Episode 89

As the Day of Love approaches, a lot of us think about the relationships in our lives but, the people we love should not occupy our minds only on Valentine’s Day. Our closest personal relationships have the potential to inspire, motivate, and make our lives deeply meaningful. However, if we don’t put conscious effort into build healthy connection with the right people, we can end up drained, tired and hurt. So in this episode we dive deep into psychology research on how people fall in love - romantically and platonically - and how to make these relationships more nurturing for both sides.

Sources:

Snyder, Matthew John, "Honesty in interpersonal relationships" (1996). Doctoral Dissertations . AAI9634558.

Guan, L., & Wang, Q. (2020). Does sharing memories make us feel closer? The roles of memory type and culture. 

Van den Berg, C. M., Lammers, J., Stoker, I. I., Jordan, J., Pollmann, M., & Stapel, D. A. (2012). Power Increases Inferential Reproduction of Others' Desires. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 38(11), 1451-1462. doi:10.1177/0146167212453814

Herbst, K., Finkel, E. J., & Shimberg, E. (2013). The effects of eating with others on food intake: A field study. Appetite, 60(1), 72-75. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2012.10.007

Altman, I., & Taylor, D. A. (1973). Social penetration: The development of interpersonal relationships. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

Christensen, A., Johnson, S. M., & Turner, L. A. (2000). Honesty in Close Relationships. Journal of Marriage and Family, 62(3), 737-747. doi:10.1111/j.1741-3737.2000.00737.x

Halevy, N., Weinberg, A., & Elliot, R. (2012). Honesty and intimacy in close relationships: An interpersonal script model. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 29(4), 579-599. doi:10.1177/0265407512441734

BEING BETTER 

Email us podcast.beingbetter@gmail.com

Visit our website https://www.beingbetter.info

Visit our Instagram https://www.instagram.com/beingbetter.pod/

Visit our TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@beingbetter_

Episode 88

Who likes to be unproductive? We all try to squeeze as much as we can into our 24 hours and yet, we usually end up feeling disappointed and with a sense of wasted time. Julia really wants to avoid that this year and shares in this episode a list of the unproductive activities she will opt out of in 2023. But what eventually turns out to be the most unproductive and wasteful may not be what you think…

BEING BETTER 

Email us podcast.beingbetter@gmail.com

Visit our website https://www.beingbetter.info

Visit our Instagram https://www.instagram.com/beingbetter.pod/

Visit our TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@beingbetter_

Episode 87

Julia opens up about her recent struggles with mental wellbeing and recounts how she’s been feeling in the last few months. Later she discusses the role of art and creative expression in her mental health and outlines the many benefits of creating which we can all exorcice - no matter if you do or don’t consider yourself an artist.

BEING BETTER 

Email us podcast.beingbetter@gmail.com

Visit our website https://www.beingbetter.info

Visit our Instagram https://www.instagram.com/beingbetter.pod/

Visit our TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@beingbetter_

Episode 86

 Julia shares her recent thoughts on entering a new season - both in the year and in her life. She discusses the way we all change along with nature and talks about how she is different from the person who started recording “Being Better” over two years ago. Lastly, Julia touches on reasons why she is excited for fall and how you also can see this transition as an opportunity for personal growth.

BEING BETTER 

Email us podcast.beingbetter@gmail.com

Visit our website https://www.beingbetter.info

Visit our Instagram https://www.instagram.com/beingbetter.pod/

Visit our TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@beingbetter_

Episode 85

Becoming an adult is hard. Everything feels uncertain and you can’t shake the feeling like you’re doing something wrong. Like people have it figured out and, no matter how hard you try, you don’t. You are anxious about making the biggest mistake of your life because now, for the first time ever, you hold the full responsibility for your choices. If you screw up, you have to deal wit the consequences. Everyone you know and love are changing or moving away, and you can’t help but feel lost.

In this episode, I share some thoughts on anxiety and uncertainty - especially as a young person navigating through adulthood.

BEING BETTER 

Email us podcast.beingbetter@gmail.com

Visit our website https://www.beingbetter.info

Visit our Instagram https://www.instagram.com/beingbetter.pod/

Visit our TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@beingbetter_

Episode 84

 Julia is joined by Krista Couch - a recovered bulimic, certified life coach, and podcaster - to discuss the underlying causes of binge eating, how to establish a better relationship with food, how to implement mindful eating, why we shouldn’t demonize emotional eating, and why intermittent fasting might not be for you.

RECOMMENDATION

Read "Burnout" By Emily and Amelia Negowski  https://books.google.pl/books/about/Burnout.html?id=kZ9KDwAAQBAJ&source=kp_book_description&redir_esc=y

KRISTA COUCH

Krista’s website https://kristacouchcoaching.com

Krista’s Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bingeeatingcoach/

Krista’s podcast https://anchor.fm/bingeeatingcoach

BEING BETTER 

Email us podcast.beingbetter@gmail.com

Visit our website https://www.beingbetter.info

Visit our Instagram https://www.instagram.com/beingbetter.pod/

Visit our TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@beingbetter_

Episode 83

Julia is joined by Heidi Kane, PhD, - a psychology professor from UT Dallas whose research examines how social and cognitive processes shape interpersonal experiences and how these experiences then impact relationship dynamics and health. Together they discuss attachment theory and different styles of attachment, how we can improve our social skills, why marriage is so hard and different now from what it used to be in the past, the importance of community and social network diversity, the power of physical contact, and how the pandemic changed the way we connect with one another.

RECOMMENDATION

Listen to Hidden Brain Podcast episode on marriage: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7hG7NxvLZTVvlQcu1b2u7U?si=4k664MKYTqWuDhg73OJ3ww

Watch "High Fidelity" https://www.hulu.com/series/high-fidelity-52cb09be-ccc9-4eb4-9db8-f00b0443b2f5

DR HEIDI KANE

Close Relationships and Health Lab https://labs.utdallas.edu/crhlab/

BEING BETTER

Julia’s Instagram https://www.instagram.com/juliaszpor/

Being Better Instagram https://www.instagram.com/beingbetter.pod/

Being Better website https://www.beingbetter.info

Being Better TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@beingbetter_

Being Better podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/pl/podcast/being-better/id1546447513

Episode 82

This episode is a breakdown of the science behind intelligence and why we know so little about what it takes to make a "genius". We delve into the history of the IQ tests to find out why they are so faulty and such poor representations of human intelligence. Julia talks about her journey with insecurity around being "smart" which is a very common struggle in the academic space and suggests a new way to approach our thinking abilities.

RECOMMENDATION

Read "The House in the Cerulean Sea" by T.J. Klune

SOURCES

https://www.gwern.net/docs/iq/ses/2002-hauser.pdf

BEING BETTER 

Email us podcast.beingbetter@gmail.com

Visit our website https://www.beingbetter.info

Visit our Instagram https://www.instagram.com/beingbetter.pod/

Visit our TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@beingbetter_

Episode 81

 We all know that habit development is an important aspect of growth and self-improvement because in order to go big you gotta start small. However, the habits that are praised and claimed the most effective might in fact not be those that make us happier and compassionate towards ourselves. I’m sure you’ve heard that you should make a habit out of daily movement, eating greens, drinking water, reading etc, but if you’re insecure and depressed and simply force yourself to go on a run and eat kale, I promise you, you won’t feel much better. Any practice won’t actually spark positive change if motivated by self-hate and needing to change who you are. Therefore, this week’s episode will provide you with a list of practices that promote positive thinking and have the power to make you fall in love with life. These small and seemingly insignificant practices actually have the power to change your life for the better, make you more compassionate towards yourself and others, and are scientifically proven to increase levels of happiness.

RECOMMENDATION

Stand ups to make you laugh:

Ellen DeGeneres “Relatable”

Jenny Slate “Stage Fright”

Iliza Shlesinger “Elder Millennial”

Bo Burnham “What”

Bo Burnham “Inside”

Hannah Gadsby “Nanette” 

BEING BETTER 

Email us podcast.beingbetter@gmail.com

Visit our website https://www.beingbetter.info

Visit our Instagram https://www.instagram.com/beingbetter.pod/

Visit our TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@beingbetter_

Episode 80

In the second part of our ode to learning we talk about why the standard model of education (based on the Prussian education system) has conditioned students all around the globe to abandon their natural curiosities and grow to hate studying. Julia explains why the system is old-fashioned and works only on a very few types of students while discouraging as well as causing anxiety and chronic stress in all the others. She breaks down the unfair treatment of students and teachers which leaves both sides resentful towards education. However, it’s not all gloom and doom; this episode is also an exploration on how we can regain that sense of love for studying and become lifelong learners. We deeply believe that leaning is a privilege we all should have access to - no matter our age, nationality, gender, family life or career path. 

RECOMMENDATION

Read “Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Brontë 

BEING BETTER 

Email us podcast.beingbetter@gmail.com

Visit our website https://www.beingbetter.info

Visit our Instagram https://www.instagram.com/beingbetter.pod/

Visit our TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@beingbetter_

Episode 79

Knowledge is power. Most of us inherently know that’s true but at the same time really dislike learning. In this week’s episode, Julia dives deep into why she loves studying (but not grades) and why it is so important to be a life-long learner. She provides a fresh perspective in hopes to motivate the listeners to foster their curiosity and become truly excited to learn new skills and subjects. This episode is devoted to the love and power of education while its second part will serve as an exploration of why most children are conditioned to lose their natural curiosity when going through the standard model of education as well as provide tips on how we can regain that passion and never stop being a student.

BEING BETTER 

Email us podcast.beingbetter@gmail.com

Visit our website https://www.beingbetter.info

Visit our Instagram https://www.instagram.com/beingbetter.pod/

Visit our TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@beingbetter_

Episode 5

Marie and Julia are joined in a conversation about the power of our inner voice. They discuss what intuition really is and provide neuropsychological research to help explain why developing the ability to listen to it can be so life-changing. Yet, most of us go through life ignoring our “gut instincts”, which unfortunately can result in serious physical and mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and many more. Therefore, the co-hosts move on to discussing some ways through which we can all practice and foster intuition and give tangible, real-life advice. They also share their personal stories as examples of the importance of intuition in platonic and romantic relationships as well as movement practices. Before the end of the discussion, Julia shares how she was recently struggling in following her intuitive movement practice as an indirect effect of ignoring her instincts and bodily cues. 

Watch the practice guide on YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCiKhinIZisvL-w12U0cw0Sw

Visit our website https://juliaszpor.wixsite.com/meanttomove

MARIE JANICEK

Marie’s Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mariejanicek/

Marie’s website https://www.mariejanicek.com/

Evolna www.evolna.com

This Thing Called Movement Podcast 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-thing-called-movement/id1442617080

https://open.spotify.com/show/6o9WGd2NoEcYA4EzVfjI7c?si=2662711dcd1c4a4f

JULIA SZPOR

Being Better Instagram https://www.instagram.com/beingbetter.pod/

Being Better website https://www.beingbetter.info

Being Better TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@beingbetter_

Being Better podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/pl/podcast/being-better/id1546447513

Episode 77

Overstimulation can be a mental and physical breakdown caused by an overload of stimuli that your brain struggles to process all at once. It has become a serious risk for people living in the 21 century - constantly bombarded with visual and auditory information, filling up our calendars, always striving to be more productive, and never allowing ourselves rest. This week, Julia breaks down the science behind overstimulation and explains why it can be so dangerous. She shares her own story of her recent episode of sensory overload and suggests a couple of ways to prevent and overcome this condition. 

BEING BETTER 

Email us podcast.beingbetter@gmail.com

Visit our website https://www.beingbetter.info

Visit our Instagram https://www.instagram.com/beingbetter.pod/

Visit our TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@beingbetter_

Episode 3

  In the third episode of Meant To Move, Marie and Julia reconnect to discuss the relationship between embodiment and pleasure. They talk about why so many of us find movement and exercise unpleasant as well as how we can learn to practice pleasure and joy in other areas of our lives. They realize that we can learn so much from kids who prioritize enjoying every second of every minute and share tips on how we can tend to our inner child. Later, Julia and Marie move on to discussing pleasure in terms of sensuality and sexuality - a factor that’s crucial for our overall health but is at the same time considered a taboo topic. They share their own stories of learning to enjoy their own bodies, masturbation, orgasm, and healing the shame and trauma that so many of us feel around this space. At the end of the episode, Julia shares recent insights and experiences in her movement journey, and Marie suggests new ways to tune into our bodies and take this embodiment practice to a new level.

Watch the practice guide on YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCiKhinIZisvL-w12U0cw0Sw

Visit our website https://juliaszpor.wixsite.com/meanttomove

MARIE JANICEK

Marie’s Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mariejanicek/

Marie’s website https://www.mariejanicek.com/

Evolna www.evolna.com

This Thing Called Movement Podcast 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-thing-called-movement/id1442617080

https://open.spotify.com/show/6o9WGd2NoEcYA4EzVfjI7c?si=2662711dcd1c4a4f

JULIA SZPOR

Being Better Instagram https://www.instagram.com/beingbetter.pod/

Being Better website https://www.beingbetter.info

Being Better TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@beingbetter_

Being Better podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/pl/podcast/being-better/id1546447513

Episode 76

This episode is all about fostering femininity in a world designed by and for men. Julia is joined by Aly French and Erica Stein from the Courageous Wellness podcast to talk about women’s health, the shame and insecurity women have been conditioned to feel about sexuality, birth control, and masturbation. They also throughly discuss the birth control pill - the science behind it, how it works, and all the health risks as well as benefits it presents.

RECOMMENDATION

Listen to "The Doctor’s Farmacy" https://podcasts.apple.com/pl/podcast/the-doctors-farmacy-with-mark-hyman-m-d/id1382804627

Watch Starstruck  Starstruck | Start Streaming Today | HBO Maxhttps://www.hbomax.com › series ›   urn:hbo:series:GYJwJ...

Read "Unwell Women" https://books.google.pl/books/about/Unwell_Women.html?id=1QMyEAAAQBAJ&source=kp_book_description&redir_esc=y

Check out Alisa Vitti By: @alisa.vitti (@floliving) • Instagram photos and videoshttps://www.instagram.com › floliving

COURAGEOUS WELLNESS 

CW website https://courageouswellness.net

CW Instagram https://www.instagram.com/courageouswellness/

CW podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/pl/podcast/courageous-wellness/id1395464655

BEING BETTER 

Email us podcast.beingbetter@gmail.com

Visit our website https://www.beingbetter.info

Visit our Instagram https://www.instagram.com/beingbetter.pod/

Visit our TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@beingbetter_

Episode 75

Romanticizing your life is appreciating every small moment, it’s slowing down to notice beauty in the ordinary, and it’s pushing yourself to make your life movie-worthy. It is basically a way to make your time on this Earth much more meaningful and enjoyable. In this week’s episode, Julia explains how to romanticize your life. She gives specific tips as well as shares her own journey with how she started to approach people and events in her life in a more romantic way.

BEING BETTER 

Email us podcast.beingbetter@gmail.com

Visit our website https://www.beingbetter.info

Visit our Instagram https://www.instagram.com/beingbetter.pod/

Visit our TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@beingbetter_

Episode 2 

Meant To Move is a special podcast collaboration dedicated to the power of movement and embodiment — co-created by Marie Janicek & Julia Szpor as part of the “Being Better” and “This Thing Called Movement” podcasts.

Today Marie and Julia dig deep into the emotionally charged topic of: how to negotiate anxiety & insecurity surrounding our bodies & movement and exchange them for confidence and empowerment instead.

Together they flesh out some of the biggest pieces of this puzzle,  like why movement often feels awkward (yes bodies are magical but they can also be weird), why so many of us are afraid of going to the gym (ugh please don’t look at me), and why moving in front of other people is so intimating (ahhh again please don’t look at me!). 

And while deconstructing these very real challenges in relationship to our bodies and movement, they share their own personal stories in navigating these waters of anxiety and insecurity, how they made the transition to feeling more happy & confident, and add detailed scientific explanations for how movement actually helps us regulate anxieties and insecurities.

To wrap up, Julia shares her recent experiences (and exciting revelations!) with Marie’s recommended intuitive movement practices — how it felt, what was hard, what were the benefits, and what she would’ve done differently. Marie eagerly explains the science behind Julia’s first two weeks of practice and gives and Julia and the listeners a new set of recommendations to follow in trying out this episode’s practice.

You can join in on the guided movement practices & meditations on our YouTube channel [here!] (https://youtube.com/channel/UCiKhinIZisvL-w12U0cw0Sw)

Visit our [website] (https://juliaszpor.wixsite.com/meanttomove) to learn more about the show, to share your experiences in your movement & embodiment journey, and to submit any questions you would like answered! We'd love to hear from you!

MARIE JANICEK

Marie’s Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mariejanicek/

Marie’s website https://www.mariejanicek.com/

Evolna www.evolna.com

This Thing Called Movement Podcast 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-thing-called-movement/id1442617080

https://open.spotify.com/show/6o9WGd2NoEcYA4EzVfjI7c?si=2662711dcd1c4a4f

JULIA SZPOR

Being Better Instagram https://www.instagram.com/beingbetter.pod/

Being Better website https://www.beingbetter.info

Being Better TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@beingbetter_

Being Better podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/pl/podcast/being-better/id1546447513

Episode 74

Julia is joined by Stefanie Sommer - a performer, teacher, and director - to discuss the power of performing and creative expression, confidence, self-acceptance, allowing ourselves to be seen, how seeking validation can be a positive trait, stress management, and so much more.

❗️How to help Ukraine❗️

https://savelife.in.ua/en/donate/

Revived Soldiers Ukraine

Nova Ukraine

Anhelyk Foundation

RECOMMENDATION

Buy water pearls/ jelly water beads - https://www.amazon.com/Jangostor-Water-Jelly-Pearls-Decoration/dp/B071SKSTRM

STEFANIE SOMMER

Stefanie’s website http://www.stefaniesommer.com

Stefanie’s Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sommer_moves/

BEING BETTER 

Email us podcast.beingbetter@gmail.com

Visit our website https://www.beingbetter.info

Visit our Instagram https://www.instagram.com/beingbetter.pod/

Visit our TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@beingbetter_

Episode 1 

Meant To Move is a podcast series all about the power of movement and embodiment. Marie Janicek - a movement expert here to help you become in tune with your body - and Julia Szpor - a layperson who will go on this journey with you and help you avoid beginner mistakes - discuss all things regarding movement, embodiment, intuition, and body image to help you reach your goals regarding physical health, mental health, athletic performance, spirituality, emotions and relationships. In this first episode, Marie and Julia discuss some of the key reasons for why our relationship with our bodies can be difficult and confusing. Marie also gives guidance on developing a more sustainable and fulfilling movement practice. 

Watch the practice guide on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiKhinIZisvL-w12U0cw0Sw

Visit our website https://juliaszpor.wixsite.com/meanttomove

MARIE JANICEK

Marie’s Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mariejanicek/

Marie’s website https://www.mariejanicek.com/

Evolna www.evolna.com

This Thing Called Movement Podcast 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-thing-called-movement/id1442617080

https://open.spotify.com/show/6o9WGd2NoEcYA4EzVfjI7c?si=2662711dcd1c4a4f

JULIA SZPOR

Being Better Instagram https://www.instagram.com/beingbetter.pod/

Being Better website https://www.beingbetter.info

Being Better TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@beingbetter_

Being Better podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/pl/podcast/being-better/id1546447513

Episode 73

Julia is joined by Lucy Victoria Jackson - a Yoga Teacher, Crystal Singing Bowl Practitioner & Wellbeing Writer - to discuss fostering inner peace, healthy ways of processing anger, the power of forgiveness, finding joy in stillness, practices to live more mindfully, mindfulness and yoga misconceptions, sound healing and so much more.

❗️How to help Ukraine ❗️

https://savelife.in.ua/en/donate/

Revived Soldiers Ukraine

Nova Ukraine

Anhelyk Foundation

RECOMMENDATION

Read “Washington Black” https://books.google.pl/books/about/Washington_Black.html?id=3J2yDQAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y

LUCY VICTORIA JACKSON

Lucy’s website https://www.lucyvictoriajackson.com

Lucy’s Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lucyvjackson/

Lucy’s podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/pl/podcast/root-rise-with-lucy/id1515167513

BEING BETTER 

Email us podcast.beingbetter@gmail.com

Visit our website https://www.beingbetter.info

Visit our Instagram https://www.instagram.com/beingbetter.pod/

Visit our TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@beingbetter_