Kelly McGonigal

Kelly McGonigal, PhD, is a health psychologist and award-winning lecturer at Stanford University. A leading expert on the mind-body relationship, her work integrates the latest findings of psychology, neuroscience, and medicine with contemplative practices of mindfulness and compassion from the traditions of Buddhism and yoga. She is the author of The Willpower Instinct and Yoga for Pain Relief.

Author photo © Mark Bennington


Listen to Tami Simon's interview with Kelly McGonigal: The Neuroscience of Change

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Kelly McGonigal: Cultivating Positive Change

Kelly McGonigal, PhD, is a renowned lecturer at Stanford University, bestselling author, and longtime researcher into the mind-body connection. With Sounds True, she has recently published the unique audio journey 40 Days to Positive Change: Daily Support to Create a New Habit. In this episode of Insights at the Edge, Tami Simon speaks with Kelly about the often-overlooked components of the change process that are essential to cementing a habit in daily life. They discuss why you need to begin the change process from a place of curiosity rather than self-criticism, as well as how you can induce positive feeling states. Kelly explains why it helps to regard the change process as a “gift to your future self” and the importance of properly celebrating your accomplishments. Finally, Tami and Kelly talk about the relationship between personal and collective change, segueing into a discussion of how pets (particularly cats) can help us regulate our nervous system responses.

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