We’ve all heard that complaining isn’t good for your mood,  but it’s also unhealthy for the body. It can actually damage your brain! Today, when the urge to complain arises, we invite you to try to reframe your reaction into something healthier — like gratitude — instead. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Love has many meanings and takes many forms. Many times the ways we act in love, it’s out of convenience. It can be transactional, or something we do out of obligation. But what would happen if we applied mindfulness to love, and attempt to act in love in a way that feels fully present in our mind and body? Try it today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In all interpersonal relationships, boundaries aren’t just common sense, they are healthy. Boundaries can be hard to set, but they’re a form of self-protection and self-care. Remember, they’re not there to keep others out, they’re there to keep you safer and happier.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Very often, the dreams we have for ourselves are very different from the dreams that our loved ones may have for us. That can create tension in the relationship, but remember, these people often have the best intentions. Still, you must find your own path. What is best for you is up to you, and no one else.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Guidance can come from anywhere — and very often from places we didn’t expect, or even want. But anyone can be a teacher if you are willing to listen to them. It’s often the people who we underestimate that can teach us the most — if we let them. Keep your mind open, and listen to what guidance is coming your way.  Want Dora’s entire breakup collection? The entire collection is available now inside of the Headspace app. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When we talk about creating space in the mind in meditation, we are talking about allowing thoughts and feelings to breathe. This allows us perspective on a situation or pattern in our own lives. But when we do this for ourselves, we are also practicing doing this for other people. When we create space, we can see others for who they are. Not how we want them to be. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There’s a thought in Eastern philosophy that a ‘demon’ isn’t a monster. It’s anything that hinders us from our liberation. These can be things that live within us. Today, instead of meeting your demons with judgment or attempts to repress, try to approach them with compassion and see how that makes you feel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

 Is there a part of you that you’ve been previously shamed for? Maybe it’s your name, your heritage, and personal expression are something to be proud of, instead of something to run away from. Embracing these things can help lead us to our destinies in life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The only constant in life is change. And some of us embrace it more than others — especially when we think about how we as people are changing all the time. Today, dig up some old photos, and appreciate the you that you used to be!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

All of the sensory information we receive every single day is filtered by one part of the brain: the reticular activating system, or RAS. We can encourage the RAS, and make new connections in our brain, by being more intentional with our focus. Today, focus on the good things to forge more positive connections. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How is your breathing? Very often, when we get stressed or overwhelmed, we can lose track of our breath. Our breath is what guides us. Focus on it to check in with yourself, and to return to the present moment. Each breath holds a sense of possibility. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When you express a negative emotion, how often are you told to “be positive” or “stay strong”? Today, we want to reframe how you think about strength. To be human is to experience the full range of the human experiences, so the next time you think to choose stoic strength over tears, consider allowing yourself to feel what comes natural to you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From Headspace Studios, we wish you a warm welcome to Sunday afternoons and to that creeping feeling of anxiety that seems to pop up around that time. You know the feeling... they're called the Sunday Scaries. Too cute a name for such a big feeling! But Headspace meditation teacher Dora Kamau is here to help you take it on, take back your Sundays, and enjoy your afternoons again. All new episodes of Sunday Scaries will be available exclusively on Spotify. Follow the show for new episodes, each Sunday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Most of us grew up with the mantra “work hard, play hard.” You can take extended periods of rest, like a vacation — but only if you work first! This weekend, take a mini-vacation or staycation. Prioritize rest, and we’ll see you back here on Monday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There is a lot of wellness advice out there — what to eat, when to eat it, how to exercise, what ‘healthy’ looks like. But what much of this advice fails to mention is that none of it matters if it doesn't feel good to you. Let’s practice being mindful of what your body is telling you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s easy to be kind when you’re in a good mood, but opportunities to be kind can arise at any time. It’s those moments when we have to deliberately choose kindness that can ultimately result in more happiness, than moments when we already feel kind. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Confidence is the feeling of self-assurance, and confident people can inspire a sense of comfort in others. But how can each of us be more confident? Here are a few steps you can take — and remember, the journey is where confidence grows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

At Headspace, we believe that a mindfulness practice doesn’t just happen while you’re meditating. It can actually be a part of every facet of your life — especially in your relationships with others, and those closest to us in particular. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How often do we go to do something, and finish the task with no recollection of it at all? This is because we don’t have present-moment awareness. But we can cultivate this skill through mindfulness. Consider practicing this weekend with a snack — it doesn’t have to be a raisin! Have a good weekend, everyone! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Stress is a part of life, but we can control how we respond to it. And the best way to respond to it is by having a few stress-busting activities on hand for when the going gets tough. Today, jot down a few ideas for your Stress Toolkit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We get a lot of questions about meditation and mindfulness. Today, Kessonga is going to answer a few of them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

While self-evaluation is healthy for self-improvement, it is often easy to confuse honesty with criticism. The latter comes from a place of judgment, which we should work to avoid. So today, let’s practice being honest with ourselves minus the judgment, and see how this can improve our well-being. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Many of us are venturing back into the world … and it’s busy out here! But even in the most demanding of places, we can find a sense of peace and quiet, if we know how to look for it.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the Headspace app, we often talk about the ever-present blue sky. That’s the sense of calm and ease that’s present in all of us, all of the time. In the same way, our intuition is always there to guide us. That instinctive voice always knows the right way, but sometimes we don’t listen. This weekend, tune in to your inner voice and see where it leads you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There’s a common misconception that mindfulness can reduce stress. What mindfulness actually does is increase your stress resiliency, which is how we respond to stressors in our environment. Stress will never disappear — it’s a part of life — but through meditation and mindfulness, we can learn to control our reactions to it, making our response to stress less extreme. The book Kessonga mentioned is Full Catastrophe Living by Jon Kabat-Zinn. You can also get a crash course on meditation and mindfulness in Andy’s book, Get Some Headspace.  If you like what you hear, you can spend more time with Kessonga inside of the Headspace app, where he leads a variety of guided meditations and wind downs for sleep. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices