The Better Show

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Better Confidence Nov 12, 2018

Show notes

We discuss how to improve your confidence and overcome self-doubt. We explore the difference between self-confidence and over-confidence, techniques for dealing with negative self-talk and ways to feel more comfortable in your skin.

Show Notes

2:49 - Confidence: born with it or acquired?
4:09 - How self doubt is self-perpetuating cycle
10:11 - Using self-doubt as a tool for making better resolutions
11:57 - March's years of imposter syndrome at work
14:25 - March's anxiety about fatherhood
17:13 - How early encouragement ( or lack thereof) make a difference in building self-confidence
22:00 - Learning to back away from overconfidence
24:11 - Mental exercises for interrupting the cycle of self-doubt, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and March's first Drake reference
28:48 - Noting vs Diffusing techniques
30:25 - Important terminology to better understand self-confidence
32:10 - How a meditation practice can be used to deal with self-doubt
36:00 - The brain's Default Mode Network concept
38:40 - How nutrition & exercise impact self confidence
44:08 - "Dutch courage" alcohol for confidence
48:20 - How your confidence changes once outside your social support network
53:13 - Prescription drugs, nootropics and supplements for self-confidence
55:05 - Power posing for confidence: myth or fact?
56:30 - How to deal with setbacks and common confidence crushers
1:05:47 - After Show: Worst email etiquette

Mentions

📰 Article: 5 Steps to Deal with Self-Doubt and Trust Your Self Again (Tiny Buddha)
📰 Article: 13 Powerful Ways to Overcome Self-Doubt (The Positivity Blog)
📰 Article: 5 Reasons Why It's Actually OK to Doubt Yourself (a plus)

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Better Flu Fighting Nov 05, 2018

Show notes

We discuss what you need to know about the flu and how to fight it. We review the current flu science, why you and your family should get the vaccine and what other things you can do to avoid catching or transmitting the virus.

Show Notes

2:31 - Ian shares a number of interesting statistics on the 2017–2018 flu season from the US Centers for Disease Control.
5:28 - We discuss how the CDC figures out when the flu season starts and stops and how the flu impacts our society economically.
11:29 - Statistics on the 2017–2018 flu season, including # of deaths attributable to the flu.
12:00 - Ian quizzes March and Darren on flu season facts, many of which may surprise you.
17:20 - Darren calls for a rules review after March takes an early lead on the quiz.
30:40 - The prevalence of anit-vax content on Pinterest.
35:30 - The effectiveness of new nasal spray flu vaccines.
37:05 - A new flu vaccine in the form of a trans-dermal patch.
39:05 -What is a "quadrivalent" flu vaccine and why should you ask your doctor about it.
40:50 - The first anti-flu drug approved by the FDA in 20 years and how it works.
42:50 - Things you can do to reduce your risk of contracting the flu.
43:40 - How long can the flu virus survive in the air?
47:55 - The best time to get a flu vaccine for the current season and where you can get a flu shot.
53:55 - "Starve a cold. Feed a fever" and why you shouldn't rely on Saturday Night Live for health advice.

Mentions

📰 Article: Flu virus survives for more than 1 hour in the air
📰 Article: Shelf stable patch for flu vaccine
💻 Web site: Flu Prevention Infographic
💻 Web site: FluView: Weekly US Influenza Surveillance Report
👍 Product: Xofluza --- anti-viral 1 dose treatment

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Better Health By Fasting Oct 29, 2018

Show notes

We discuss intermittent fasting - a research backed way to lose weight and improve your health. Fasting has shown to be an effective way to burn fat, reduce the risk of diabetes, improve brain function, and even reboot your immune system and fight cancer.

Show Notes

3:41— What is intermittent fasting and how did this become a thing?
5:43— Why people choose to adopt an intermittent fasting routine.
9:59— Background about the fasting app, Zero, and some recent news about how it’s developing.
11:43— The effect of simply paying attention to what you eat.
12:57— March describes a few of the day-to-day fasting techniques including the “16–8 method” and the “eat-stop-eat” and the “5–2 diet”.
14:55— The evolutionary history of human eating cycles.
22:55— How fasting affects your insulin cycles.
24:18— Advice on approachable ways for starting to experiment with intermittent fasting.
27:51— What are “fast mimicking diets” like ProLon and how do they work?
32:53— Quote of the episode by Ian: “Fasting is like the Jack Welch of stem cell regeneration techniques.”
33:17— March shares his experience with a 4-day water fast and why he ultimately had to stop.
37:15— How to use fasting for jet-lag recovery.
41:50— March shares a mindfulness trick for how to make an intermittent fast more tolerable.
44:28— The importance of maintaining your water intake even when on a fast.
47:17— The ways you can measure the effects of a fast on your body’s metabolism including a fast’s effect on cholesterol.
49:40— Ian decides to go all-in on a 5-day fast.
51:04— Darren decides to adopt an intermittent fast to avoid jet-lag on his next trip.
52:10— March decides to try out ProLon but is going to keep drinking caffeine to avoid the challenging headaches.

Mentions

🍴 Product: ProLon the "fast mimicking diet"
👨‍⚕️ Expert: Dr. Satchidana Panda from the Salk Institute
📱 App: Zero --- fasting app
Kevin Rose's fasting app Zero beefs up with new CEO, $1.2M funding (TechCrunch)
📱 App: MyFitnessPal--- fitness and nutrition tracking app

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Better Sleep & Health with the Oura Ring Oct 22, 2018

Show notes

We discuss one of the most advanced fitness trackers on the market - the Oura Ring. We contrast the ring with other fitness trackers available, talk about it's different sensors & reports, and Ian & March reflect on their experience with Gen 1 and Gen 2 of the ring.

Show Notes

4:36— How Ian first discovered the Oura ring and why he became interested in it.
7:28— Why Darren, who has an aversion to jewelry or wearable devices, is beginning to seriously consider a smart ring.
8:58— What bio-metric info does Oura track and what insights does it provide to help you learn about your health.
14:05— We discuss the Oura “readiness score.”
16:16— March discusses the different smart watches and devices he’s used and how they compare to the Oura ring.
18:05— Darren asks Ian about his experience with the new Apple Watch and how it compares to the Oura ring.
20:45— Ian explains the concept of “digital well being” and why it’s important.
22:17 —The relationship between smart devices, like smart watches, and smart phones.
24:00— The benefit of a smart device without a screen — both in terms of digital distraction and in terms of durability.
25:21— Battery life of the Oura ring and strategies for keeping it fully charged while maximizing wear-time.
27:01— The differences between the 1st and 2nd generation of Oura ring.
30:20— The affect of alcohol consumption on the quality of one’s sleep.
38:45— The affect of caffeine consumption of the quality of one’s sleep.
39:45— How smart, wearable devices are ushering in an era of personalized medicine.
45:58— The verdict: will Darren decide to buy an Oura ring?
48:02— The price of the Oura ring and why you get what you pay for in terms of accuracy of data and quality of insights. See research data inset.
54:04 —March drops the quote of the week with the insight that “getting enough sleep allows you to survive, but tuning your sleep allows you to thrive.”

Mentions

👍 Product: Oura Ring
🎙 Podcast: Under The Radar
📖 Book: Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker, PhD

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How Morning Routines Make the Day Oct 15, 2018

Show notes

We dive into how to design the perfect morning routine. We explore how mindfulness, healthy habits and a little bit of planning can set you up for the best day ever.

Show Notes

2:05— What do we mean by a “morning routine” and why your own morning routine matters
4:35— Getting your mental “auto-pilot” to work for you.
5:17— Ian talks about a book 📖 he’s reading titled Make Time by Jake Knapp.
6:30— Research into the effects of mindfulness exercises and why adding mindfulness
8:35— Why are we talking about a “morning” routine and not a “lunch” or “evening” routine?
9:55— Ian shares how his morning routine has changed over time.
13:37— Using your morning routine to approach the day “on the offense” instead “on the defense.”
16:58— Darren shares his approach to designing his own morning routine and how it changed from his youth to adulthood.
21:28— Darren shares a tip 💡 about starting your morning routine the night before.
22:35— March outlines his morning routine and shares a tip 💡 about getting enough sunlight during the winter months by using a full-spectrum daylight lamp.
24:50— How March tricks himself into staying faithful to his morning exercise routine.
27:10— March and Ian talk about the Oura ring’s readiness score helps them start their day.
28:45— Ian recommends the website My Morning Routine and talks about how having children affects one’s morning routine.
34:55— How small changes or disruptions can wreak havoc on one’s morning routine.
39:15 —Ian quizzes March and Darren on statistics about high achievers’ sleep and wake habits.
41:58— We share a tip 💡 about “do not disturb” and “daylight” and “bedtime” modes on smartphones.
47:35— A tip 💡 for using your wireless router settings to limit screen time for kids.
48:50— March shares tips 💡 about doing a body scan meditation in the morning to become aware of stresses that might be affecting him at the start of the day.
54:50— Our personal “night before” routines to help start the next day off effectively.

Mentions

📖 Book: My Morning Routine
💻 Website: MyMorningRoutine.com
📖 Book: Make Time by Jake Knapp
👍 Product: Luma wireless router
👍 Product: Beurer LED Daylight Lamp
👍 Product: Oura or Motiv health tracking rings
👍 Product: Five-Minute Journal
📱 App: Freedom

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The Principles of Persuasion Oct 08, 2018

Show notes

We dive into the ways you can convince, inspire and influence others. Being able to persuade people is a key life skill whether you're interview for a job, inspiring your co-workers to start a new project or fund raising for your favorite charity. We explore different styles of persuasion, how to use them ethically and to recognize when they're being used on you.

Show Notes

1:34— We discuss the usefulness of being able to successfully persuade others — in work and in personal life.
4:30— How the powers of persuasion can be used for good or for evil.
7:46— Our individual experiences in persuading others.
10:50— Fund-raising vs “friend-raising”
12:35— We discuss the documentary “The Push” by Derren Brown and the infamous Milgram experiments and how social pressure and authority have a heavy psychological influence on all of us.
15:35— Ian talks about a recent episode of the Accidental Tech podcast.
17:40— Why it’s important to understand how persuasion tactics can be used for nefarious purposes so that we can recognize them when someone is applying them on us.
19:35— Finding common ground with others as a tactic for persuasion and productive outcomes.
23:20— March introduces Tim Baker’s influence framework and describes the four quadrants that describe the different approaches for influencing others.
24:50— We discuss examples of great persuaders in recent history and cite examples of their persuasive performances, including JFK’s “go to the moon” speech, the #metoo movement, Al Gore’s TED Talk on climate change, and President Obama’s performance in the debates leading up to the 2008 US Presidential elections.
31:15— We offer some tips on ways to find common ground with those you are hoping to persuade.
34:20— The effectiveness of enrolling others in a problem-solving effort or decision-making process.
38:52— We discuss persuasion strategies including, reciprocity, commitment, social proof, and scarcity.
45:20— Darren decides to test out Tim Baker’s framework when planning his next funding pitch at work.
46:08— March decides to read more biographies about historical figures who were faced with having to influence large groups of people.
47:17— Ian is going to read How to Be a Friend: An Ancient Guide to True Friendship by Marcus Tullius Cicero, to increase relationship building skills.
48:21— Ian puts March and Darren to the test by presenting them with an impromptu persuasion challenge.
52:00— #sharethecookies and our “Better Next Step”

Mentions

Documentary on persuasion: Derren Brown: Pushed to the Edge
Movie about the Milgram experiments: Experimenter
Podcast: Accidental Tech Podcast 294 (start at 19:58 in for the mall cop story)
Book: New Influencing Toolkit by Tim Baker
Book: How to Be a Friend: An Ancient Guide to True Friendship by Marcus Tullius Cicero & Phillip Freeman
Book: Walter Isaacson: The Genius Biographies: Ben Franklin, Einstein, and Steve Jobs

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Better Look Back Vol. 7 - Vacation, Commutes, Going Green Oct 01, 2018

Show notes

We look back on how our experiments have gone in planning better vacations, improving our commutes and going green. We'll discuss what worked, what didn't, and what new tips & strategies we learned.

Show Notes

1:25— The Better Show recording goes cross-continental as we celebrate March’s recent move to Ireland.
5:50— We dive into our reflections on better vacations.
6:20— March’s trip this summer to Madeira and the Azores and how he applied the tip from episode 21 that it’s not about the length of the vacation, but about the richness of the experience.
14:05— March’s use of Inbox by Google and TripIt.
16:15— March shares his experience attempting to find the perfect gelato.
18:08— How Darren and friends are planning their trip to Portugal next year and purposely building in free days and agreeing to keep plans fluid.
22:30— Ian’s upcoming vacation to Disneyland with his fiancee and friends.
24:10— Ian shares a tip about using Disney Tourist Blog to help plan a Disney vacation.
25:50 —How Ian used trash-talking to enhance a golf vacation this summer with his dad.
29:09— Ian tip: Disney FastPass for a better Disney theme park experience.
30:39— We reflect on Going Green and discuss carbon offsets and reducing our carbon footprint by cutting down air travel and telecommuting.
33:20— We discuss e-bikes and March starts his search for a new e-bike.
36:27— Resources for e-bike shopping: ElectricBikeReview.com (and their YouTube channel) & Fully Charged YouTube channel.
38:48— Darren’s home gets more insulation in his latest home renovation.
39:49— Tip: Terra Chips
40:40— Ian’s 6-month check-in experience with his new Tesla Model 3.
42:25— Tip: ChargePoint app to find electric charging stations.
49:30— Ian shares that he’s been eating less meat and recommends the book: Foodist by Darya Pino Rose.
51:32— The awareness of the environmental impact of plastic straws and other single-use plastics.
54:25— We talk about Better Commuting and March shares his challenge in experience trying out Uberpool.
56:42— Darren laments that he hasn’t (yet) biked to work this summer.
57:50— Ian’s attempts to improve his commute this summer and he describes his experience with MetroMile insurance.
1:01:41— March marvels at how much time he has saved by telecommuting and not having to travel to the office.

Mentions

Doodle polls to coordinate schedules
Inbox by Google
TripIt
Disney FastPass
MetroMile insurance
Uberpool
ElectricBikeReview.com (and their YouTube channel)
Fully Charged YouTube channel
Disney Tourist Blog
Terra Chips (just get them and eat them --- amazing!)
Foodist by Darya Pino Rose

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How to Build a Better Back Sep 24, 2018

Show notes

We dive into the ways you can protect, strengthen and heal your back. Back pain is the leading cause of chronic pain in the world and more than 80% of us will suffer from it at some point - but you can reduce your risk of getting back pain and speed up your recovery with simple posture and exercise and recovery techniques - listen to find out.

Show Notes

3:00— We discuss the stats around how common back injuries are.
8:00— Ian is curious about the economic impact of Tiger Woods’ back injury.
10:15— The most common causes of back pain and back injuries.
12:12— The growing awareness around the importance of desk job ergonomics.
18:10— Ian mentions The Supple Leopard and we discuss why people get shin splints.
21:30— The parasympathetic nervous system and the symmetry of the human body.
26:25— Ian shares his history of back pain and we discuss the effects of sleep positions and sleep duration on one’s back.
30:55— The Herman Miller Aeron Chair as a status symbol for companies back in the dot-com bubble days.
33:10— Darren shares some of the challenges he’s had with back injuries and sings the praises of his inversion table.
45:00— March suggests an alternative to an inversion table using a pull up bar.
47:11— March shares the story of how the wheelbarrow became his person nemesis.
54:50— We share tips for preventing back injuries including the correct way to lift heavy objects and being conscious about repetitive tasks.
53:15— Ian shares a tip for an app and wearable device to help train you for better posture.
56:40— Squats and dead-lifts: valuable exercises to help you strengthen your back.
59:40— Ergonomics 101
1:04:02— What is ATP and how to know if you have it?
1:06:20— Ian walks March and Darren through some quick stretches to learn about and prevent ATP.
1:10:01— Benefits of standing desks.
1:14:10— When to go to the doctor for back pain.
1:15:01— The different types of doctors that treat back pain and how they approach treatments.
1:24:40— What to do when you experience mild, acute, short-term back pain.
1:27:15— We commit to our Better Next Steps.
1:34:00— Better next step for the audience: adjust your desk for proper posture.

Mentions

Herman Miller Aeron Chair
Steelcase Gesture Chair
Wirecutter
Teeter Inversion Tables
Ballbarrow --- innovative design for a wheelbarrow
Lumo Lift --- solution for improving one's posture
Swedish Kneeling Chair
Salli Saddle Chair

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Better Bite - Mood Tracking with Daylio Sep 17, 2018

Show notes

We review the Daylio mood tracking app and discuss the benefits of tracking your emotional well being. We dive into building the habit of daily journaling, Darren's experience with Daylio and the positive effects it can have.

Show Notes

2:17— Darren introduces us to Dailyo, a mood tracking app.
3:56— Why use a mood tracking app?
9:24— How does a mood tracking app compare to a daily physical journal?
11:00—March asks if a mood tracking app is worth the effort?
12:19— Darren shares the insight he's found after tracking his mood every day for 46 days
15:29—Ian asks Darren what other insights & patterns he's found in using a mood tracker
19:29— Mood tracking for couples
22:42—We discover another app, Moodnotes, that tracks your mood & improves your thinking
25:31—CBT (cognitive behavior therapy) & its benefits on your mood

Mentions

App: Dailyo
App: Moodnotes
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Mayo Clinic)

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Better Conversations with Celeste Headlee Sep 10, 2018

Show notes

We discuss how to have better conversations with award-winning journalist, host of "On Second Thought" and author of "We Need To Talk", Celeste Headlee.

Show Notes

1:35— Ian, Darren, and March introduce Celeste and share how we became familiar with her work.
4:24— Celeste talks about how the ability to communicate effectively is a unique human advantage and how losing the ability to communicate constructively can be the difference between life and death.
6:39— The difference between simply tolerating someone and truly understanding their perspective.
8:49— Ian is curious about whether cooperation is a universal human trait.
10:40— Celeste discusses the traits common to all humans; especially the strong need we all have to feel like we “belong”.”
13:56— Sympathy vs. empathy
17:43— Celeste helps Darren identify public role models who demonstrate constructive disagreement and references Brian Cox’s response to the question about his spirituality (or lack thereof).
20:03— We discuss why mainstream media’s excuse that they simply “give people what they want” is cop out.
22:33— Darren compares “click-bait” to empty calories in a food diet.
23:40— Celeste notes that “there is no replacement for the human voice as an effective tool for communication.”
24:25— Celeste shares how she became interested in the topic of constructive communication.
27:25— Darren shares an experience he had with a roommate in college that enlightened him about the power of giving others the benefit of the doubt.
28:35— March shares his thoughts about why constructive communication is critical for a healthy marriage.
30:20— Ian shares how a sales job early in his career taught him about the importance of making meaningful connections with others.
33:02— Ian asks Celeste how to maintain one’s authenticity while trying to empathize with others and Celeste talks about how people regularly “code switch.”
34:15— “A great conversation is like a game of catch.” — Celeste Headlee
36:10— March asks Celeste for advice on how can each of us can make a contribution to a better public dialog; and Celeste shares new research with us on “The Liking Gap.
38:39— “Nobody waves, but almost everyone waves back.” — Celeste quoting from Nicholas Epley’s book, Mindwise
39:34— Celeste shares a powerful tip for how we can help ourselves and others avoid falling into an “us vs them” mindset.
41:55— Ian shares how the human genome proves scientifically how much we have in common with one another.
42:50— We discuss social media as a tool that can be used constructively or destructively and the importance of being intentional with one’s use of social media.
51:00— Why there is a reason to be optimistic for the future.
54:20— Ian does some spot research to reveal that the term “conversations” is on an upward trend on Google.