The Hippie Dabble Digest started September 7, 2021 on Substack. We have since transitioned over to the blog and a newsletter that encompasses more than just the digest. As part of this transition, Hippie Dabble is bringing over all the old digests for you to enjoy. This one is week 2 from September 14, 2021. The links from the Hippie Dabble Digests get put into the Directory and can be found here: https://hippiedabble.com/directory/.
Welcome to week 2 of the Hippie Dabble Digest! This week I picked podcasts at random and got a coincidental mental health and mindfulness theme for most of the week. I hope you find something helpful, informative, and/or interesting with the resources below.
The Happiness Lab Podcast – Let Slip the Dogs of More Happiness
The Happiness Lab podcast delves into happiness but on a scientific level. So is it true that dogs bring us happiness and joy? The Happiness Lab found that it’s not necessarily the dog itself bringing us happiness. It’s more that the dog motivates us to do the things that scientifically bring happiness such as walking, socializing, and being present in the moment. It’s a good listen with some fun stories and great information that you can find here: https://www.happinesslab.fm/season-3/episode-4-let-slip-dogs-more-happiness or wherever you get your podcasts.
TED Talks Daily Podcast – How to stop languishing and start finding flow with Adam Grant
Ever feel blah or just eh? You’re not really depressed and you don’t have anxiety necessarily, but you just don’t feel quite right. Adam Grant calls this languishing and he says the cure is to find your flow – being in the zone or totally absorb in an activity. He describes three necessary parts to flow – mastering, mindfulness, and matter – all described in detail in the podcast. While some people find their flow in gardening, crafting, cooking, or running, Adam found his in Mario Kart. This is an entertaining and informative listen especially if you’re feeling kind of blah.
There is no website for any specific episode of TED Talks Daily but here is the general website for the podcast: https://www.ted.com/about/programs-initiatives/ted-talks/ted-talks-daily and you can find this specific episode wherever you get your podcasts. It was released on September 7, 2021.
TED Talks Daily Podcast – This could be why you’re depressed or anxious with Johann Hari
After researching depression, Johann Hari has found that there are nine causes of depression but only two are biological. The rest, he says, are due to environment and lifestyle – most people with depression have unmet needs and imbalances in the way they live. In this TED Talk he focuses on two of those causes and solutions – loneliness or a lack of a tribe and what he calls junk values or in other words thinking our problems will be fixed by external solutions (i.e. trying to buy and display your way out of sadness). Johann shares stories from his own life and stories of people he came across who understood the deeper causes of anxiety and depression and were succeeding in fixing them.
Again, TED Talks Daily podcast doesn’t have specific episodes online but this one came out on August 24, 2021, and you can find it wherever you get your podcasts.
Johann Hari also did a TED talk on addiction that I had watched quite some time ago. He made similar arguments in that TED talk regarding addiction. It’s a fantastic talk and you can find that one here: https://www.ted.com/talks/johann_hari_everything_you_think_you_know_about_addiction_is_wrong?language=en#t-105677
Johann Hari has two books out related to these TED Talks about lost connections – one on addiction and one on depression. See my To Read List below.
Rumble with Michael Moore Podcast Episode 210 – Sean Penn
I don’t normally listen to Michael Moore’s podcast but I was intrigued by all of the humanitarian work Sean Penn has done. This episode mostly covers that humanitarian work with a little bit of Hollywood and politics thrown in (listener beware). Even if you don’t agree with the politics, Sean Penn has done some amazing humanitarian work and it’s worth a listen. He founded an organization called CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort) that began by helping Haiti with the 2010 earthquake disaster relief. It grew from there and has helped with Hurricane Ida, COVID-19, disaster preparedness, and more. It was an interesting interview with Sean Penn and you can find that here: https://rumble.media/episode/sean-penn/ or wherever you get your podcasts and find out more about CORE here: https://www.coreresponse.org/
Quote of the week
I’ve decided to add a quote of the week to the newsletter and this week’s quote comes from Johann Hari’s TED Talk Daily podcast episode featured above.
What’s on my to read list?
(I’m a slow reader so this could get pretty long.)
- Food Politics – What Everyone Needs to Know by Robert Paarlberg (found at a library book sale)
- Tightrope – Americans Reaching for Hope by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn (past Book of the Month Club book)
- Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery (See the Ezra Klein Show Podcast in the Hippie Dabble Digest: Week 1)
- Plants for Your Food Forest: 500 Plants for Temperate Food Forests and Permaculture Gardens Published by Plants for a Future (See the website in the Hippie Dabble Digest: Week 1)
- Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Solutions by Johann Hari (see TED Talks Daily Podcast above)
- Chasing the Scream: The Inspiration for the Feature Film “The United States vs. Billie Holiday” (The Opposite of Addiction is Connection) by Johann Hari (see TED Talks Daily Podcast above)
Have any book suggestions? Or any other suggestions? You can send me an email with any comments or suggestions at HippieDabble@gmail.com or comment on this post.
Hope you enjoyed this back issue of the Hippie Dabble Digest! I’ll keep posting them every Thursday until we’re all caught up. See you next week!
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