A Slight Change of Plans

Pushkin
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A Slight Change of Plans

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You can follow the show at @DrMayaShankar on Instagram. Apple Podcasts’ Best Show of the Year 2021 Editor's Note: Maya Shankar blends compassionate storytelling with the science of human behavior to help us understand who we are and who we become in the face of a big change. Maya is no stranger to change. “My whole childhood revolved around the violin, but that changed in a moment when I injured my hand playing a single note,” says Shankar, who was studying under Itzhak Perlman at the Juilliard School at the time. “I was forced to try and figure out who I was, and who I could be, without the violin." Maya soon discovered a new path in the field of cognitive science, where she earned her PhD as a Rhodes Scholar studying how and why we change. Her insights into human behavior ultimately led her to create A Slight Change of Plans—Apple Podcasts’ Best Show of the Year in 2021. You’ll hear intimate conversations with people like Tiffany Haddish, Kacey Musgraves, and Riz Ahmed, as well as real-life inspirations, like John Elder Robison, who undergoes experimental brain stimulation to deepen his emotional intelligence, Daryl Davis, a Black jazz musician who inspires hundreds of KKK members to leave the Klan, and Shankar herself, who had her own “slight change of plans” earlier this year. The show also explores the science of change with experts like Adam Grant and Angela Duckworth. "What I love most about this show is that the content is evergreen," says Shankar. "You can listen to episodes in any order and at any time."

  1. 30 SEPT

    A Rock Climber's Brush with Death

    Tommy Caldwell’s near-death experience unlocks a completely new state of mind that propels him to become a record-setting big wall climber. We'll be back with new episodes in your feed later this fall, but in the meantime, enjoy Maya's conversation with Tommy Caldwell, one of our favorite episodes from the archives. Connect with Maya on instagram @DrMayaShankar. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    39 min
  2. Cynicism is Exhausting. There’s an Alternative.

    4 SEPT

    Cynicism is Exhausting. There’s an Alternative.

    Psychologist Jamil Zaki studies the science of human connection and he believes cynicism is holding us back. Cynicism isn't just harmful for our health, he says, it’s also misguided. He talks to Maya about a powerful, alternative mindset that can help: what he calls “hopeful skepticism.” For more on hopeful skepticism, check out Jamil Zaki’s book “Hope for Cynics: The Surprising Science of Human Goodness.”  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    37 min

  3. 26 AUG

    The Grief of Empty Nesting with Kelly Corrigan

    Sometimes, even when things go precisely as you hoped they would, change hurts. Writer Kelly Corrigan talks to Maya about wrestling with the reality that her daughters' childhood was ending, and that her role as their parent had to transition, too. In this conversation from the archives, Maya and Kelly reckon with the question of what parents and children owe each other. For more on Kelly, check out her podcast, "Kelly Corrigan Wonders" and her PBS show, "Tell Me More."  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    46 min

  4. 19 AUG

    Olympian Gabby Thomas On Choosing Happiness

    U.S. track star Gabby Thomas recently won three gold medals at the Paris Olympics. To celebrate, we’re sharing Maya’s conversation with Gabby that took place shortly after the athlete’s Olympic debut in Tokyo. Gabby explains why her relationship with running isn’t as straightforward as you might think, and how competing interests have continually led her to question whether running is the path she wants to pursue. Connect with Maya on instagram @DrMayaShankar. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    35 min
  5. Part 2: A Million Little Losses

    5 AUG

    Part 2: A Million Little Losses

    Just a few days after Kelsie first talked with Maya for the podcast, Kelsie's husband, Chris, was rushed to the hospital after he didn’t wake up from a nap. He died a few days later, as a result of complications from ALS. Eight months later, Kelsie reached out to say she wanted to share what life has been like for her since then, as she handles a new phase of mourning—what she calls “quiet grief.” To hear more from Kelsey, check out her podcast, “Sorry, I’m Sad.” If you want to hear more experiences of caregiving, you might also enjoy our episode, “I Gave Up Asking 'Why Me'?” Connect with Maya on instagram @DrMayaShankar. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    25 min
  6. Part 1: A Million Little Losses

    5 AUG

    Part 1: A Million Little Losses

    When Kelsie first met her co-worker Chris, she fell hard. They soon fell in love, got married, and had two kids. But then, Chris received a devastating diagnosis. In conversation with Maya, writer Kelsie Snow explores the complex grief of being both a wife and caregiver.  Note: this is part one of two conversations with writer Kelsie Snow. It was recorded in September 2023.  To hear more from Kelsey, check out her podcast, “Sorry, I’m Sad.”  Connect with Maya on instagram @DrMayaShankar. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    28 min
  7. A Novel Approach to Treating Chronic Pain

    29 JUL

    A Novel Approach to Treating Chronic Pain

    A lot of chronic pain isn't actually caused by structural issues with the body, says psychotherapist Alan Gordon. Instead, it's often the brain misinterpreting safe bodily signals as dangerous. Alan joins Maya to explain a novel, research-backed approach to coping with chronic pain and guides her through an exercise to alleviate her persistent knee pain.  To learn more about Alan's work, check out his book "The Way Out: A Revolutionary, Scientifically Proven Approach to Healing Chronic Pain." If you liked this episode, listen to this one from our archive: “Getting My Silence Back.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    33 min
  8. Real Talk: The Transition to Motherhood

    22 JUL

    Real Talk: The Transition to Motherhood

    Motherhood can be a time of profound internal upheaval, says clinical psychologist Molly Millwood. Molly offers an honest look at the transition into motherhood, drawing from scientific research, stories from her private practice, and her own experiences as a mother. She and Maya talk about how to navigate the grief, guilt, ambivalence, and other disorienting feelings that can often come up for new moms.  For more on Molly, check out her book “To Have and To Hold: Motherhood, Marriage, and the Modern Dilemma.” If you liked this episode, we recommend listening to “The Devastation of Things Going Exactly to Plan.”  Sign up for Maya's new newsletter here https://bit.ly/41lPqaZ and follow her on instagram @DrMayaShankar. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    33 min
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About

You can follow the show at @DrMayaShankar on Instagram. Apple Podcasts’ Best Show of the Year 2021 Editor's Note: Maya Shankar blends compassionate storytelling with the science of human behavior to help us understand who we are and who we become in the face of a big change. Maya is no stranger to change. “My whole childhood revolved around the violin, but that changed in a moment when I injured my hand playing a single note,” says Shankar, who was studying under Itzhak Perlman at the Juilliard School at the time. “I was forced to try and figure out who I was, and who I could be, without the violin." Maya soon discovered a new path in the field of cognitive science, where she earned her PhD as a Rhodes Scholar studying how and why we change. Her insights into human behavior ultimately led her to create A Slight Change of Plans—Apple Podcasts’ Best Show of the Year in 2021. You’ll hear intimate conversations with people like Tiffany Haddish, Kacey Musgraves, and Riz Ahmed, as well as real-life inspirations, like John Elder Robison, who undergoes experimental brain stimulation to deepen his emotional intelligence, Daryl Davis, a Black jazz musician who inspires hundreds of KKK members to leave the Klan, and Shankar herself, who had her own “slight change of plans” earlier this year. The show also explores the science of change with experts like Adam Grant and Angela Duckworth. "What I love most about this show is that the content is evergreen," says Shankar. "You can listen to episodes in any order and at any time."

Information

  • Channel
    Pushkin
  • Creator
    Pushkin Industries
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2024
  • Episodes
    130
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    2024 iHeartMedia, Inc. © Any use of this intellectual property for text and data mining or computational analysis including as training material for artificial intelligence systems is strictly prohibited without express written consent from iHeartMedia
  • Show Website
    A Slight Change of Plans
  • Provider
    Pushkin Industries Inc.

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