Habit Nerd

Dr Bree Hurn

Few things can have a more powerful impact on your life than improving your daily habits. Essentially, your habits matter because they help you become the type of person you wish to be. So what are the work, health and mindset habits that lead to a remarkable life? And what can the research tell us about forming positive habits and overcoming those that don’t serve us?

  1. 19h ago

    EP 89: How to Think Less and Do More (With One Simple Tool)

    Let me ask you a quick question: Have you ever reached 10:00 AM on a weekday and felt completely mentally exhausted, even though you haven't actually accomplished much yet? If so, you are definitely not alone. So many of us walk around using our brains as glorified storage units! We carry around appointments, to-do lists, groceries we need to buy, and emails we haven't answered, expecting our minds to keep track of it all. But here’s the truth: your brain is designed to process information, not store it. In today's episode, we are diving deep into cognitive psychology to understand why carrying all those "open tabs" in your head causes massive mental fatigue and how one simple, physical tool can free up your cognitive space, cut through overwhelm, and turn your vague intentions into real action. Today's episode is proudly sponsored by my absolute favorite empowering stationery brand, MiGoals! I am a total convert for life to their Goal Digger Planner. It has completely transformed how I organize my vision, short-term goals, and daily structure. To help you get organized and create more intentional days, MiGoals is offering all Habit Nerd listeners 20% off any of their products! 👉 Use code Nerd20 at checkout: https://migoals.com/ Join the conversation in my weekly newsletter. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.knowyourwhylearning.com.au/signup⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow me on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@habitnerd

  2. Jul 12

    EP 87: Secrets for a Time Abundance Mindset with Laura Vanderkam

    If you can just hear the absolute delight in my voice, it is because today’s guest is a total "pinch-me" milestone for me. Her short Before Breakfast episodes have been in my headphones just about every single day for years, and her research has heavily informed and inspired the messaging I use in my own keynotes, workshops, and high-performance coaching. The brilliant Laura Vanderkam is in the studio! Laura is one of the world's absolute leading voices on time management and productivity. She is the author of nine incredibly influential books, a regular on American TV, and she was recently featured on the world's #1 podcast, The Mel Robbins Podcast. Most conventional productivity advice starts from the broken assumption that we are all chronically running out of time. But Laura’s years of research tracking the actual schedules of thousands of real people proves the exact opposite: we aren't suffering from time scarcity; we are just losing our days to invisible, mindless time leaks. Connect with Laura: Website: lauravanderkam.com Instagram: @lvanderkam If this episode resonated with you, I'd love for you to join me in the Tiny Habits Reset — my 17 day challenge where we slow things down, notice what's running on autopilot, and make tiny intentional shifts that actually stick. One short daily lesson, for just $1 a day. 👉 Grab your spot here → ⁠⁠https://www.knowyourwhylearning.com.au/tiny-habits-reset-official⁠⁠ Join the conversation in my weekly newsletter. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.knowyourwhylearning.com.au/signup⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow me on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@habitnerd

  3. Jul 5

    EP 86: Can’t Get Started? 6 Simple Strategies That Actually Work

    If I’m being completely honest, this episode comes from a place of real discomfort and vulnerability for me. I’ve always been pretty good at saying things like, "When things feel overwhelming, just start, just get on with it." I want to be helpful, but expecting people to take raw knowledge and automatically self-optimize isn't a realistic ask. For many people, especially on days when your brain feels flat, or if you identify with ADHD traits or challenges with your executive function, starting a task can feel disproportionately, physically hard. So, I decided to just shut up and listen. In this episode, we are throwing out the broken advice of "just do it." Instead, we look at the actual science of task initiation (the air traffic control system of your brain) and explore a game-changing truth: starting is not just one blanket problem. It is a collection of six completely different types of friction. And if you want to find momentum, you have to match your problem with the right solution. If this episode resonated with you, I'd love for you to join me in the Tiny Habits Reset — my 17 day challenge where we slow things down, notice what's running on autopilot, and make tiny intentional shifts that actually stick. One short daily lesson, for just $1 a day. 👉 Grab your spot here → ⁠https://www.knowyourwhylearning.com.au/tiny-habits-reset-official⁠ Join the conversation in my weekly newsletter. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.knowyourwhylearning.com.au/signup⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow me on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@habitnerd

  4. Jun 28

    EP 85: Leadership that Inspires High Performance with netball champion Liz Watson

    Today’s guest is an absolute powerhouse, and to say I am excited about this conversation is a massive understatement. Joining me on the podcast today is Liz Watson, the extraordinary captain of the Australian Diamonds Netball team and the Sunshine Coast Lightning, and one of the world's absolute leading netballers. Liz has represented Australia at the highest level since 2016, racking up Commonwealth Games and World Cup success, along with receiving netball's highest individual honor—the Liz Ellis Diamond—not once, but twice. But beyond the glittering accolades, what I truly wanted to unpack with Liz are the foundational habits, the mental frameworks, and the team-first mindset that underpins her incredible consistency over time. If you’ve ever wondered what it actually takes to sustain excellence over a long career when the stakes are sky-high, this episode is your ultimate masterclass. We dive deep into how she structures her elite morning routines, why she completely ditched the habit of comparing herself to others, and a brilliant team-culture framework her squad uses to manage stress and fatigue on the court. 🔗 Follow Liz on IG @lizzy.watson If this episode resonated with you, I'd love for you to join me in the Tiny Habits Reset — my 17 day challenge where we slow things down, notice what's running on autopilot, and make tiny intentional shifts that actually stick. Registration is officially open and we kick off July 1st. One short daily lesson, for just $1 a day. 👉 Grab your spot here → https://www.knowyourwhylearning.com.au/tiny-habits-reset-official Join the conversation in my weekly newsletter. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.knowyourwhylearning.com.au/signup⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow me on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@habitnerd

  5. Jun 21

    EP 84: 4 simple ways to succeed with a new habit

    Before we dive into today’s topic, I wanted to take a quick moment to express my immense gratitude. Our community is growing significantly, and we are officially being listened to in 90 countries across the globe! Whether you are a brand new listener tuning in on your morning walk, or a loyal member of our community who joins me every single Monday morning in the car or while doing the dishes, thank you for choosing to have me in your ears. I am so deeply heartened by your engagement. In today’s solo masterclass, I am unpacking a major theme that has come up repeatedly in my recent 1:1 coaching work with busy professionals. When I find myself returning to the same conversations and research over and over with my clients, it's a clear cue that these insights have a wider effect and need to be shared with our broader community. Most of what we do each day isn't driven by big, conscious decisions; it's driven by habits—quiet, repeated patterns that act as the silent architects of our lives. Today, we are exploring four overarching principles of behavior change that will help you shift those patterns with intention, stop relying on willpower, and create change that actually sticks. Think of this episode as your ultimate shortcut to collapse time and skip years of trial and error. If you love the actionable tips in this episode, you won't want to miss my upcoming 17-Day Tiny Habits Reset dropping this July. It's a short-form, daily experience designed specifically for busy high-performers who want zero drama and maximum results. 🔗 Click the link below to secure your spot on the private VIP Waitlist! ⁠⁠⁠https://www.knowyourwhylearning.com.au/tiny-habits-reset-waitlist⁠⁠⁠ Join the conversation in my weekly newsletter. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.knowyourwhylearning.com.au/signup⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow me on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@habitnerd

  6. Jun 14

    EP 83: Sustainable Habits for Busy People with Fitness and Nutrition Coach Vanessa Panella

    If you’ve been hanging around my corner of the internet for a while, you know one of my ultimate core pillars in life is simplify to amplify. We have an absolute knack for overcomplicating everything, especially when it comes to our health, fitness, and nutrition. We tell ourselves we need to cut out entire food groups, sign up for three different gyms, or wait for the "perfect emotional mood" to strike before we can finally get healthy. Today, I am joined by the incredible Vanessa Panella, founder of DVP Fitness, to completely dismantle those myths. Vanessa is an elite coach who specializes in helping busy women and couples strip away the toxic, restrictive diet cultures of the 90s and build bulletproof, realistic health structures instead. Vanessa is deeply passionate, beautifully honest, and incredibly time-poor herself, running multiple businesses while raising her family, so she knows exactly what it takes to make habits stick when life gets completely chaotic. In this episode, we dive deep into why relying on motivation is a trap, how to manage your health when a busy schedule or new job flips your life upside down, and the exact biochemical trifecta to eliminate your mid-afternoon snacking habits for good. Connect with Vanessa Panella: Instagram: @dvp.fitness Website: https://www.dvpfitness.com.au/ Free consultation link: https://consult.dvpfitness.com.au/booking If you love the actionable tips in this episode, you won't want to miss my upcoming 17-Day Tiny Habits Reset dropping this July. It's a short-form, daily experience designed specifically for busy high-performers who want zero drama and maximum results. 🔗 Click the link below to secure your spot on the private VIP Waitlist! ⁠⁠https://www.knowyourwhylearning.com.au/tiny-habits-reset-waitlist⁠⁠ Join the conversation in my weekly newsletter. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.knowyourwhylearning.com.au/signup⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow me on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@habitnerd

  7. Jun 7

    EP 82: A new, helpful way to manage stress

    If you’ve opened Instagram or TikTok recently, you’ve probably seen a lot of people talking about "regulating your nervous system." They’ll tell you to sip herbal tea, lie on a yoga mat, stare at a sunset, or pat a cat. Now, look—I’m not against any of that. I can absolutely get around a weighted blanket and a warm drink. But today, I want to strip back the surface-level trends and look at the actual physiology underneath, because it dictates exactly how you show up as a leader, a partner, and a human being. If you’ve ever walked away from a chaotic moment at work thinking, “That is not how I wanted to show up just then,” I want you to hear this loud and clear: that is not a character flaw. That is a nervous system state. In this episode, we tackle why your brain treats a stressful email exactly like a tiger attack, why you can’t intellectualize your way out of burnout, and how to start leading your life from a place of physical regulation. If you love the actionable tips in this episode, you won't want to miss Bree’s upcoming 17-Day Tiny Habits Reset dropping this July. It's a short-form, daily experience designed specifically for busy high-performers who want zero drama and maximum results. 🔗 Click the link below to secure your spot on the private VIP Waitlist! ⁠⁠https://www.knowyourwhylearning.com.au/tiny-habits-reset-waitlist⁠⁠ Join the conversation in my weekly newsletter. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.knowyourwhylearning.com.au/signup⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow me on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@habitnerd

About

Few things can have a more powerful impact on your life than improving your daily habits. Essentially, your habits matter because they help you become the type of person you wish to be. So what are the work, health and mindset habits that lead to a remarkable life? And what can the research tell us about forming positive habits and overcoming those that don’t serve us?

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