PODCAST reviews

Mindful Men Talk

Episode: Steve—Anxiety & Beyond

Taking an interest in your own emotional wellness is, for many men, greatly discouraged by societal expectations to be tough, invulnerable, self-sufficient. “We don’t let people know we may be searching,” explains Steve, who’s a mindfulness coach in Surrey, UK. Topics like stress, grief, sexuality, and overcoming stigma are the lens through which he and James approach Mindful Men Talk. “The fact you are taking notice” and addressing a mental health struggle, says Steve, isn’t a weakness: “It shows great strength.” Their podcast aims to expand the space for men to be open about their mental health.

To The Best Of Our Knowledge

Episode: How to Be an Ethical Traveler

This episode, a collab with AFAR magazine, offers a variety of thoughtful suggestions for your next trip—from purchasing carbon offsets to creating your own “traveler’s code of ethics.” Editor Dave Eggers reflects that such a code can focus on learning from your new surroundings, “tossing out everything you think you know and being a completely open book.” A mindful approach can also inform how we choose to carry material privilege in poorer regions. Professor Anu Taranath notes that we transform feelings of discomfort or guilt when we reflect: “What does it mean for me to lead an intentional life, knowing that I have more? How do I want to use what I have? Giving or not giving... isn’t a quick, transactional thing, but part of a larger ethos of how we live.”

THE HAPPINESS LAB WITH DR. LAURIE SANTOS

Episode: Make ’Em Laugh

Does the “chameleon effect” have something to do with vanishing into one’s surroundings? Well, sort of: It’s the fact that we unconsciously mimic the physical posture, mannerisms, even the moods, of those around us. As Dr. Laurie details, there are lots of ways this gets exploited—from TV’s canned laughter, to the manipulative algorithms of our Facebook feeds. But you can create a positive mood spiral instead by noting how a situation affects you (Ah, I have Twitter-argument jitters) and regulating your emotions.

WE ARE THE LUCKIEST The Surprising Magic of a Sober Life

Laura McKowen • New World Library

Early on in her recovery from alcoholism, Laura McKowen reached a powerful conclusion: Building her sober life didn’t mean cutting herself off from life’s freedom and joy. Rather, it was an invitation to be present with everything she’d been running from. To get close to the pain (debt, work, being unwillingly single, feeling isolated), as well as delight (self-expression, fulfilling relationships, seeing her daughter thrive). Healing means first accepting these things as they are, an ongoing process McKowen records in this timely, defiant, and beautifully written memoir. Sobriety becomes possible “not because I was committed to forever, but because I finally realized the future was built on a bunch of nows, and that was it.” Imbued with emotional honesty and hope, We Are the Luckiest urges a gentle curiosity and self-compassion for even our darkest places.