Mindfulness & Acceptance Episodes

Do you ever feel uncomfortable when life is going well? Maybe a bit restless, guilty, or waiting for the other shoe to drop? In this solo episode, psychologist and host Cass Dunn explores the psychology of contentment: why so many of us resist it, or sabotage it the moment it arrives. Cass unpacks the conditioning, early experiences, and nervous system patterns that make peace and 'enoughness' feel unfamiliar and offers a practical pproach to start building your capacity for contentment from the inside out.

Dermot Whelan was one of Ireland's most successful radio hosts and television presenters for over 20 years. When he had a panic attack on the way to performing at a comedy festival, he decided to put aside his scepticism and explore how meditation could help him manage the stress and anxiety that came along with working in such a fast-paced, high pressure career. Dermot now combines mindfulness with comedy in a way that allows him to pursue both of his passions while offering audiences a pathwa...

Anger is an emotion we often struggle to navigate. In this solo episode, I'm sharing the recent experience of one of my clients, who was grappling with intense feelings of anger. As a psychologist, I recognise that anger often masks deeper vulnerabilities like sadness and fear, but this episode isn't just about identifying what's underneath anger; it's about understanding the importance of expressing our anger in healthy ways. Many of us, particularly women, have been socialised to suppress ang...

Hi from my mum's wardrobe. I'm on holiday in Australia and taking a break from my packing to share a personal update that highlights how unpredictable life can be. My family has recently faced some unexpected challenges, including my husband’s work being impacted by significant global events and unexpected health issues with his father. Meanwhile, we live in another country with no clear end date, which makes everything feel a little tenuous.I wanted to take the opportunity to mention the import...

This week, we're diving into parts work, with an introduction to Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy and how you can apply it as a tool for self-healing. We'll explore how recognising and connecting with different parts of yourself - like your inner child or your inner perfectionist - can lead to greater self-awareness, self-compassion and personal growth. The episode highlights the importance of curiosity and kindness as you navigate your emotional landscape, encouraging you to accept all the...

This is an encore episode: Throwing back to 2019 when Cass interviewed Ariel Garten, the founder of the Muse Brain Sensing Headband.Meditation is a thousand year old practice but Ariel has found a way to bring that practice into the 21st century with her breakthrough technology Muse: The Brain Sensing Headband. Her mission is to help you do a deep dive in understanding your brain, getting real time feedback on your brain activity, breath, movement and heartbeat, as well as monitoring the quality...

Cass responds to a listener question about how to live with uncertainty. She discusses the psychological concept of 'Intolerance of Uncertainty', its impact on mental health, particularly anxiety and worry, and explains how worry serves as a mental behaviour that provides an illusion of control but ultimately detracts from present joy. Cass emphasises the importance of understanding the physiological aspects of anxiety and offers practical strategies for managing uncertainty and worry, including...

This week Cass chats with Samantha Skelly, founder and CEO of Pause Breathwork about the power of the breath to reduce stress and anxiety, heal your body, create clarity in your mind and connect with your intuition. Samantha shares her own story of going from skeptic to devoted student of breathwork, to eventually realising her mission to bring breathwork to a wider community.She's achieving this via the Pause Breathwork App (available for iOS and Android) and the creation of her 6-month long Br...

Cass breaks down some of the key aspects of Buddhist philosophy and practice as they relate to living a happier and more peaceful life. She shares a little about how modern approaches to therapy have incorporated some of these key ideas to help people improve their mental health and wellbeing.You don't have to be a Buddhist to appreciate the relevance of some of these ideas and apply them to your own life.Connect with Cass:www.crappytohappypod.comhello@crappytohappypod.com www.instagram.com/cra...

In this episode, Cass explores the topic of mindfulness meditation and when it might not have positive benefits. She delves into the adverse effects of mindfulness and the importance of trauma-informed meditation training. She highlights the need for research on adverse experiences and clarifying the definition of adverse experiences when it comes to mindfulness.Cass explores the difference between intensive meditation retreats and brief mindfulness interventions, emphasising the need for proper...

Finding ways to plumb the joy out of positive experiences can help to build resilience when things aren't going well.Connect with Cass:www.crappytohappypod.comhello@crappytohappypod.com www.instagram.com/crappytohappypodwww.tiktok.com/crappytohappypod Join the free 7-day Happiness Challenge:www.cassdunn.com/happiness Connect with Cass: www.cassdunn.com www.instagram.com/cassdunn_xo Contact Crappy to Happy: Email: hello@crappytohappypod.com www.crappytohappypod.com www.instagram.com/crappytoha...

Discover the simple but profound concept of Essentialism to reduce stress, cultivate mastery, deepen relationships and live a life of meaning.Discern what is absolutely essential, then eliminate everything that is not, so you can make the highest possible contribution towards the things that really matter. Buy the bookListen to more Three Mindful MinutesJoin Cass Dunn's mailing list Connect with Cass:www.crappytohappypod.comhello@crappytohappypod.com www.instagram.com/crappytohappypodwww.tiktok...

In this week's 3 Mindful Minutes, Cass shares the ancient Buddhist practice of 'Mudita', which loosely translates to 'sympathetic joy'.Mudita means being happy for other people's happiness. Tune in to hear how it can profoundly improve your mood, strengthen your relationships and help you to remember the interconnectedness of all things. Connect with Cass:www.crappytohappypod.comhello@crappytohappypod.com www.instagram.com/crappytohappypodwww.tiktok.com/crappytohappypod Join the free 7-day Happ...

Learn the art of the three minute breathing space to centre yourself emotionally.In these short-casts, Cass Dunn, Clinical Psychologist & Mindfulness Meditation teacher gives you tips and advice on how to feel a little less crappy and a little more happy in just 3 minutes. To hear more Three Mindful Minutes Connect with Cass:www.crappytohappypod.comhello@crappytohappypod.com www.instagram.com/crappytohappypodwww.tiktok.com/crappytohappypod Join the free 7-day Happiness Challenge:www.cassdunn.co...

Learn to live with integrity.In these short-casts, Cass Dunn, Clinical Psychologist & Mindfulness Meditation teacher gives you tips and advice on how to feel a little less crappy and a little more happy in just 3 minutes. To hear more Three Mindful Minutes Connect with Cass:www.crappytohappypod.comhello@crappytohappypod.com www.instagram.com/crappytohappypodwww.tiktok.com/crappytohappypod Join the free 7-day Happiness Challenge:www.cassdunn.com/happiness Connect with Cass: www.cassdunn.com www...

At a time when the world feels more divided than ever, Cass shares the psychology of 'othering' and the biases that cause humans to turn on each other. She invites you to practice one of her favourite meditations known to increase compassion, reduce bias towards others, lower stress and promote healing.(Meditation starts around 17:05) Connect with Cass:www.crappytohappypod.comhello@crappytohappypod.com www.instagram.com/crappytohappypodwww.tiktok.com/crappytohappypod Join the free 7-day Happine...

Meg Durham is a former teacher who saw firsthand the devastating impacts of teacher burnout and exhaustion. She decided she had to do something about it, and has dedicated her professional life to improving the health and wellbeing of teachers. In this chat Meg takes us behind the curtain and explains why teachers are so burnt out, and what can be done about it.. There are lessons here relevant to everyone - whether you’re a teacher, a parent or just someone struggling with your own wellbeing. C...

Introducing the first of many new solo episodes where I'll explain a psychological idea or experiment I think will help you feel happier, healthier and more fulfilled. In this episode I explain Dr Dan Siegel's concept of the Window of Tolerance, which is an incredibly effective tool for better understanding and managing our emotions. Connect with Cass:www.crappytohappypod.comhello@crappytohappypod.com www.instagram.com/crappytohappypodwww.tiktok.com/crappytohappypod Join the free 7-day Happines...

In this episode, Cass talks with Johann Hari, the New York Times best-selling author of “Chasing the Scream” and “Lost Connections” who is also famous for his TED Talks which have garnered over 80 million views. After experiencing his own declining attention and witnessing people around him being consumed by small screen addiction, Johann has applied his investigative skills to the topic of our inability to pay attention. In his latest book, “Stolen Focus”, Johann outlines 12 different factors t...

This episode is Part Two of Cass’ conversation with Dr Kristin Neff about Self-Compassion. In the previous episode, Dr Neff explained the far-reaching benefits of self-compassion and how to apply it in your life. This week, she digs into the more fierce aspect of self-compassion and how you can use the skill of being kind to yourself to speak up, claim your power and thrive. To find out more about Dr Neff’s work, head to www.self-compassion.org Order her latest book: “Fierce Self-Compassion” Con...

In this episode, Cass talks to Dr Kristin Neff, who is a pioneer in the field of self-compassion. Dr Neff shares how her discovery of Buddhist philosophy including mindfulness and compassion helped her get through a difficult time in her life and how that led her to studying and measuring self-compassion as part of her research as a psychologist. She explains why we struggle to be kind to ourselves and how we can all benefit from learning and applying the skill of self-compassion. This is the fi...

In this episode, Cass talks with Josh Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus aka “The Minimalists” about the unexpected joy and meaning that becomes available to you when you re-evaluate all of your relationships, starting with your relationship with ‘stuff’. They have two documentaries currently streaming on Netflix and several best-selling books including their most recent, “Love People Use Things” which is available now in all bookstores. Josh and Ryan also have loads of free resources on their w...

Kristy Goodwin sheds light on how our use of technology is affecting our productivity and attention and offers realistic advice for setting reasonable boundaries and regaining our mental space. Kristy gives host Cass Dunn great advice for how we can help our kids develop a healthier relationship with technology, why banning devices is neither realistic nor particularly helpful and what we can do instead.www.drkristygoodwin.com Connect with Cass:www.crappytohappypod.comhello@crappytohappypod.com...

Meditation is a thousand year old practice but Ariel has found a way to bring that practice into the 21st century with her breakthrough technology Muse: The Brain Sensing Headband. Her mission is to help people do a deep dive in understanding your brain, how it makes them who they are and how to help manage the crazy that resides in all of us. Cass Dunn has already used the Muse headband to monitor herself and as a mindfulness and meditation teacher herself she has some fascinating insights on t...