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Retired, But Not Done Yet – Dr. Cynthia Barnett

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Retirement Wisdom · May 8, 2020 ·

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Resiliency and perseverance are top of mind these days. Today’s retirement podcast conversation is an inspiring story of overcoming adversity throughout life and creating a meaningful second act with a higher purpose. COVID-19 has many ripple effects. Forced to stay at home, many people are finding themselves doing more self-reflection about their true priorities. And others still are being forced to think about what’s next earlier than they planned. What will you choose to do when your days of full-time work come to a close?

The story of our guest today will fuel your self-reflection. It’s the story of an educator who “retired” and then re-fired.

Resiliency and Perseverance Lead to a Great Second Act

We discuss:

Her Amazing Girls Science Program
What inspired her to write her book I’m Not Done Yet…And You Shouldn’t Be Either
Her journey to college, beginning with multiple rejections, and culminating in a Doctorate from Columbia University
How dealing with challenges creates greater strength
Why becoming an Empty Nester can be a catalyst
Why creativity and resiliency can be cultivated
How people can recognize a calling
Why some people believe that they can never achieve their dreams yet others do just that
Her advice for anyone who’s retiring, but not done yet

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Bio

Dr. Cynthia Barnett is the author of I’m Not Done Yet … and You Shouldn’t Be Either

A research study by the American Association of University Women called “Why so few women in Science, Technology, Engineering & Math” prompted Dr. Barnett to join the movement to empower girls in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM) by seeking to ignite their interest and spark their enthusiasm while building core life skills of self-confidence, self-esteem, curiosity, problem-solving and risk-taking.

Dr. Barnett has become a STEAM champion and is passionate about bringing opportunities to young girls to blaze their own path in STEAM fields to get them ready to meet 21st Century challenges in the scientific and technological fields.

Saturday Academy was one of the programs featured on CBS on their Martin Luther King “Fulfilling the Dream” program focusing on people in the community who give back. The Connecticut Technology Council has honored Dr. Barnett with its Community Innovation & Leadership Award.

Dr. Cynthia won the Inaugural AARP Purpose Prize for her work with igniting the SPARK in girls for STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math).

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Wise Quotes

On Resiliency

“I made a decision that I was going to swim and I was not going to sink. And one of the things I learned from that difficult situation and that really bubbled up in me was my own problem-solving skills. I learned how to figure it out. I had an inner strength in me that I didn’t know existed. I learned how to be independent and how to be confident. And it was a very difficult time, but I made it through.”

On Self-Reflection

“Sometimes it’s difficult. It depends on the mind where one may be thinking they want to lead their life. It’s a lot about reflection. And thinking, ‘Well now it’s time. It’s time to do something else. It’s time to give back. And it’s time to really make a difference.’

On Recognizing a Calling

“That inner calling, it just speaks to us and if people are really willing to think of where they’re going next, where they want to spend the next 20 years – because research shows that we are going to live to another 20 or 30 years after we leave the regular workforce. As an example, I left my position as an assistant high school principal 17 years ago, I was 60 at the time. I’m going to be 77 next month. And I’m thinking, ‘What would I have done in all that time? ‘I would have been absolutely bored. So it’s so important to really think of what’s next for us. And many people don’t think about that. They just kind of just go along with one thing at a time, not really thinking about Well, what’s really my true Calling? Because the true calling may not have been in the work you did before.”

On Finding Her True Calling

“I find that this is my true calling because I’m able to use not just what I know, not just some of the strategies, but it’s a whole new avenue for me. I’m not a science major, but I love science. I love the intrigue that it brings the kids.”

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For More on Dr. Cynthia Barnett

Order I’m Not Done Yet…And You Shouldn’t Be Either

The Amazing Girls Science program

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Related Podcast Episodes You May Like

How to Live Your Legacy Now – Barbara Shaiman

How Seniors Are Saving the World With Activism – Thelma Reese

How to Build a Non-Profit Encore Career – Betsy Werley

Why Building Resilience is Vital in Midlife and Beyond – Jan Zacharjasz

Advice for Successful Career Women Transitioning to Retirement – Helen Dennis

Why People Make a Career Change with Purpose Top of Mind – Chris Farrell

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Best Books on Retirement

Some related titles you may like:

Answering Your Call: Guide for Living Your Deepest Purpose

The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life That Matters

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Take The First Step

Create The Retirement You Want

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About Retirement Wisdom

We help people who are retiring, but not done yet, discover what’s next.

A long retirement is a terrible thing to waste.

And a meaningful retirement doesn’t just happen by accident.

We help you design the life in retirement that’s uniquely right for you.

Retire smarter. Schedule a call today to discuss how we can help you make yours great.

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Retirement Wisdom · Apr 21, 2020 ·

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The right retirement tips are like gold. The retirement ideas you envision and the pre-retirement planning you do now can make it happen. Imagine the feeling when you do achieve the freedom to retire. And what does it take? More than ever, it takes sound planning, a balanced approach, and discovering a new purpose in retirement. We’re honored to have Fritz Gilbert, of the Retirement Manifesto, return to our podcast to share his retirement advice, and talk about his book The Keys to a Successful Retirement. And you’ll find this book to be a go-to resource to retire smarter. Professionals planning for retirement, devotees of the FIRE movement (and Fat Fire), and retirees will all find it to be a trusted source of retirement tips, practical retirement planning advice, and inspiration.

We discuss:

How he and his wife are doing in the pandemic
His perspective on the economic impact of COVID-19, as an early retiree
How he thinks this will affect the FIRE movement
What day-to-day life as an early retire is like – and what’s surprised him
Which factors mattered most in his pre-retirement planning
What inspired him to write his book Keys to a Successful Retirement
Why test driving retirement life helped him
What differentiates people who do it right in retirement from those who don’t
Why Attitude & Passion should be part of your retirement planning
The role the Freedom for Fido project has played in their retirement life – and what hints it gives you for yours
Why finding a new purpose is vital
What he learned for his ONE Retirement Question project
His advice for pre-retirees

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Bio

Fritz Gilbert retired after more than three decades in corporate America, where he progressed through the various levels of a multinational corporation serving the global aluminum industry. His award-winning blog “The Retirement Manifesto” is focused on people achieving a great retirement. Fritz and his wife, Jackie, live in a cabin in Blue Ridge, Georgia, an Appalachian Mountain town where they’re active in their local church and various local charities, including Jackie’s charity Freedom for Fido (FreedomForFido.com). When he’s not writing, Fritz enjoys spending his time outdoors and is an avid fly fisherman, mountain biker, hiker, camper, photographer, and fitness fanatic. He also cherishes his daily walks in the woods with their four dogs, who run the household. Fritz and Jackie also travel cross country in their RV to visit their daughter and her family in the Pacific Northwest.

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Wise Quotes

On Envisioning Your Life in Retirement

“Think about what you want your life to be. And there’s a direct correlation between those that take more time to think about it and how successful their retirement is. The people that are Type A and hard-charging right up til the end, especially if they lose their job unexpectedly, Boom, they’re retired. They tend to be the ones that struggle the most. And it really does go back to this getting onto the off-ramp and mentally preparing yourself to start changing gears. You’re getting off the Interstate and you’re going back on a country road. You’ve got to be prepared for how that drive is going to differ. And, taking the time to do that before you hit the country road. No doubt in my mind that’s the most important thing people can do.”

On Taking Retirement for a Test Drive

“I took an extra week off. We, so I made it, 10 days or so, and my wife and I both said, Hey, let’s just kind of pretend we’re retired.
We’ll try to really make this like a retirement lifestyle and let’s just think about what do we want our days to be. What do we want our retirement dreams to be? And anything like that that you can do to just put your mindset into the post-retirement lifestyle helps. And do that while you’re still working. I’ve done a lot of research for the book and one of the biggest differentiators is the people that kind of take some time to do that, tend to have the easiest transition into retirement.”

On Why Attitude Matters in Retirement

“Wherever you’re going in your journey, it’s almost a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you go into something with a bad attitude, chances are it’s going to turn out to be not that enjoyable. And the thing about retirement is the attitude that we take towards it is pretty much entirely within our control. You there’s so many things you can’t control; the stock market; inflation; health insurance, etc. But the things that you can control, be intentional, and choose to be positive. Look for the positives in all the situations you’re facing. And I just think that goes a long way to smooth out the bumps and makes it a lot better journey.”

On Purpose in Retirement

“You’ve got to have something to get up for in the morning. It’s an overused phrase, but it’s true. You really have to find something that you’re passionate about, and you have to replace that fulfillment that you got through work. Work, you can say a lot of negatives about it, but there’s no doubt that it gave you a sense of purpose. You knew what you had to do. You had your objectives, you had your annual reviews, you had your metrics. Whatever there was, there was. I think we’re designed as people to perform certain things, right? And when you’re performing the thing that you’re meant to be doing, there’s fulfillment that you get from that. Retirement can be the best years of your life. The trick is to find the thing that you’re meant to be doing. And that’s the challenge. is how do you find that thing? And I get into that in my book.”

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**For More on Fritz Gilbert, the Retirement Manifesto & Keys to a Successful Retirement:**

Order: Keys to a Successful Retirement: Staying Happy, Active, and Productive in Your Retired Years

Follow on Twitter @RetireManifesto

Follow on Facebook and Instagram

Freedom For Fido

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Retirement Podcast Episodes You May Like

Our first conversation with Fritz Gilbert

The Soft Side of Retirement – Fritz Gilbert, The Retirement Manifesto

Other Podcast Conversations You May Like

Are You Ready For The New Retirement? – Stephen Chen

What’s Your Exit Strategy? – Ashley Micciche

Not Exactly Retired – David Jarmul

With the Freedom to Retire, Where Will You Plant Your New Tree? – Don Ezra

Your Retirement Won’t Come with a Road Map – Carol Hymowitz

Do Your Retirement Strategies Account for 6 Stages & Community? – Ted Carr

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Related RW Blog Posts You May Like

Power Up Your Purpose: Now’s The Time

Your Greatest Retirement Asset Could Be Your Attitude

Our Review of Keys to a Successful Retirement

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Follow the Retirement Wisdom Podcast on Instagram

Tap into tools including free retirement calculators| The New Retirement Planner | The Flexible Retirement Planner

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Retirement Wisdom · Apr 1, 2020 ·

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Volunteering plays a big role in many retirements across many types of volunteer organizations. Today’s guest, David Jarmul, shares his experiences volunteering abroad with his wife with the Peace Corps in his sixties. David’s new book, Not Exactly Retired, tells the inspiring story of a couple who steered off the main highway of the American Dream to reinvent themselves. They left their home to wander around the United States and Nepal and then serve as Peace Corps volunteers in Moldova, in Eastern Europe. Not Exactly Retired is a book for anyone seeking inspiration about how they, too, might pursue adventure, serve others, and embrace the next phase of their lives. This book is a shining example of why volunteering is important – and why it can be a unique way of reinvention in early retirement.

We discuss with David:

What it was like to walk away from a great job and career to pursue adventure and service.
What his sendoff was like at Duke University.
His side trip across the US and a return visit to Nepal before his new Peace Corps mission.
What it was like to be in the Peace Corps in Moldova in his sixties.
What he learned about himself.
How the experience affected his relationship with his wife Champa.
What the re-entry to the US was like.
What’s next for him.
How individuals and non-profit organizations can be more strategic about volunteer opportunities.
How he’d advise someone looking for a way to be more creative, serve others and pursue a higher purpose.
Why drifting in retirement is important to avoid.

David joins me from North Carolina.

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Bio

David Jarmul is a writer and world traveler whose blog has been read in more than 100 countries. He was the head of news and communications at Duke University for many years and held senior communications positions at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the National Academy of Sciences. An honors graduate of Brown University and past president of the D.C. Science Writers Association, he has also worked as an editor for an international development organization, a writer for the Voice of America, and a reporter for a business newspaper. His previous books are Headline News, Science Views and Plain Talk: Clear Communication for International Development. David has traveled throughout the world and in all 50 U.S. states. He served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Nepal, where he met his wife, Champa, and with her in Moldova, Eastern Europe. They live in Durham, N.C.

Source: https://notexactlyretiredbook.com/

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Wise Quotes

On Identity and Retirement

“I began to redefine my identity. It took me months to change my LinkedIn profile and to let go and stop thinking of myself as the former this or the former that, and to embrace my new role as a Peace Corps volunteer – and also as a blogger. So, that was good. More broadly, I felt like being a Peace Corps volunteer really helped me to be flexible to this. Can I step into a place where the resources are much less than we have in America? In many ways, it’s a simpler life. And to realize that what really matters in life is, is not necessarily what we obsess about here in America.”

On Volunteering Abroad in His Sixties

“I was serving in my sixties this time, which many people listening to this might think, ‘Wow, that must be pretty tough.’ But actually I thought it was easier to be a volunteer in my sixties than it was in my twenties. Particularly since I was serving with my wife. I wasn’t lonely. I always had my best friend there. And with the people who ran the community where we were – the mayor and the head of the school and the library and so forth – they were the same age as us. And so we became friends. So we would trade photos of our grandkids and we could talk to each other as peers. And it was a very different kind of relationship. And we really enjoyed it. ”

On How Not-for-Profit Organizations Can Leverage Retirees Better

“…Non-profit groups look to older volunteers often as a way to handle tasks that don’t necessarily use their skills all that appropriately. And I think there’s a real opportunity within the non-profit world, and more broadly in American society, to take advantage of our cohort. And to think more strategically about the skills they can bring. People have great backgrounds, whether it’s in HR or with computer technology or management and just [overall] communication skills. So it’s sort of in all kinds of areas [with experienced people] who are eager to be of service. And I sometimes feel like nonprofits don’t quite know what to make of them. So I’ve been actually working with others here in North Carolina to see if we can address that. But it’s a need and it’s an opportunity that I think extends much more broadly across the country.”

Advice on Volunteering in Retirement

“I’m imagining somebody, Joe, who’s listening to this right now who thinks, ‘Oh, that’s kind of fun, but I could never do that.’ And my answer to them is: Yes, you can. But it doesn’t necessarily have to be the Peace Corps. Everybody has their own dream, has their own bliss. And for us, it was doing that for somebody else. That may be something entirely different for you. My argument to people is not, ‘Hey, you need to join the Peace Corps’. It’s: Take control of your life.’ It’s: ‘Be deliberate about where you’re going. And another way to say that is: Don’t drift. I have friends and I’m guessing you may too, who are dear friends and wonderful people, but I get the feeling that they’re just doing what they’re doing because they can’t think of something else to do. They don’t necessarily enjoy it all that much anymore.”

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For More on David Jarmul and his book:

Order Not Exactly Retired

Read David Jarmul’s Blog

Watch a Short Video on their Moldova experience (1 minute, 41 seconds)

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Related Podcast Episodes You May Like

Why People Make a Career Change with Purpose Top of Mind – Chris Farrell

How to Build a Non-Profit Encore Career – Betsy Werley

With the Freedom to Retire,Where Will You Plant Your New Tree in Retirement? – Don Ezra

The Exciting Potential of Integenerational Mentoring – Charlotte Japp

Why Settle for Happiness in Your Retirement? – Emily Esfahani Smith

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Related Blog Posts

Find the Volunteer Opportunity That’s Right for You

Power Up Your Purpose: Now’s The Time

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We hope this podcast episode finds you and your loved ones healthy and safe during these challenging times. Stay well.

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About Retirement Wisdom

We help people who are retiring from their primary career and are not done yet, discover what’s next.

A long retirement is a terrible thing to waste. And a meaningful retirement doesn’t just happen by accident.

Schedule a call today to discuss how we can help you make yours great.

______________________________

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Retirement Wisdom · Mar 20, 2020 ·

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Life planning & career planning can be challenging things to tackle, especially in uncertain times like these. Dave Evans, the co-author of Designing Your Life and the new book Designing your Work Life, explains how the principles of design thinking can give you an edge. Whether you’re anticipating a transition to a new chapter in life in retirement, creating a second career or making a savvy career change, “iterating your way forward” is the best way to explore new options.

Designing Your Life is one of the most impactful books I’ve ever read and the one I’ve most often given as a gift. It’s the best book on life planning and career planning in my view.

We talk about:

The story of how Designing Your Life came to be
The Principles of Design Thinking and how they can be applied to life planning and career planning using DYL
How Designing Your Life is used in different populations around the world today
How DYL is leverage by older adults in mid-life and later life
Why Reframing is a skill you’ll want to develop
How Prototyping works with a person instead of a product
What the new book Designing Your Work Life is about
How networking is done with a DYL mindset
Dave Evans’ advice for someone considering making a change in their life or career

Dave joins us from California.

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Note: We’re in challenging times. Investing some time in reflection and self-renewal is especially important now. These podcast episodes are offered now with that intention in mind. We hope you find them helpful and hope that you stay well.

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Bio

Dave Evans has worked in alternative energy, telecommunications, and high tech. As an early member of the advanced systems group that built the technology that became the Macintosh, he led the first computer mouse team and laser-printing projects, before leaving to co-found the software giant Electronic Arts.

After more than thirty years of executive leadership and management consulting in the high tech world, Evans realized that what he really wanted and needed to do was help people rediscover purpose in their jobs and lives. He joined Stanford’s Design Program, where he now co-teaches the incredibly popular Designing Your Life course, which helps undergraduates discover their paths after graduation.

In the book Designing Your Life, Evans and co-author Bill Burnett, Executive Director of Stanford’s Design School, bring these principles to a larger audience, proving it’s never too late to design a life you love through innovation and creative problem-solving. A dynamic and entertaining speaker, Evans teaches audiences of all ages that the same principles used to create amazing technology and products can also be used to design and build a life filled with purpose and joy that is constantly creative and productive.

He lectures around the country on design thinking and offers a popular e-course on the subject through Creative Live with Bill Burnett. From his travel around the country and meeting and hearing from thousands of people, Evans was inspired by the Designing Your Life community to compose a second toolkit with Burnett, this time specifically focused on work. Designing Your Work Life is full of tips, tricks, and tools for optimizing and “future-proofing” work.

Evans earned a Bachelors of Science and Masters of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford and a graduate diploma in Contemplative Spirituality from San Francisco Theological Seminary. He and his wife live in Santa Cruz and have five adult children, including three Stanford grads.

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For More on Dave Evans

Buy the new book Designing Your Work Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans

Read the Original Designing Your Life book by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans, a #1 New York Times bestseller.

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Wise Quotes

On Taking Charge of Your Future

“But one of my favorite parts of that particular story is that moment of realization – Wait a minute, it’s actually just up to us. These people had resources and they were healthy. Not everybody can do that, but whatever it is you’re looking at, as long as the resources could be made available, it’s just up to you. The freshness of ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe we pulled this off stuck with them for a long time. It was still amazing to them that they actually had the chutzpah to make their own decisions and that started propagating out into all other kinds of parts of their lives.”

On the Design Your Life Methodology – The Short Version

“So, here’s the whole Designing Your Life methodology in 10 words. Here you go: Get Curious. Talk to People. Try Stuff. Tell Your Story. That’s it. The four steps and simplified process: Get Curious, Talk to People, Try stuff. Tell Your Story.”

On Prototyping

“Now two out of the four of those, there are two middle ones. Talk to People and Try Stuff. They’re the primary forms of prototyping. if I’m prototyping a mouse or we’re prototyping a new antilock brake system, that’s different. But prototyping a person. How do you do that? You talk to people and you try stuff. You go out there and you have conversations with people doing the kind of thing you’re thinking about or curious about. And you begin to do very, very small, little ‘get your feet wet’ experiments. I don’t mean, take the whole summer off and go live in Bora Bora. Log into a virtual reality experience for 30 minutes and then go spend a day doing it or do shadow somebody. Get really ‘low bar’ experiences of trying these things out.”

On Thinking Like a Designer

“What we’re doing, is actually a way of living in an experimental way and it suddenly becomes ‘Oh, I can get up and take my curiosity out for a walk every single day by talking to people and doing stuff.’ And sometimes along the way, it’ll actually turn into a decision that becomes a new life. How interesting. So it’s really a way of life that we’re offering it. It’s not a religion. Your value system comes from other places, but then you live in this way of being in the world, which is experiential and collaborative and participative. And frankly, it’s really interesting.”

On the New Book Designing Your Work Life

“Networking is just asking for directions from kind people. It’s not bugging people. And so off you go by the way of that simplified system of Get Curious, Talk to People, Try Stuff, Tell Your Story. That is exactly what we recommend people do when it’s time to think about making a change – because if you get stuck early on by trying to figure it out or push it off or solve all the problems, you will get stuck prematurely. And your friend here really is curiosity. Set the bar low and give yourself some time. So if you make the transition process itself and the exploration into it, its own reward: Oh Hey I’m making progress, I’m learning, I’m meeting people, I’m getting out there. And finding a fun thing including like, Oh wow, that’s no fun at all. I would never want to be a Tax Preparer despite the fact that I’ve always kind of had this evil satisfaction doing my taxes at the end of the year.”

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Work One-on-One with a Coach

Want to work on designing your next chapter?

We have a Certified Designing Your Life Coach.

Invest in crafting your future. Schedule a free consultation.

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Related Podcasts You May Like

Why People Make a Career Change with Purpose Top of Mind – Chris Farrell

Tiny Habits Can lead to Big Changes – BJ Fogg, PhD

The Joy of Movement – Kelly McGonigal

With the Freedom to Retire, Where Will You Plant Your New Tree? – Don Ezra

How to Make a Wise Career Switch – Dawn Graham

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About Retirement Wisdom

We help people who are retiring from their primary career and are not done yet, discover what’s next.

A long retirement is a terrible thing to waste. And a meaningful retirement doesn’t just happen by accident.

Schedule a call today to discuss how we can help you make yours great.

Retirement Wisdom · Mar 4, 2020 ·

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Our guest today is Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D., and author of The Joy of Movement. Kelly is a health psychologist at Stanford whose Ted Talk on stress has over 22 million views. The Joy Of Movement is an exceptional book that blends the science behind the psychological benefits of exercise and physical activity with compelling stories of how exercise has helped people overcome challenges and thrive. It’s a great time of year to (carefully) start or resume working out and this book has inspiring messages that will get you moving. You’ll find this book to be helpful for people of any age and any level of fitness, including exercise for seniors.

Our Conversation with Kelly McGonigal

We talk with Kelly about:

Her personal story with exercise and the role it plays in her life
How movement affects our moods
How movement can bring out the best version of ourselves – and a braver version of ourselves
The social side of movement and exercise
How the people she interviewed for her new book showed her how exercise, hope, and courage are connected
The mind-body connection – and what a rock-climbing experience taught her about overcoming fear
The story of her grandparents and the role of music and movement in their lives
Her advice if you want to start exercising, resume exercising or take it up a notch

Bio

Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D., is a health psychologist and lecturer at Stanford University, and a leading expert in the new field of “science-help.” She is passionate about translating cutting-edge research from psychology, neuroscience, and medicine into practical strategies for health, happiness, and personal success. Kelly’s latest book is The Joy of Movement: How Exercise Helps Us Find Happiness, Hope, Connection, and Courage.

She is also the author of The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It (Penguin 2012), which explores the latest research on motivation, temptation, and procrastination, as well as what it takes to transform habits, persevere at challenges, and make a successful change. Her audio series The Neuroscience of Change (Sounds True 2012) weaves the newest findings of science with Eastern contemplative wisdom to give listeners a revolutionary process for personal transformation. She is also the author of Yoga for Pain Relief: Simple Practices to Calm Your Mind and Heal Your Pain (New Harbinger, 2009), which translates recent advances in neuroscience and medicine into mind-body strategies for relieving chronic pain, stress, depression, and anxiety.

She teaches for a wide range of programs at Stanford University, including the Stanford Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education, the Graduate School of Business, and the School of Medicine’s Health Improvement Program. She has received a number of teaching awards for her undergraduate psychology courses, including Stanford University’s highest teaching honor, the Walter J. Gores award. Her popular public courses through Stanford’s Continuing Studies program—including the Science of Willpower and the Science of Compassion—demonstrate the applications of psychological science to personal health and happiness, as well as organizational success and social change. Through a wide range of conferences, workshops, university-affiliated programs, and consulting, Dr. McGonigal also provides continuing education and training to executives, teachers, healthcare providers, and other professionals.

Her psychology research (on compassion, mindfulness, and emotion regulation) has been published in The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Motivation and Emotion, The International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine, and The Journal of Happiness Studies. From 2005-2012, Dr. McGonigal served as the Editor in Chief of the International Journal of Yoga Therapy, a peer-reviewed journal of mind-body research, healthcare policy, and clinical practice. A long-time practitioner of yoga and meditation, Dr. McGonigal is a founding member of the Yoga Service Council and serves on the advisory boards of several non-profit organizations bringing yoga and meditation to underserved and at-risk populations, including Yoga Bear (providing yoga in hospitals nationwide and to cancer survivors and their caregivers) and The Art of Yoga Project (bringing yoga into juvenile detention facilities in the San Francisco Bay Area).

Dr. McGonigal’s work has been covered widely by the media, including the CBS Evening News, U.S. News and World Report, CNN.com, O! The Oprah Magazine, Time magazine, USA Today, and the American Psychological Association’s Monitor on Psychology. She is also a frequent source of expert advice and commentary for media outlets such as the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, MSNBC.com, Web MD, Time, Fitness, Women’s Health, and more. In 2010, Forbes named her one of the 20 most inspiring women to follow on Twitter. In 2012, she teamed up with the Oprah Winfrey Network and Superbetter Labs to create an online game that would spread the benefits of gratitude to millions of people worldwide.

Dr. McGonigal received her Ph.D. in psychology from Stanford University, with a concentration in humanistic medicine. She received a B.A. in Psychology and a B.S. in Mass Communication from Boston University.

She is also passionate about the benefits of physical exercise and has been certified as a group fitness instructor since 2000. In her free time, she continues to teach group fitness classes – because sometimes moving, breathing, and sweating is the best thing you can do to create health, joy, and resilience.

Wise Quotes

On the Psychological Benefits of Exercise

“So a lot of the stuff that’s happening inside of you that causes suffering, it basically recedes. And things that make us feel good – whether it’s hope, whether it’s confidence, whether it’s feeling connected to others, all the stuff going on in our brains that give us a sense of pleasure or joy – that becomes enhanced. And people describe that – sometimes even to a degree of feeling euphoric – when they exercise. And sometimes it’s more subtle where you start out your workout feeling stressed out, maybe feeling a little isolated, and at that 20-minute mark, Man, your body feels like you’re in the zone. With whatever movement you’re doing, it physically feels better and you just suddenly feel so much more optimistic about your capability to handle what’s going on in your life. You feel more connected to the people in your life. Everything just seems better. That’s the main psychological effect.”

On the Exercise High and The Joy of Movement

“We even now know what’s going on in the brain that’s probably causing that. And that is the effort that you are engaged in basically convinces your brain to release brain chemicals like endocannabinoids and endorphins and dopamine that make you feel good. And also that sort of nudges you in the direction of being a braver version of yourself, more willing to persist and do difficult things in order to reach meaningful goals – and also a more social version of yourself. So, particularly endocannabinoids and endorphins – they’re social bonding brain chemicals. And when their levels are higher in your brain, you find it easier to reach out to others. You find it more pleasurable to spend time with others. Other people’s jokes are funnier. It feels better to get a high five or a hug. It feels like you get more of a warm glow if you cooperate with other people. And so this is part of what an exercise high does to you.”

On the Social Benefits of Exercise

“One of the things I’m fascinated by is that there’s almost no wrong way to move in order to get the psychological benefits. And yet when I talk to people about movement, I just kept hearing over and over how important the social relationships were that they were forming in communities of movement, even among people who are doing what seemed like solo activities, like running, for example. So maybe it’s your local gym where you join a walking group or a recreational sports club where you go to a dance class. In these places there’s something about moving together with other people that creates a type of bond and friendship that’s hard to find in other places.”

“And we know part of this is again, neurobiology and we know that when you move with other people, that shared endorphin rush that you get, it makes you enjoy the workout more for many people, but also that shared endorphin rush is one of the main ways that people bond.”

On Where to Start

“Well, first, I would say you have to move away from the motivations that a lot of other people try to force on us. Like the idea that you have to find a form of exercise that will burn the most calories or be the most efficient for warding off heart disease. Not that any of that stuff isn’t good for you, but you have a very different experience of movement and you’ll be more likely to stay with it. Start from a place of asking yourself, what would bring me joy or what would be meaningful? And so you can pair movement with other things that already bring you joy. And we know that movement will enhance the joy you get from them. So if you love your dog, go for a walk with your dog or play with your dog in the park or the backyard.”

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For More on Kelly McGonigal, PhD:

Read The Joy of Movement: How Exercise Helps Us Find Happiness, Hope, Connection, and Courage

Her Website

Ted Talk

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