The Wise Effort Show

Do you keep getting stuck in the same fights or feeling rejected in your relationship? In this episode of The Wise Effort Show, Dr. Diana Hill shares an evidence-based talk on the science of “wise and fierce” relationships, then follows with a conversation with athlete and entrepreneur Gabby Reece about what helps partnerships last.Diana draws on relationship research and her clinical experience to explain why conflict isn’t the main problem—repair is—and on what predicts relationship satisfaction: commitment, appreciation, responsiveness, and sexual satisfaction. She also discusses research on sexual frequency and how motivation matters more than frequency (“getting it on” vs. “getting it over with”).Diana offers a practical exercise to help listeners “put down the broom” of rigid stories: write your story about your partner and their story about you, identify the “negative truth,” then (1) create disconfirming evidence by noticing what contradicts your story about them, and (2) do something that proves their story about you wrong. In the conversation, Gabby describes how respect, emotional honesty, daily connection rituals, and sustaining momentum—along with supporting each partner’s individual passions—strengthen her decades-long marriage to Laird, and they discuss reframing intimacy bids and avoiding complacency.Listen and share this episode with someone you want to strengthen a relationship with.Listen and learn:Why repair after disharmony matters more than avoiding conflictThe key relationship ingredients identified across 43 studies: commitment, appreciation, responsiveness, and sexual satisfactionWhat the research suggests about sex frequency and why “getting it on” vs. “getting it over with” changes satisfactionRelated ResourcesGet enhanced show notes for this episodeOrder my book, Wise Effort: How to Focus Your Genius Energy on What Matters Most, and receive special bonus gifts.Want to become more psychologically flexible? Take Diana's "Foundations of ACT" course.Diana's EventsReserve your spot in Diana's Costa Rica retreat in 2026!See Diana at an upcoming eventConnecting With DianaSubscribe for free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.Leave a 5-star review on Apple so people like you can find the show.Sign up for the free Wise Effort Newsletter.Become a Wise Effort member to support the show.Follow Diana on YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Diana’s website.Thanks to the team, Craig and Ashley Hiatt, and Benjamin Gould of Bell & Branch for your beautiful music.

Are you seeking more empathy, less fear, and stronger connections in a divided world? In this episode of The Wise Effort Show, Dr. Diana Hill discusses the power of the four immeasurables—loving kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity. Dr. Hill explains how these qualities can positively affect your brain, body, and relationships, and offers practical exercises and insights to cultivate them. Join us to learn inspiring techniques to bring more kindness into your life and to those around you.Listen and learn:The impact of loving kindness on mental and physical well-beingHow simple acts of kindness can reduce anxiety and foster a sense of belongingPractical exercises like Tadasana and alternate nostril breathing to practice loving kindnessThe importance of invisible helpers in daily life.Suggested Next Episode:You can also enjoy Diana’s related Bonus Meditation: Kind LoveRelated ResourcesGet enhanced show notes for this episodeOrder my book, Wise Effort: How to Focus Your Genius Energy on What Matters Most, and receive special bonus gifts.Want to become more psychologically flexible? Take Diana's "Foundations of ACT" course.Diana's EventsReserve your spot in Diana's Costa Rica retreat in 2026!See Diana at an upcoming eventConnecting With DianaSubscribe for free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.Leave a 5-star review on Apple so people like you can find the show.Sign up for the free Wise Effort Newsletter.Become a Wise Effort member to support the show.Follow Diana on YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Diana’s website.Thanks to the team, Craig and Ashley Hiatt, and Benjamin Gould of Bell & Branch for your beautiful music.

This breathwork and guided meditation session, led by Dr. Diana Hill, is part of the Diana's weekly Sangha community. This meditation walks you through breathwork techniques and mindful presence to foster kindness within yourself and extend it to others. Diana shares techniques to anchor yourself in the present moment and invites you to connect with your 'invisible helpers' for support and kindness. Join this guided meditation to replenish your mind, body, and spirit.Suggested Next Episode:You can also enjoy Diana's related talk--Episode 182 Secret Sangha: Kind Love.Related ResourcesGet enhanced show notes for this episodeOrder my book, Wise Effort: How to Focus Your Genius Energy on What Matters Most, and receive special bonus gifts.Want to become more psychologically flexible? Take Diana's "Foundations of ACT" course.Diana's EventsReserve your spot in Diana's Costa Rica retreat in 2026!See Diana at an upcoming eventConnecting With DianaSubscribe for free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.Leave a 5-star review on Apple so people like you can find the show.Sign up for the free Wise Effort Newsletter.Become a Wise Effort member to support the show.Follow Diana on YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Diana’s website.Thanks to the team, Craig and Ashley Hiatt, and Benjamin Gould of Bell & Branch for your beautiful music.

This breathwork and guided meditation session, led by Dr. Diana Hill, is part of the Diana's weekly Sangha community. This meditation walks you through breathwork techniques and a deep meditation to cultivate a spacious, free mind, heart, and self while understanding the many contexts that impact our lives. Listen as Diana guides you on this journey towards total and complete freedom. Share this episode with someone who could benefit from a moment of peace and freedom.Suggested Next Episode:You can also enjoy Diana's related talk--Episode 181 Secret Sangha: Context.Related ResourcesGet enhanced show notes for this episodeOrder my book, Wise Effort: How to Focus Your Genius Energy on What Matters Most, and receive special bonus gifts.Want to become more psychologically flexible? Take Diana's "Foundations of ACT" course.Diana's EventsReserve your spot in Diana's Costa Rica retreat in 2026!See Diana at an upcoming eventConnecting With DianaSubscribe for free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.Leave a 5-star review on Apple so people like you can find the show.Sign up for the free Wise Effort Newsletter.Become a Wise Effort member to support the show.Follow Diana on YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Diana’s website.Thanks to the team, Craig and Ashley Hiatt, and Benjamin Gould of Bell & Branch for your beautiful music.

Are you aware of how your environment and context influence your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors? In this Secret Sangha episode of The Wise Effort Show, Dr. Diana Hill delves into the role of context and how it affects our inner experiences, which is a major concept of contextual behavioral science. Dr. Hill explains how our biology, social-cultural context, and environment shape our daily lives, and she encourages us to adopt a contemplative approach centered on love to transform these influences and helps us develop our psychological flexibility. Join us to understand the interdependence of context and individual experience and learn how love can serve as a healing context for all.Listen and learn:The interdependence of context and individual experienceHow love can serve as a healing context for all.Suggested Next Episode:You can also enjoy Diana's related meditation--Episode 181 Bonus Meditation: Context.Related ResourcesGet enhanced show notes for this episodeOrder my book, Wise Effort: How to Focus Your Genius Energy on What Matters Most, and receive special bonus gifts.Want to become more psychologically flexible? Take Diana's "Foundations of ACT" course.Diana's EventsReserve your spot in Diana's Costa Rica retreat in 2026!See Diana at an upcoming eventConnecting With DianaSubscribe for free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.Leave a 5-star review on Apple so people like you can find the show.Sign up for the free Wise Effort Newsletter.Become a Wise Effort member to support the show.Follow Diana on YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Diana’s website.Thanks to the team, Craig and Ashley Hiatt, and Benjamin Gould of Bell & Branch for your beautiful music.

How can we use our imagination to transform individually and our collective consciousness? Clinical psychologist Dr. Diana Hill explores this question with Dr. Cassandra Vieten on The Wise Effort Show. Dr. Vieten, a clinical professor and director of research at multiple institutions, shares her extensive research on the subject, emphasizing the profound impact transformative spiritual experiences can have on changing our worldview and behaviors. Listeners will learn about the conditions that support transformation, the importance of imagination in altering future outcomes, and practical approaches to fostering a shift in consciousness. Vieten's compelling personal anecdotes and scientific insights provide a roadmap for understanding and achieving deep, lasting change.Listen and learn:Scientific Approach to TransformationThe Power of Imagination in TransformationImagination and Worldview TransformationImagination in Practice and TherapyImagining a Better FutureRelated ResourcesGet enhanced show notes for this episodeOrder my book, Wise Effort: How to Focus Your Genius Energy on What Matters Most, and receive special bonus gifts.Want to become more psychologically flexible? Take Diana's "Foundations of ACT" course.Diana's EventsReserve your spot in Diana's Costa Rica retreat in 2026!See Diana at an upcoming eventConnecting With DianaSubscribe for free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.Leave a 5-star review on Apple so people like you can find the show.Sign up for the free Wise Effort Newsletter.Become a Wise Effort member to support the show.Follow Diana on YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Diana’s website.Thanks to the team, Craig and Ashley Hiatt, and Benjamin Gould of Bell & Branch for your beautiful music.

This guided meditation session, led by Dr. Diana Hill, is part of the Diana's weekly Sangha community. This meditation uses the bell to bring your' attention to the present moment, encouraging flexibility in focusing on various aspects of your external and internal worlds. It emphasizes your ability to shift attention to sensory experiences, feelings, thoughts, perspectives, purpose, and actions. The meditation advocates for self-acceptance and openness, referencing Pema Chödrön's teachings on befriending oneself as the foundation of meditation practice. The session closes with three bows to acknowledge true nature, teachers, and the community.You can also enjoy Diana's related talk on by listening to Episode 179 Secret Sangha: Flexibility.

Are you feeling stuck in a problem—believing every scary thought, trying to “fix” your feelings, or spiraling into overthinking instead of moving forward?In this Secret Sangha episode (a new series from Diana’s live community that she hosts weekly in Santa Barbara), Diana shows you how to build psychological flexibility so you can stay open, aware, and engaged—even when things are hard—and take small actions toward what matters most.Listen and learn:The 6 core skills of psychological flexibility and how they show up in real-life stressHow to relate to thoughts with more freedom: “thank you, mind”—without automatically following itA clear way to work with emotions when you’re stuck in fixing or floodingHow small, values-based actions (even minuscule ones) expand the “world you’re free to inhabit”You can also enjoy Diana's related meditation on by listening to Episode 180 Bonus Meditation: Flexibility.Related ResourcesGet enhanced show notes for this episodeOrder my book, Wise Effort: How to Focus Your Genius Energy on What Matters Most, and receive special bonus gifts.Want to become more psychologically flexible? Take Diana's "Foundations of ACT" course.Diana's EventsReserve your spot in Diana's Costa Rica retreat in 2026!See Diana at an upcoming eventConnecting With DianaSubscribe for free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.Leave a 5-star review on Apple so people like you can find the show.Sign up for the free Wise Effort Newsletter.Become a Wise Effort member to support the show.Follow Diana on YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Diana’s website.Thanks to the team, Craig and Ashley Hiatt, and Benjamin Gould of Bell & Branch for your beautiful music.

How can we practice the power of the pause? In this week's episode of the Wise Effort Show, Dr. Diana Hill sits down with meditation and yoga teacher Jillian Pransky to explore this profound concept. They dive into the bardo, a transitional state perfect for reflection, and share practical steps from Jillian's LAR LAR method (Land, Arrive, Relax, Listen, Attend, Respond, Repeat) designed to help you cultivate a calmer and more intentional life. Jillian also highlights ways to infuse these practices into your daily routine for a smoother transition into the new year. You'll also get a preview of Diana's new weekly saga Dharma talks and meditations. Join them in learning to pause, reflect, and enter 2026 with wise effort.Listen and learn:An in-depth look at Jillian Pransky's LAR LAR method and how it can transform your lifeThe importance of grounding and breath in calming the nervous systemHow to create space for your emotions and respond more wiselyRelated ResourcesGet enhanced show notes for this episodeOrder my book, Wise Effort: How to Focus Your Genius Energy on What Matters Most, and receive special bonus gifts.Want to become more psychologically flexible? Take Diana's "Foundations of ACT" course.Diana's EventsReserve your spot in Diana's Costa Rica retreat in 2026!See Diana at an upcoming eventConnecting With DianaSubscribe for free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.Leave a 5-star review on Apple so people like you can find the show.Sign up for the free Wise Effort Newsletter.Become a Wise Effort member to support the show.Follow Diana on YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Diana’s website.Thanks to the team, Craig and Ashley Hiatt, and Benjamin Gould of Bell & Branch for your beautiful music.

Dr. Dennis Tirch, founder of the Center for Compassion-Focused Therapy, is an expert in integrating Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Compassion Focused Therapy. He shares insights on living compassionately in high-performance environments. Topics include the necessity of compassion in leadership and investing, alongside practical applications of mindfulness. Dennis highlights embodied compassion's influence on decision-making and the importance of concentration practices for achieving effortless action. His personal stories add depth, connecting compassion to resilience and transformation.