Home Podcasts Practical Wisdom with Dr. Rick Hanson
Practical Wisdom with Dr. Rick Hanson

Practical Wisdom with Dr. Rick Hanson

Rick Hanson 64 Episodes Sep 16, 2026

Practical Wisdom with Dr. Rick Hanson offers grounded, accessible talks by psychologist and bestselling author Dr. Rick Hanson. Each episode focuses on developing greater resilience, compassion, and happiness through practical, down-to-earth guidance. Drawing on his expertise, Hanson provides tools and insights for personal growth and well-being. The podcast aims to make psychological wisdom approachable and applicable to everyday life.

Episodes

5 Ways to Take Things Less Personally
5 Ways to Take Things Less Personally Sep 16, 2026 2694 Life is going to bump into us. People will disappoint us, criticize us, misunderstand us, drop the ball, or sometimes genuinely treat us badly. The question is how to deal with all of that without adding a whole extra layer of suffering by taking it so personally. So this week, I explored how feeling more secure in your own worth, having healthy boundaries, bringing compassion to yourself, looseni
Why It’s So Hard to Set – and Keep – Healthy Boundaries
Why It’s So Hard to Set – and Keep – Healthy Boundaries Sep 9, 2026 2500 Most of us know, at least in principle, that it’s good to have healthy boundaries. The hard part is actually setting them — and then holding onto them when other people push back, get upset, or simply keep doing what they’ve always done. In this talk, I explored some of what makes boundaries so difficult, including feeling overly responsible for other people, doubting our own perceptions, and gett
Why Good Boundaries Make Better Relationships
Why Good Boundaries Make Better Relationships Sep 2, 2026 2748 Good boundaries aren’t about pushing people away. In fact, they can help us feel closer, more open, and more at ease with the people we care about. When you know where you stand, what you’re responsible for, and what you’re simply not going to take on, there’s less resentment, confusion, and pressure in a relationship. So that’s what I covered in my talk this week, including how to recognize what’
Insight – The Power of Seeing Reality Clearly
Insight – The Power of Seeing Reality Clearly Aug 26, 2026 2731 This week, I was joined by Melvin McLeod, editor-in-chief of Lion’s Roar and author of The Complete Path of Mindfulness, to explore what mindfulness can become when we see it as much more than a meditation technique.Melvin and I explored how mindfulness can be a complete path for living with his five essential elements—mindfulness meditation, insight, love and compassion, ethics, and community. Th
How to Find Peace in the Present Moment
How to Find Peace in the Present Moment Aug 19, 2026 2683 So much of the mind is leaning into the future—anticipating what will happen, planning what we’ll do, worrying about what could go wrong, and getting attached to how we or other people are supposed to become.In this talk, I explore what Buddhist wisdom, neuroscience, and even the physics of time can teach us about stepping out of this constant striving and returning to the “front edge of now.”You’
Patience – Why We Need It, and How to Grow It
Patience – Why We Need It, and How to Grow It Aug 12, 2026 1801 Impatience can be a surprisingly powerful source of stress, frustration, and conflict—especially when we’re waiting for something to change, dealing with difficult people, caring for someone we love, or simply wishing life would move faster.In this talk, I explore patience not as passive endurance, but as a combination of strength, insight, and an open heart. In the brain, when we become impatient
How to Feel That You’ve Done Enough – and Are Enough
How to Feel That You’ve Done Enough – and Are Enough Aug 5, 2026 2578 Many of us spend our lives quietly believing we need to do more, achieve more, or become more before we can finally feel at peace. What if the peace you’ve been searching for doesn’t come from becoming more—but from recognizing that, in important ways, you’re already enough? In this talk, I explore how the mind gets caught in endless striving and comparison, and how we can gently train ourselves t
How to Stop Ruminating
How to Stop Ruminating Jul 29, 2026 2500 Even when nothing is particularly wrong, the mind can keep generating something else to want, solve, compare, worry about, or figure out. All that mental activity can be exhausting—and it can keep us from recognizing the contentment and peace that are already available. In this talk, I explore an early Buddhist teaching on papañca—the mind’s tendency to proliferate—and how we can gradually step ou
Bows and Vows
Bows and Vows Jul 22, 2026 2310 Many of us move through life reacting to circumstances without pausing to consider what we’re truly devoted to. When we lose touch with our values and deepest intentions, it’s easy to feel scattered, disconnected, or pulled in directions that don’t reflect who we want to be.In this talk, I explore the relationship between what we bow toward and what we vow to live by. Practice isn’t just about acc
Letting Go of Fear, and Resting in Peaceful Confidence
Letting Go of Fear, and Resting in Peaceful Confidence Jul 15, 2026 2418 You’re welcome to join me live each week for these talks — for free — by signing up at https://rickhanson.com/wednesday-meditations-with-dr-rick-hanson/. We always start with a guided meditation to set the tone for the evening. If you’d like to experience the meditation that accompanied this talk, you can listen to it at: https://rickhanson.com/meditation-talk-letting-go-of-fear-and-resting-in-pea
The Sweet Power of Kindness, Compassion, and Happiness for Others
The Sweet Power of Kindness, Compassion, and Happiness for Others Jul 8, 2026 2210 We often think of kindness and compassion as gifts we offer other people. But what if they were also among the most powerful ways to heal ourselves?In this talk, I explore three transformative qualities of the heart—kindness, compassion, and joy for others—and how intentionally cultivating them can reduce suffering, build resilience, and gradually become part of who we are. Along the way, we’ll lo
Positive Emotions as Key Steps in the Path of Awakening
Positive Emotions as Key Steps in the Path of Awakening Jul 1, 2026 2688 Many of us think of meditation and inner practice as serious, even grim work. But what if joy itself is part of the path? In this talk, I explored four emotionally positive states — gladness, rapture, tranquility, and happiness — that the Buddha himself identified as essential factors on the path to awakening. You’ll learn why these states aren’t distractions from practice but powerful resources f

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