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Mayo Clinic On Human Optimization

Mayo Clinic On Human Optimization

Mayo Clinic School of Continuous Professional Development 62 Episodes Aug 12, 2026

This podcast from Mayo Clinic explores the concept of Human Optimization, which aims to achieve more while improving wellness and well-being. It covers topics like exercise, nutrition, culture, emotional intelligence, and finding joy. The series addresses the challenge of balancing productivity with rest and recovery in modern life.

Episodes

E66 Become the CEO of your own health with Dr. Shah
E66 Become the CEO of your own health with Dr. Shah Aug 12, 2026 2427 Everyone knows that our health is fundamental to our whole experience of life. So why does it always seem like it’s the first thing to get deprioritized when life gets busy? And when we do try to make it a priority, why does it feel like our efforts don’t lead to meaningful change?  This episode, we’re joined by Dr. Darshan Shah. He’s a surgeon, author, entrepreneur, and host of his own pod
E65 The mental game of physical fitness
E65 The mental game of physical fitness Jul 29, 2026 2945 You don’t need anyone to tell you that working out is hard. That’s the whole point. But for many of us, the hardest part isn’t physically lifting the weights or running the laps. It’s getting to the gym in the first place. It’s knowing that we can do hard things. It’s staying motivated to keep working at it, even when
E64 Building trust: A powerful performance multiplier
E64 Building trust: A powerful performance multiplier Jul 15, 2026 3091 New relationships are hard for a reason – no trust. You’re starting from scratch with no common understanding, no established shared goals, or history of goodwill. Everyone’s feeling vulnerable. But also suspicious. It feels hard to take risks or even just relax and be yourself.     So, how do we get past the awkwardness and start buildi
E63 A framework for understanding good leadership
E63 A framework for understanding good leadership Jul 1, 2026 2611 Everyone loves a good leader. But they’re often held up as these singular examples of success, vision, inspiration, and perseverance. And we struggle to learn from their stories and distill them into a practical, repeatable blueprint for good leadership.   This episode, we’re joined by Dr. James Hebl, Medical Director for Leadership and Talent Development at Mayo Clinic and a certified executive
E62 Self-care for busy people: Productivity demands recovery
E62 Self-care for busy people: Productivity demands recovery Jun 17, 2026 3264 Self-care is one of the most commonly used, but poorly understood concepts today. For some, it brings to mind indulgence, luxury, or performative wellness culture. For others, it feels selfish, soft, or unrealistic. However, self-care, when done properly, helps fuel us to be our best selves and will maximize performance gains and achievement.   Our expert guest for this episode is Dr. Amy Oxente
E61 How to define your personal values
E61 How to define your personal values Jun 3, 2026 2772 Life offers plenty of nice, concrete, mostly attainable goals for us to chase and boxes to check – good job, life partner, maybe a house, maybe kids. But that’s also the classic recipe for a midlife crisis: you work your butt off to get a bunch of those boxes checked only to find yourself exhausted and unfulfilled. Or wondering, “Now what?”  So, how do we ground our goals to make sure we’re putt
E60 Unlocking Potential: The Art of Talent Development
E60 Unlocking Potential: The Art of Talent Development May 20, 2026 2913 Imagine: you get yourself a sweet new sports car, hop in for your first drive, only to realize you have no idea how to drive stick. So you drive around town in first gear, going super slow, making tons of noise, stalling out at every stop sign. You finally make it home, hop out and proclaim, “This car’s a piece of junk!” Well, that’s the challenge we face with talent development, where the ceilin
E59 The Sleep Paradox: Why Trying Harder Makes It Worse
E59 The Sleep Paradox: Why Trying Harder Makes It Worse May 6, 2026 2595  Why is it that the more we think about falling asleep, the harder it becomes? Our mindset around sleep plays a huge role in our ability to fall asleep, the amount of sleep we get and the quality of that sleep. So how can we use our mindset to our advantage? This episode, we speak with Bhanu Kolla, M.B.B.S., M.D., the co-author of the Mayo Clinic Guide to Better Sleep. He’s also a professor of ps
E58 Being in Charge vs. Being a Leader
E58 Being in Charge vs. Being a Leader Apr 22, 2026 2250 Just having a title that sounds authoritative doesn’t make someone a leader. And you don’t have to be a CEO to lead, either. So what actually inspires people to take action? In this episode, we’re joined by Thom Mayer, M.D., to explore how to stop waiting for authority and start leading. Dr. Mayer is medical director for the NFL Players Association and author of the book Leadership Is Worthless,
E57 The State of Flow: How to Maximize
E57 The State of Flow: How to Maximize Apr 8, 2026 2422 Hopefully, you’ve experienced getting so absorbed in work or an activity you enjoy that you lose track of time. We tend to be most productive in what is often called a “state of flow.” When harnessed effectively, flow can act like a superpower for personal fulfillment and progress. To help us better understand and maximize moments of flow, we’re joined by Biju Samkutty, chief operating officer of
Tomorrow's Cure - When Algorithms Meet Empathy: The Future of Patient-Centered AI
Tomorrow's Cure - When Algorithms Meet Empathy: The Future of Patient-Centered AI Apr 1, 2026 2987 Today, we are sharing an episode from our sister podcast Tomorrow’s Cure. Produced by our Mayo Clinic colleagues, this chart-topping and Ambie Award-finalist podcast explores the future of medicine – from the rise of chronic disease and autoimmune disorders to innovations in AI, 3D bioprinting, and cancer research. In this specific episode, you’ll hear from Mayo Clinic physician leader Dr. Anja
E56 How to Get More Mileage from Your Brain
E56 How to Get More Mileage from Your Brain Mar 25, 2026 3254 How often do you feel that your brain is functioning at its highest level? If you are like most of us, it’s not as often as you would like. Given the high-pressure world we live in, it’s critical for us to ensure our brain is firing on all cylinders, as often as possible. To make that happen, we need to help our brains be more efficient. Just like mileage on a car, we want to optimize the mileage

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