Brain and Body Connection

Increasing Motivation in Healthcare and Beyond

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Episode Summary

What truly drives us to take action for our health? It’s not willpower – it’s science.

In our first episode of Season 2 of Human Resilience, tune in for a candid conversation with our hosts – Bob Gold and Shelley Schoenfeld – who reveal the profound connection between the brain and body. The brain emerges as healthcare’s most overlooked vital organ with our mental state controlling physical outcomes. Treating symptoms while ignoring the brain’s central role leaves patients cycling through ineffective interventions.

Through powerful stories like a grandfather motivated by wanting to play with his grandchildren rather than abstract clinical goals, we see how personalization transforms outcomes. In one remarkable pain management program, patients reported 80% reduction in perceived pain not through medication changes but through outlook transformation.

Listen and Learn:

  • Successful motivation requires focusing on what patients personally want to achieve, not just clinical goals
  • The “Four I’s” of engagement: Involvement, Influence, Investment, and Identity
  • How community support reduces isolation and builds confidence, especially for stigmatized conditions
  • Why Brain health is the foundation of physical health: the brain controls what organs do and don’t do

Whether you directly influence healthcare plans, are personally managing a health condition/supporting someone who is, or simply have an interest in the science of behavior change, this episode offers practical wisdom for creating lasting positive change through understanding your brain’s extraordinary influence on your health journey.

Hosts

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