Meet Dan Harris
Dan Harris is a co-anchor of the weekend edition of “Good Morning America” and a correspondent for ABC News. Before that, he was the anchor of the Sunday edition of “World News” and “Nightline.” Harris has reported from all over the world, covering wars in Afghanistan, Israel/Palestine and Iraq, and producing investigative reports in Haiti, Cambodia, and the Congo. In 2009, he won an Emmy for his “Nightline” report on child trafficking called “How to Buy a Child in Ten Hours.”
Why Dan Harris Is Mentally Strong
In 2004, Dan had a panic attack while reading the news live on the air. He felt like he couldn’t breathe. And as a result, he wasn’t able to finish the segment. Fortunately, the panic attack was a wake-up call that inspired him to get professional help for his anxiety and depression. One of the many things that improved his mental health was meditation. Dan now uses his platform to teach others what he has learned about mental health and meditation. He wrote “10% Happier,” a #1 New York Times bestseller, then launched the Ten Percent Happier podcast. He even created an app called “Ten Percent Happier” to encourage others to take care of their mental health.
What You’ll Hear on the Show
What it feels like to have a panic attack Why meditation helps with anxiety How meditation actually changes your brain (and what brain scans show) The four life-changing benefits Dan has gained from meditation How to get started with meditation Some of the biggest misconceptions about meditation How to overcome the three most common excuses for not meditating
What You’ll Learn About Happiness and Mental Strength
If you’re struggling with something in your life and don’t know what to do to feel better, or you’ve been attempting to make yourself feel better by using drugs or alcohol, it’s going to be hard to stop on your own. You’re likely to get caught in a vicious spiral that is hard to break. Talk to a mental health professional who can help you break the unhealthy cycle. A doctor or mental health professional may recommend therapy, medication, or a combination of both. But the sooner you seek the help the sooner you can start getting your life back on track so you can feel better. You also might find it helps to share your mental health experiences with others. You might feel empowered when your story inspires others to seek help or when it comforts them to learn that they aren’t alone in their struggles.
Quotes From Dan
“You can use stress and turn it into something empowering, rather than what I’ve done, which is use it as something to make me feel ashamed."“The whole goal of meditation is not to defeat or nullify any distraction. It’s to notice when you’re distracted and to start again and again.”“If we broadcast what’s going on in our heads out loud, we’d be locked up. Just seeing this non-negotiable fact of human existence, which is that your inner conversation is out of control, is incredibly liberating.”
More About the Podcast
The Verywell Mind Podcast is available across all streaming platforms. If you like the show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Reviews and ratings are a great way to encourage other people to listen and help them prioritize their mental health too.
