Dr. Dana Sinclair, (pictured above) the author of Dialed In: Do Your Best When it Matters Most, is a performance psychologist. She’s worked with high-performers of all kinds (from the Toronto Raptors to Jamie Lee Curtis) to help them reach their potential. Here, Mind Station Team Lead Jennifer Baldachin interviews Dr. Sinclair about the best strategies to overcome fear, transform your self-talk, and dial into a performance mindset that lets you access your best self, no matter the circumstances.

The team at Sunnybrook’s Hurvitz Brain Sciences Research Program is making impressive progress with the help of their lab-grown organoids.

Here, Dr. Peter Nord explores how these advances could change the way we treat Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, and how your lifestyle choices might affect whether or not you actually develop a cognitive disease. He’s joined by renowned neurologist Dr. Sandra Black, (pictured above) who leads the Dr. Sandra Black Centre For Brain Resilience and Recovery, and Director of Sunnybrook’s Biological Sciences Platform. Dr. JoAnne McLaurin.

Whether you’re an introvert, an extrovert, or somewhere in between—there is robust research showing that your health is directly related to your relationships with the people around you. Learn how your peers can shape who you are, why it’s tougher than ever to connect, and how you can prioritize your social life to help increase health and lifespan. Join Mind Station Team Lead Jennifer Baldachin as she chats with Genwell Project CEO Pete Bombaci, social epidemiologist Dr. Kiffer Card, and The Peer Effect authors Syed Ali and Margaret Chin.

Many Canadians are packing their bags for their annual trip down south to spend the winter months somewhere tropical. Here, Medcan CMO Dr. Peter Nord (pictured above in Ireland with his son) is joined by clinical director of travel medicine, Dr. Aisha Khatib. Learn how you can deal with health issues effectively while abroad, (or even prevent them before you leave). Plus, get tips to zap your jet lag—whether you’re gone for the week or the whole winter.

Our host, Shaun Francis, recently spent time in Helena, Montana on an expedition with other business leaders and Veterans. Shaun is the founder of True Patriot Love, one of Canada’s largest charities that supports Canadian military members and their families and the organization behind the trip. Here, he joins fellow expeditioners: True Patriot CEO Nick Booth, True Patriot Love co-founder and former leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, Erin O’Toole, and Veteran Ryan Hawkyard.

Rarely do we consider loneliness as a factor in determining how long we live. Yet according to loneliness expert Dr. Julianne Holt-Lunstad, professor of psychology and neuroscience at Brigham Young University, “social connections have potent influences on health and longevity, and lacking social connection qualifies as a risk factor for premature mortality.” Here, Dr. Holt-Lunstad (pictured above) joins Medcan MIND station team lead Jennifer Baldachin to explore how social connections promote wellness—with guidance on how to create new relationships.

Can you breathe your way to a better mood and reduced anxiety? This week’s guest says it's possible! Medcan consulting psychologist Dr. Amanda Beaman chats with the medical director of the Center for Integrative Medicine at Stanford University, Dr. David Spiegel, a physician. Dr. Spiegel’s recent study with podcaster and neuroscientist Andrew Huberman revealed the mental well-being benefits of a kind of breathwork called cyclic sighing.

Mary Deacon has been pioneering efforts to improve Canada’s mental health for 25 years. She and Medcan CEO Shaun Francis ways to improve access and reduce stigma. It’s a conversation you don’t want to miss.

Our conversations about mental health have changed in the past few years. So when your coworker or close friend discloses that they’re having a tough time, how can you provide the response they need? What’s the best way to set boundaries? And how can you take care of yourself? Learn about things to say, do, and avoid to best show your support, from wellness host Dr. Peter Nord and Medcan social worker Jennifer Baldachin (pictured above).

“We’re the most connected, and the loneliest generation ever,” says Dr. Jack Muskat, Medcan’s clinical director of psychology, (pictured above) describing the paradox of apps like Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and Facebook. Inspired by a recent study showing that a one-week break from social media led to significant improvements in well-being, Dr. Muskat leads Eat Move Think producer Jasmine Rach on a social media cleanse of her own. It also features context from the bestselling Johann Hari book on the cognitive effects of social media and technology, Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention and How to Think Deeply Again.

When Walmart Canada’s executive vice president and chief operating officer first joined the company in August 2020, she introduced herself to her new 90,000 associates as a “recovering workaholic.” Since experiencing anxiety, postpartum depression and burnout in her 20s, Nabeela Ixtabalan (pictured above) has transformed the way she balances work and wellness—and is working to help Walmart Canada employees do the same. In this encore presentation of her conversation with Medcan CEO Shaun Francis, Nabeela discusses her self-care and employee wellness strategies.

What exactly is energy? Is it a chemical to be measured, a feeling or even just a “vibe”? We know when we have it, and know even more when we don’t. How can we get more of it? At Columbia’s Picard Lab in New York, scientists study mitochondrial biology to understand our energy levels, how they can be affected by our psychological state, and how we can get more energy to get more things done every day. Here, lab director and professor of behavioural medicine Dr. Martin Picard (pictured above) and Medcan CEO Shaun Francis explore the biology behind energy, and provide us with tips on how we can get more of it.

In our last episode, How To Practise Mindfulness, Medcan psychologists Dr. Amanda Beaman (pictured above) and Dr. Jack Muskat put mindfulness under the microscope and explored its many benefits.

Here, try it out yourself with a 10-minute guided mindfulness meditation with Dr. Amanda Beaman. Download this episode for easy listening while on a walk, your commute to work, or to otherwise incorporate into your self-care routine.

Many of us are spending more time on screens. The constant buzz and beeps of phone notifications, increasing work demands—does anyone else feel like the pace of contemporary living is harming attention spans and creating more of a need to engage in mindfulness and meditation practices? Here, Medcan clinical psychologists Dr. Jack Muskat and Dr. Amanda Beaman (pictured above) explore the practice of mindfulness. What is it? How does one do it? And can it help to relieve anxiety and increase our focus?

Cannabis has been legal in Canada for almost four years now. Eat Move Think’s very first episode explored cannabis and wellness and featured Dr. Mark Ware, the chief medical officer of Canopy Growth. Here, we get an update from Dr. Ware. Can cannabis change how we treat anxiety or chronic pains? Who is using it more, and what are they using it for? Dr. Mark Ware sits down with Medcan MD Dr. Lorne Greenspan to chat about new developments, and explore the ways cannabis and wellness intersect.

Dog ownership skyrocketed during the pandemic. Lots of pet owners claim that owning a dog can boost your mental health. But which breeds are best? Dan McCann, of the legendary McCann Dog Training family, joins Medcan mental health clinical lead Samantha Charan to explore the health benefits that can come with owning a dog. They’ll help you figure out if dog ownership is right for you, and unpack the reasons why these furry friends can keep us happier and healthier.

You know that exercising is good for your muscles and bones. But exercise can also improve brain health. In her new book, Move The Body, Heal The Mind, Dr. Jennifer Heisz of McMaster University’s NeuroFit Lab shares the latest research about how to use physical activity to optimize mental and cognitive wellness. Here, she speaks with Dr. Andrew Miners, Medcan’s clinical and product director of sports medicine, therapy, rehabilitation and fitness.

Positive psychology refers to a type of therapy that focuses on optimizing mental wellbeing, rather than fixing any specific problems. Providing listeners with some tips drawn from the discipline is Dr. Tayyab Rashid of the University of Toronto (Scarborough) and the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University. He’s in conversation with Medcan Clinical Director of Psychology, Dr. Jack Muskat.

Romantic relationships are key to personal wellness, and texting is the main way people communicate when dating. Here, Dr. Mimi Winsberg (pictured above), a Harvard- and Stanford-educated psychiatrist and Facebook’s former in-house psychiatrist, provides guidance in conversation with Medcan’s Dr. Jack Muskat. Texting, says Dr. Winsberg, “is now the lingua franca of love.”

Life can be difficult. Whatever we’re enduring—a global pandemic? a difficult medical diagnosis?—humour can be an important coping tool. In this episode, we explore how comedians Jessica Holmes (Royal Canadian Air Farce, The Holmes Show) and mental health comedian Ryan Zeitz use humour to get through tough times—and what the rest of us can learn from them.