How To Be A Better Person with Kate H...
Start your day with one simple thing you can do in the next 24 hours to be your better self--not so you can be a perfect person. Or even a good person! Just... better.
I wrote the book "How to Be a Better Person" after "be a better person" topped the list of most popular New Year's resolutions for the first time ever. This podcast builds on the ideas in that book and is intended to be like the little angel on your shoulder, providing a counter narrative to the negative thoughts and impulses that are floating around both out there and inside your own head. My mission is two-fold: to help you keep growing, and to inspire you to use your power for good.
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801
Share Your Pronouns EP: 55
I have something very specific to suggest that you do in honor of International Kindness Day. And it’s not be kind to others! I hope you already know to do that, right?
6 min
802
Know When to Pick Up the Phone EP: 54
Today’s tip is designed to help you be a better and more efficient communicator. And in this day and age of overflowing inboxes and texts a-plenty, it may surprise you, because I am going to encourage you to do something that may seem even a little...
4 min
803
Be a River, Not a Pond EP: 53
Today’s tip can nudge you into feeling more generous, which isn’t something you hear about nearly as much as you do about gratitude. Gratitude is focusing on what you have or what you get. And generosity is focusing on what you can give to others....
5 min
804
Soak Your Stress Away, For Real EP: 52
Today’s tip delivers self-care in all kinds of ways, helping you tend to your physical health, your mental health, and even your psychic health.
3 min
805
Write a Thank You Note EP: 51
Imagine how tickled you’d be to pick up your mail today and see a handwritten note from someone thanking you for something you did or said. It would make your day, wouldn’t it?
4 min
806
Give a Better Compliment EP: 50
There are many ways that compliments don’t end up being all that complimentary. Especially when they are related to appearance, compliments can get loaded, quick.
5 min
807
How to Truly Help Someone You Love EP: 49
Of course you want to swoop in and fix things for someone you love if it’s possible for you to do so. But I want to plant the seed in your mind that fixing things for other people is in no way guaranteed to actually be helpful.
4 min
808
Take an Objective Look at What You Eat EP: 48
While you might spend a fair amount of time thinking about what you’re going to eat, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that you don’t spend a lot of time observing what you eat.
4 min
809
Find Your Power Hour. Protect It With All You’v...
Everyone has a time of day where they are most likely to be operating at full capacity. I like to call that time of day your power hour. It’s kind of like you get to be a super hero for only one hour a day—what hour would you choose to don your...
4 min
810
Do What You Can While Can EP: 46
My mother in law raised 5 boys, she worked full time as a Spanish teacher and she had dinner on the table every night at 5:30. Once I asked her how she did it and said well, you just do what you can while you can.
5 min
811
Bless and Release EP: 45
We all have heard that to forgive is divine, and it is. But it can also feel like a pretty tall order sometimes. The desire to forgive may not come for a while, but there is a half-step a long the way, and that’s what I want to talk to you about...
4 min
812
Make One Thing Reusable EP: 44
I recently read that every single piece of plastic that’s ever been made—which adds up to 8.3 billion metric tons—is still on this Earth. Some plastic is recycled, sure, but, according to National Geographic up until 2015 only 9 percent was...
6 min
813
See the Fingerprints on Everything EP: 43
Today we’re talking about a way to look at the things you buy and consume as more than mere things. And that is to think about all the many, many people that went into creating those things.
3 min
814
Catch Them in the Act EP: 42
This is a little different than my previous tip to give someone a high five, although it’s definitely related. Giving a high five is about celebrating. This is more about training yourself to notice and call attention to something that’s positive,...
3 min
815
Somewhere You Would Normally Drive EP: 41
I’m not talking about getting more steps on your Fitbit, although this can help you do that and that’s a perfectly lovely thing to do. It’s really just about interrupting the impulse to do things the no-brainer way.
4 min
816
Re-Motivate Yourself EP: 40
A powerful way to get re-motivated is to really think about the difference your work is making for people. You don’t have to be working for a nonprofit that’s saving the world in order to do this. Here’s how.
5 min
817
Build Your Boredom Tolerance EP: 39
At some point today, you’re going to be somewhere where for a few moments you have nothing in particular to do. And I’m willing to bet that after about, oh, 10 seconds of waiting, you’re going to get this great idea that says, I could check...
4 min
818
Check in With Yourself EP: 38
It’s easy to get in to the habit of checking in with everyone else in your household or on your team at work to see what they think, prefer, and need. But it’s really damn hard to remember to do the same thing for yourself.
5 min
819
Make a Difference Day EP: 37
Make a Difference Day has been a national holiday since 1992. I’m sure you can easily find several volunteer opportunities you could do in your city or town today, and I hope you’ll do that! But I want to suggest another way you can make a...
4 min
820
There’s More Where That Came From EP: 36
When you start thinking “there’s more where that came from”, you shift your focus FROM the money you no longer have and TO the additional money you could invite into your life.
4 min
821
Don’t Be an Interrupting Cow EP: 35
Getting interrupted is so frustrating. It impedes your train of thought, for one. Worse, it can feel like you’re being silenced and that what you have to say doesn’t matter. And it’s something we can do to other people even when we have the best...
5 min
822
Get in Bed When You’re Tired EP: 34
Falling asleep is a little bit like re-entry of a space shuttle – there are certain windows you need to hit for best results. Here’s a dead simple way to make sure that you’re in the right place at the right time for falling asleep.
3 min
823
Give a Feedback Sandwich EP: 33
One of the trickier things about working with other people is that you often have to give them feedback on how they’re doing. And few people actually enjoy getting feedback, especially when that feedback contains something that could be...
3 min
824
Celebrate Others’ Successes EP: 32
You know how when you see someone doing something really cool, sometimes you get jealous? Or maybe even think, “That bee-yotch!” C’mon, you can admit it. Today’s tip is here to help you shift out of that mentality.
3 min
825
Soothe Yourself to Sleep EP: 31
It can be hard to sleep on Sunday nights when you’re thinking about the things you want to and need to get done that week. To help us all get more zzzzs tonight, I’m sharing 2 simple DIY things that help you get to sleep.
4 min
826
Let Someone Else Go First EP: 30
Being in a hurry makes it easy to wish everyone would just get out of your way already. It’s a little bit like, how dare you slow me down, can’t you see I’ve got important things to do here! I mean, right? Here’s a simple way to step...
3 min
827
Make an Extra Monthly Debt Payment Every Year w...
If you’re a homeowner, financial gurus and advisors (and my Dad) will tell you to make one extra mortgage payment a year. I say, that’s a great idea! The problem is, it’s not exactly easy to find extra money just lying around waiting...
3 min
828
Don’t Be a Snowplow EP: 28
Today we’re taking aim at something that so very many of us do--especially those of us with kids, although it’s certainly not reserved for the parents of the world--and we tend to do it unconsciously. Or, if we’re aware of it, we...
5 min
829
Take a Stretch Break EP: 27
It’s really, really hard to be a person of any kind without a body, am I right? So, a better cared for body helps you do the things that being a better person will call on you to do. #wellnesswednesday
4 min
830
Take a Transition Between “Work” and “Life” EP: 26
Today’s tip is intended to help you build more of a boundary between your work time and your personal time. It’s not a solid wall – if you need to work for an hour after the kids go to bed, there’s no shame in that. It’s more like...
3 min
831
Look for the Loving Reason EP: 25
I suppose this gets a little woo-woo. So I hope you can go there with me. I’m basically asking you to try on the idea that life is happening for you instead of to you. Also, the blog post I mention is here:
7 min
832
Forgive YOUR Mistakes EP: 24
What I want to share with you today is a deceptively simple, and deceptively powerful, forgiveness exercise. What’s deceptive about this? Well, for starters, it is NOT about forgiving someone else.
3 min
833
Actually Silence Your Phone EP: 23
There’s no denying it—it hard to resist the allure of a ringing or dinging phone. Sometimes, I even flinch when I just imagine I’ve heard my phone vibrate or buzz. (I’m not the only one, right?)
3 min
834
Check the Urge to Buy New EP: 22
I’m guessing you’ve had the experience where you’ve gone to the store to pick up something you need, only to realize once you get back home that you already had it. Or that there’s at least one thing hanging in your closet right now that still...
3 min
835
Don’t Treat Gifts Like a Burden EP: 21
Today your mission is to recognize how you might be contributing to your own unease by treating good things as if they were bad things. (This is such a common thing to do.)
2 min
836
Let There Be (the Right Kind of) Light EP: 20
Today I want you to think about light, and what types of light you’re exposed to at what times of day. Why does this matter? Your body has something called a circadian rhythm, which is a really cool hormonal orchestra that is deeply influenced by...
4 min
837
When You Make Your To-Do List Matters EP: 19
This is something that, when I do it, makes my whole week go better. It helps you take the effectiveness of your to-do lists to another level, by being savvy and strategic about WHEN you make them. And don’t you just love being savvy and strategic??
3 min
838
Give Someone a High Five EP: 18
We just don’t get a lot of opportunities to high five each other outside of sports settings. Let’s bring it into real life more and encourage each other to do the hard stuff, the cool stuff, the stuff that deserves at least a little recognition....
4 min
839
Stop Taking Things Personally EP: 17
Imagine you’re driving to work, or your kids to school, and an impatient driver swerves to pass you and calls you an a-hole or flips you the bird as they zoom by. What’s going through your mind at that moment?
4 min
840
Make Space to Chill EP: 16
Where do you go when you need “me time,” or when you’re tired, or when you just need a minute to think? We’re all moving in so many different directions; you need a space that’s dedicated to rest and restoration so that you have the energy...
4 min
841
Set a Weekend Spending Budget EP: 15
Today’s Friday and that means we’re either talking about friends, finances, or fun. And on this particular Friday, I’m sharing a strategy that applies to all three of these various topics
4 min
842
Check Your Body Language EP: 14
Most of us haven’t ever stopped to observe our own body language. And it’s a crucial part of our relationships. In fact, studies of married couples have found that body language is a big predictor of divorce.
4 min
843
Stick Your Butt Out EP: 13
Because this episode is airing on a #wellnesswednesday, I’m talking about how to be a better person in your own body by doing one simple thing that can have a big ripple effect. And it all starts with your butt!
5 min
844
Nominate Yourself EP: 12
Here me when I say this, especially my fellow women or women-identifying folks, who may have absorbed the message that confidence is somehow bad: There is not now, nor has there ever been, any shame in voting for yourself.
4 min
845
Good Thing, Bad Thing, Good Thing EP: 11
Today I want to share a fun little something you can do to train yourself to see the positive. And it’s something you can do with kids, or friends, or partners, so it’s a good bonding experience too.
4 min
846
Listening, Revisited EP: 10
Today I want to go back to a topic I talked about last week, which is listening. Because since I recorded that I heard a really cool story about the power of aiming to simply listen better that I wanted to share.
5 min
847
Leave a Positive Review EP: 9
Challenging yourself to leave more positive reviews will help you remember to look for the experiences that go well. And what we focus on grows.
4 min
848
Love Up a Friend EP: 8
Our friends help us be better people because they help us see ourselves more objectively. They make us laugh. They also help us remember who we are outside of our responsibilities.
5 min
849
Admit a Mis-Step EP: 7
I know our first reaction is typically to hide something we did wrong, but owning up to a mistake is SUPER freeing. When you admit a mistake, you don’t have to expend energy on either trying to ignore it, or justifying why you were right to do it.
5 min
850
Lie on the Floor EP: 6
Your mission for today is to lie on the floor. Yep. That’s it! Just stretch out on your back on the good ole floor. Why? And how? Tune in to find out.
6 min
851
Mono-task (at Least) One Thing Today EP: 5
Focus is part skill, part ingrained trait, and part habit. If you haven’t been doing much of it lately, or if it’s something that’s nearly always challenging for you because of the way your beautiful, one-of-a-kind mind works, focusing is NOT...
7 min
852
Listen Better EP: 4
When you’re in conversation with someone and they’re doing the talking, you’re most likely not listening. I know you probably think you are. But you’re not. You know what you’re doing? You’re thinking about what you’re going to say next.
5 min
853
Be a Better Person Weekly Breakdown Bonus EP : 3
I'll be following a routine all year. You don't need to keep track or anything. Sharing so you have some idea what to expect. Day one coming up! Monday - Mindset and motivation and how you thing about things Tuesday - Work, productivity and time...
3 min
854
Kate's Definition Being a Better Person Bonus E...
The desire to be a better person is different for all of us. It will also mean different things too. The one thing that we all have in common is a willingness to make an effort to be the best version of ourselves.
6 min
855
Be A Better Person Podcast Introduction Bonus E...
Start your day with one simple thing you can do in the next 24 hours to be a better person. Author Kate Hanley shares inspiration to help all of us be the best version of ourselves.
4 min