That's Helpful with Ed Stott Edwina Stott

So many of us expect to become less happy as we age, BUT science says you couldn’t be more wrong - you’ll likely become happier as you get into old age, you’ll be more content and more able to live in the present moment.
This phenomenon is called the happiness curve and it’s a concept that award winning journalist Jonathon Rauch is incredibly passionate about.
Jonathan is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington and the author of The Happiness Curve, Why Life Gets Better After 50.
So what does the research say, how can we avoid the midlife crisis we hear so much about & how might the happiness curve help us to reframe the way we approach aging?

CONNECT WITH US
Connect with ⁠That's Helpful on Instagram.
Find Jonathon on Twitter⁠ & via his website.
BOOKS
The Happiness Curve, Why Life Gets Better After 50
Want to become a podcast sponsor, got some feedback for me or just fancy a chat? Email me - thatshelpful@edstott.com

TIMESTAMPS
00:00:00 - Intro
00:01:16 - How did Jonathon discover the happiness curve?
00:04:45 - How does the happiness curve play out in different countries?
00:07:24 - The forecasting error
00:13:13 - Why so many of us feel ashamed of the midlife slump
00:17:37 - Step don’t leap
00:23:35 - How to overcome the time trap of the happiness curve
00:26:26 - The happiness curve is fuelled by false assumptions around age
00:31:21 - It isn’t just teenagers who go through transitional times of life
00:33:31 - The power in giving yourself time to reset
00:35:51 - The things that truly bring life satisfaction
00:38:12 - The one thing to remember
 

Gratitude is one of those words that’s everywhere - particularly if you’re interested in self-improvement & your health. BUT what does the science actually say about introducing a little more gratitude into our lives & the best ways to do it?
Well, Professor Fuschia Sirois is a psychologist from the University of Durham who’s been studying gratitude for much of her career.
Today we’re going to get answers to those questions and take a look at how gratitude can bring us closer to our future selves.
CONNECT WITH US
Connect with ⁠That's Helpful on Instagram.
Find Fuschia on Twitter⁠ & via ⁠her website.
BOOKS
Procrastination: What It Is, Why It's A Problem & What You Can Do About It
Want to become a podcast sponsor, got some feedback for me or just fancy a chat? Email me - thatshelpful@edstott.com
TIMESTAMPS 
00:00:00 - Intro
00:01:05 - What is gratitude?
00:03:29 - Why do some people have more gratitude than others?
00:06:27 - When did we start to study gratitude?
00:08:47 - Gratitude’s influence on health
00:10:46 - Impact on gratitude for people with fibromyalgia 
00:12:46 - Gratitude & future orientation
00:16:33 - The benefits of being future oriented
00:19:50 - Simple ways to incorporate more gratitude
00:25:06 - How to practice group gratitude
00:29:10 - How gratitude helps us find meaning
00:29:47 - What to focus your gratitude on
00:32:15 - Gratitude pitfalls
00:33:37 - Acknowledging joy in other ways
00:34:51 - Gratitude & society
00:37:45 - The one thing to remember
 

We know how fabulous getting out in the water can be for our mental health & overall well-being but there’s a growing body of research showing that cold water can be absolutely transformative, whether it's from your shower, pool or  the ocean.
So what is it ACTUALLY doing to our bodies & how can we start to reap the benefits in our own lives?
Dr Mark Harper is a consultant anesthetist at Sussex University hospitals in the UK and a leading expert in the prevention of hypothermia in surgical patients and in the therapeutic uses of cold-water adaptation and cold water swimming.
Want to become a podcast sponsor, got some feedback for me or just fancy a chat? Email me - thatshelpful@edstott.com
CONNECT WITH US
Connect with ⁠That's Helpful on Instagram.
Find Mark on Instagram & via his website.
BOOKS
Chill, The Cold Water Swim Cure

OTHER THINGS MENTIONED
100 Days of Vitamin Sea
That’s Helpful - Drawn To Water? Blue Mind is Why
TIMESTAMPS 
00:00:00 - Intro
00:01:26 - When is cold good for us & when is it bad?
00:02:14 - When did Mark become interested in this?
00:05:05 - Why are we only just discovering the benefits?
00:06:52 - The benefits of cold water exposure
00:10:00 - What’s happening in our bodies when we’re exposed?
00:11:38 - Cold water exposure keeps you in the moment
00:13:07 - The optimum conditions
00:15:00 - Why is 3 mins the ideal time?
00:19:06 - Getting comfortable with being uncomfortable
00:19:53 - How to utilise cold showers for health benefits
00:21:47 - Things to avoid
00:24:13 - The side-effects of cold water exposure
00:26:10 - Should you combine a sauna with cold water exposure?
00:28:47 - The main take-aways
00:30:00 - Cold water exposure for migraines
00:34:27 - Cold water exposure as prep for surgery

How many times have you referred to yourself as ‘too old’ or ‘too young’ for something? Have you blamed your forgetfulness on a ‘senior moment’ or your sore neck on ‘being over 30’?
I’ll be honest, before I found out about Ashton Applewhite’s work, they were comments I made ALL the time. But, remarks like these as well as a whole host of other behaviors are acts of ageism - something Ashton calls the ‘last socially sanctioned prejudice’ & it’s damaging to everyone because guess what? We’re all aging!
So how can we push back against this discrimination and age positively in a society that’s obsessed with youth? That’s what we’re going to tackle today.
Ashton, is a journalist, pro aging radical and the author of This Chair Rocks - A Manifesto Against Anti-Aging.
CONNECT WITH US
Connect with ⁠That's Helpful on Instagram.
Find Ashton on ⁠Instagram⁠ & via ⁠her website.
BOOKS
This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism
OTHER MENTIONS
Old School: Anti-Ageism Clearing House
Ed’s programme for ABC RN including Holdsworth Homeshare
Want to become a podcast sponsor, got some feedback for me or just fancy a chat? Email me - thatshelpful@edstott.com
TIMESTAMPS 
00:00:00 - Intro
00:01:20 - Ashton’s evolving relationship with aging
00:02:42 - The truth about aging
00:06:30 - The damage of generalisations
00:09:30 - Where does our fear of aging come from?
00:11:30 - The impact of social media on ageism 
00:13:30 - The hidden harms of ageism 
00:17:00 - How to push back against ageism 
00:24:00 - Striving for a world where age is less important
00:26:30 - The importance of having friends of all ages 
00:28:27 - Ageism is not a given
00:31:05 - True diversity
00:34:20 - Ageism is a part of many more conversations now
00:39:15 - The one thing to remember 

If you’ve been listening to the podcast for a little while now, you'll know I am pregnant at the moment - in fact, very pregnant! So in this episode, I’ve invited my friend and fellow podcaster Kylie Lately to talk about all things pregnancy:
navigating the transition into motherhood & learning about the term matrescence the tools I’ve learnt to mentally prepare for birth (spoiler alert: they're really helpful)  the podcasts and books I’ve loved my own honest experience of pregnancy It’s a very relaxed conversation but I’m hoping you’ll find it helpful and perhaps make you feel a little less alone if you’re also expecting. If you're not, please share it with the pregnant people in your life.
Want to become a podcast sponsor, got some feedback for me or just fancy a chat? Email me - thatshelpful@edstott.com.
CONNECT WITH US
Connect with ⁠That's Helpful on Instagram.
Find Kylie on Instagram⁠ & via ⁠her website.

PODCASTS
I Am with Kylie Lately
Child
BOOKS
Hypnobirthing: Positive Ways To Make Your Birth Better
The Positive Birth Book
The Birth Map
Ina May’s Guide To Childbirth
 

This week Earth Day asks us to focus on climate change & the things we can do to make a difference, but it can often feel like an overwhelming problem with minimal solutions & maximum anxiety. So how can we take these paralysing emotions that leave us wanting to bury our head in the sand & turn them into something positive that’s actually helpful?
 Associate Professor Leslie Davenport is a Climate Psychology Consultant.
Want to become a podcast sponsor, got some feedback for me or just fancy a chat? Email me - thatshelpful@edstott.com
CONNECT WITH US
Connect with ⁠That's Helpful on Instagram.
Find Leslie on Facebook & via ⁠her website.
BOOKS
All The Feelings Under The Sun: How to Deal With Climate Change
Emotional Resiliency in the Era of Climate Change
TIMESTAMPS
00:00:00 - Intro
00:00:52 - Why is this Leslie’s focus?
00:02:00 - Why is it important that we talk about climate change?
00:04:24 - Why is uncertainty so hard for us to deal with as humans?
00:07:33 - Anxiety Vs. climate anxiety
00:10:50 - The window of tolerance
00:13:17 - Breath practices
00:15:55 - Noticing mental habits & internal stories
00:16:46 - Figuring out how you can help
00:21:15 - Noticing if you’re outside of your window of tolerance
00:23:15 - Helping children work through their anxiety
00:27:05 - How to take the negative emotions & make them useful
00:27:51 - Will taking action ease our guilt?