This article builds on Tim Lomas’ lexicography around different languages that have words with untranslatable meanings. Listen along to this as Sue summarises the findings and what we can do with this information.
Dr Jane Dutton worked on Positive Organisational Scholarship with others and stepped into this space as she noticed the impact organisations have on people’s minds and people’s hearts. Listen to this captivating session to learn more about the journey of Positive Organisational Scholarship.
We know that gratitude and writing are two effective strategies that can improve our wellbeing. In this session, Sue explores research that looks at how gratitude and writing can also support our emotional regulation.
Tobi Pearce is the co-founder of Sweat and is incredibly passionate about business, health and fitness, with an intriguing career journey. Listen along to this fabulous conversation to learn more about entrepreneurship, success, and wellbeing.
Sue and Tania reunite after a few weeks apart. They both recap on their holidays and the impact this had on their wellbeing. Listen along to this intriguing conversation to learn more about the different types of breaks and why they are important
Lee Morgan has been in the marketing space since she graduated from university and has a keen interest in wellbeing. Listen along to this intriguing session as Lee talks about her journey in the marketing space and how she incorporates wellbeing into her work.
Sue and Justin have been friends for over 30 years, Justin is a musician who started in bands and now creates compositions. Listen along to this intriguing session as Justin talks about his journey in music and his thoughts on how music enhances wellbeing
https://www.justinbreame.com/
https://twitter.com/justinbreame
Dr Denise Quinlan is back to delve deeper into ruthless prioritisation, why it is so important and ways we can start doing it. Listen to this captivating session to learn more about ruthless prioritisation and its impact on individuals and teams.
You can always tell how much someone knows about positive psychology by the way they describe it. Join Sue as she discusses what positive psychology is and is not, and why her most common saying is “Positive psychology - wonderful on the good days, essential on the bad.”
Lucy Airs has been in the positive psychology space for a while and is currently involved in several wonderful things that are creating many ripples. Listen along to this exciting session as Lucy talks about everything she is working on and the strategies she uses to look after her wellbeing.
Barry Schwartz, a psychologist, and author looked into how our well-being is impacted by the number of choices we have. Listen along as Barry explains what the practical implications of his findings are and how we can apply these to our own lives.
Join Sue as she discusses learned helplessness, learned optimism and the ongoing research and development of these concepts. Listen to learn more about what happens in our brain and why it is important to challenge our thinking.
Professor Marco Iacoboni shares the genesis of mirror neuron research and the impact of discovering that human beings are wired for empathy. Join Sue and Marco in this engaging session as they discuss the different types of mirror neurons and their role in how we feel and show empathy.
Join Sue as she discusses primal beliefs; what they are and why they are a big area of research at the moment. Listen along as Sue goes through all the primals, what they mean and where you can complete your own Primals assessment.
In this final catch-up about the ECPP conference and experts, Sue and Tania go through their most impactful, interesting moments and learnings. Listen along for more intriguing reflections about what they learned and how it translates to everyday life.
EPISODE 50!!!!
In the second of three podcasts, Sue and Tania delve into their learnings and highlights from the ECPP Conference that was held in Iceland. From meeting the experts to discussing ways to create the world we want to live in, listen along for some powerful, profound reflections and how to make these practical.
In the first of three podcasts, Sue and Tania recap their time in London and their trip to Iceland. They highlight the importance of reminiscing, savouring and being mindful when we have special life moments. Listen along to find out more about their trip, their experiences and what they learned!
Apologies for the sound quality at the beginning of this podcast
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/kakapo-recovery
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 wellbeing and the research and progress in this space!
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 innovative idea to make a difference in how he practices law. Join this session to learn more about purpose, wellbeing, and making a difference.
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 pleasurable life, a meaningful life, and a psychologically rich life. Listen along to learn more about positive psychology, wellbeing, and the good life.
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 fulfillment.
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 science of positive psychology!
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 the current research around this topic and how to use this information in our everyday lives.
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 life-giving energy! Kim shares findings on what attributes make a person a 'positive energiser' within an organisation and the power of contribution to others in this context.
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 learn more about leadership, meaning and the importance of understanding the whole human across cultures.
https://leadershiphorsepower.com/
stuart@leadershiphorsepower.com
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 between depression and the ecosystem of microorganisms that resides in the human gastrointestinal tract? How can we best feed and nurture our individual microbiome signature?
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 – including physiological responses linked cardiovascular disease. How will you learn from the science to change your interactions?
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 between cognitive intelligence and creativity?
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 exchange thoughts and queries on this fascinating topic.
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 wellbeing literacy shape our perception in times of crisis? Discover ways to flourish through adversity – as always backed by the science of emotions, positive psychology, and neuroscience.
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. Listen along as the pair discuss the psychology of time and the impact of reminiscence on our wellbeing.
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 relationship between curiosity and wellbeing?
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 inspired to live a flourishing life!
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.
Join Sue as she reflects on a fascinating research paper - ‘towards a framework for flourishing through social media.’ We know that social platforms are designed, in part, to capture our behavioural data and share it with profit in mind. The challenges and pitfalls of this algorithm are understood, yet the scientific data on the psychological benefits of social media are still emerging. How does social media positively affect our basic human needs of autonomy, relatedness, and competence? Increased connection, a sense of belonging, social support and information sharing are just some of the upsides.
How do small actions and behaviours propel us towards reaching our overarching goals? Research shows that being accountable in one area of our life, leads to improvements in other areas too. Creating a ‘Ta-Da’ checklist of 10 things for 10 days is a great way to start! When our daily habits align with our values, we are on track to living a flourishing life. Join Sue as she shares practical tips to prioritise your wellbeing and start the year with your best foot forward.
In this thought-provoking session Sue converses with Robert, a leading authority on strengths, culture, courage, and happiness. He shares insights on his pioneering work in applying positive psychology to coaching. Amongst several fascinating topics, they ponder the art of asking ‘the big questions’ as the foundation for paradigm-shifting research.
The second step of the appreciative inquiry framework is D for Dream. Dream what is possible. In this episode, following our Discover from last week, join Sue to reflect on what can we dream for 2022? What is possible? What goals do we have – what can we learn, how can we grow, how can be dream what is possible for us in the year ahead. Focusing on how we can be the best we can be.
One of the first steps in appreciative inquiry is D for Discover. Discover what is great, discover what is awesome. Join Sue as she reflects on the good from the year and asks us all to think about the positives, the great, the amazing. In amongst the challenges, there are good things. What is the impact when we reflect on these things?
Join Sue as she exchanges thoughts with Tom, an expert in the fitness and rehab industry, whose method links movement behaviours with personal behaviours. They discuss how movement is a form of expression – intrinsically connected to how we relate to the world around us. Tom shares his thoughts on memory, overcoming fear, self-esteem and problem solving.
Join Sue and Tania as they introduce the wonderful concept of keeping a ‘Ta Da’ list; distinct from a ‘To Do’ list. How do we propel our wellbeing wish list into an action list that helps us prioritise positively in our life? This uplifting practice involves guilt free, bite size activities that ensure we are continuously flourishing. The ‘Ta Da’ list can embed mindful habits and be a lot of fun in the process. Listen along, as the pair share ideas to include on your new favourite list!
Be transported to the ocean as Sue strolls and contemplates the practice of goal setting. She ponders the teleological nature of humans and how we work towards accomplishing set tasks. She encourages us to include even the ‘small things’ as goals, reading a new genre of book or ticking a movie off our viewing list. Sue considers perception in this process; understanding the ‘why’ behind each goal is how we expand on our sense of meaning and purpose.
In this robust chat, Sue and Aaron agree on how simply thinking and talking about values enlightens and energises people. They discuss how over the course of a lifetime our values will change. Tap in as theyenthusiastically ponder how being aware and intentional with language plays out in our relationships as well as shaping our internal dialogue.
When an individual reaches a personal goal, the ripple effect of their achievement inspires and motivates others. Sue’s colleague Tania unpacks her experience of running the recent Royal Parks half Marathon in London. The pair discuss emotional awareness in relation to physical movement. They ponder the connection to ‘atmospheric energy’ during a large-scale community event and the support we can draw from it. They share their love of science and how it can encourage us to better understand and savour such moments and continue to thrive.
In this walk and talk, Sue ponders another aspect underpinning the science of emotions, positive psychology, and neuroscience. She shines a light on the expression of noticing, the practice of spotting and savouring something new. When we truly pay attention to our surroundings and welcome curiosity, it brings another dimension to our wellbeing. Sue's excitement for this daily art form is infectious and encourages us all to open our mind's eye to what we gain when we truly care to notice.
Join Sue as she chats with Christian, a thought leader and expert in the alignment of coaching and positive psychology. He shares how the two fields fit together and can unlock potential, build on people’s strengths, enhance wellbeing, and help us achieve our optimal potential. Sue engages Christian on topics such as hope, gratitude, and the all-important art of noticing.
What exactly are our basic psychological needs, and how are they met in the current world situation? Sue and Tania unpack self-determination theory in the context of the Pandemic. Together they consider how autonomy, competence and relatedness have been nudged due to lockdowns and working from home. They ponder the shift to virtual communication and the varying impacts on mindset, along with mixed reactions to returning to the office.
What elements contribute to our personal sense of meaning? In this episode, Sue walks and talks listeners through finding meaning inlife… first prompting us to consider how this discussion is distinct from finding the meaning of life. Sue unpacks the concept within the framework of psychology-based research. She reflects on the three pillars of meaning as defined by Martela and Steger: coherence, purpose, and significance.
Sue responds to audience questions – enlightening us with her knowledge of positive psychology, based on the science, research, and evidence. She answers queries about affirmations, negativity bias, language and neuroscience. This sparks further interest in growth mindset, our emotional states, and energy levels. Sue asks us to consider which neural pathways we are firing most regularly and how this effects outcomes.
How do we translate what our genes mean in everyday life? Sue chats with Doctor James Raaff - a healthcare pioneer with over 23 years of clinical experience exploring health strategies using DNA and genomic analysis. James shares some state-of-the-art ideas about what we know and what we don’t know about genetics. They explore the dynamic questions that open new and exciting doors for a personalised approach to health and wellbeing and how genetic testing plays a part in the future.
Tune in for a thought-provoking exchange between Sue and her colleague Tania as they consider changes to wellbeing habits and how they affect us. What happens when our daily rituals are altered? When we practice awareness, we notice the ripple effects of self-care routines or lack of. They ponder how organisations' explicit and implicit rules have adapted to remote working arrangements and how increased flexibility requires us to take on more personal responsibility for our sleep, exercise, and wellbeing practices.
Sue loves Italy and is currently challenging herself to learn Italian. In this episode she shares how language is a key function of who we are as humans, and how learning a second or third language expands our mind in more ways than one. When we put in the effort to study a new language, fresh neural pathways are formed. Interestingly, science has revealed that bilingual people have increased activation in various areas of the brain - not just those specifically linked to linguistics.
At some point, we have all asked, “Does my life have meaning? What is our purpose? Why are we here?” Join Sue and Dr Michael Steger - the Founder and Director of the Center for Meaning and Purpose as they discuss the intangible notion of ‘meaning’ and the challenge of how to research, measure and provide quantifiable data on such a topic. They consider how our belief system underpins the three dimensions of meaning: coherence, significance, purpose.
Tune in for an uncensored chat between Sue and her colleague Tania as they contemplate mindset and language. They enthusiastically ponder how being aware and intentional with language plays out in our relationships as well as shaping our internal dialogue. They unpack the role of negativity bias, complaining, anxiety and more. Enjoy an authentic insight into their friendship and how they love to bring science to life.
Can subtle shifts in language and vocabulary influence our understanding of concepts and in turn change wellbeing outcomes? In this walk and talk, Sue muses about one of her favourite topics, language. Research shows that language shapes our neural pathways and can shift how we show up, and how we feel. She ponders how words can nudge our behaviour in certain ways and how our choice of words can challenge our very thinking.
Dr Ellen Langer is a pioneer, a maverick, a leader, and an all-round fabulous human being. Described as the “mother of mindfulness”, she has written extensively on the illusion of control, mindful ageing, stress, decision-making, and health.
She has inspired many to follow in her research footsteps and as Professor of Psychology at Harvard. Ellen has several books, with a new one on the way. On top of that, she is an artist! She is the founder of The Langer Mindfulness Institute and consults with organisations to foster mindful leadership, innovation, strategy, and work/life integration.
Join Sue Langley for a new series of podcasts where Sue talks about the science of emotions and emotional intelligence, positive psychology and wellbeing, and neuroscience all based on science, research, and evidence. The podcasts will include chats with friends and colleagues as well as expert "In Conversation" discussions with amazing individuals from around the world.