Supporting Your Brain Amid Change with Cognitive Scientist, Dr. Maya Shankar
Release Date: 01/13/2026
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Live Greatly
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info_outlineOn this Live Greatly podcast episode, Kristel Bauer sits down with cognitive scientist Dr. Maya Shankar to discuss her new book, The Other Side of Change: Who We Become When Life Makes Other Plans. Maya is the creator and host of the award-winning podcast A Slight Change of Plans. She appeared on National Geographic’s Limitless with Chris Hemsworth and she was a former Senior Policy Advisor in the Obama White House. Kristel and Maya discuss tips to build resilience and thrive amid tough changes and lots more. Tune in now!
Key Takeaways From This Episode:
- Why Maya wrote her book
- Why our brains resist change
- Strategies to build resilience
- The importance of learning new things
ABOUT DR. MAYA SHANKAR
Maya holds a Ph.D. from Oxford, a B.A. from Yale, and completed a postdoc in cognitive neuroscience at Stanford. She founded and chaired the White House Social and Behavioral Sciences Team and later served as the first Behavioral Science Advisor to the United Nations. The New Yorker has profiled her, and she has appeared on NPR, CBS Mornings, The Today Show, and National Geographic’s Limitless with Chris Hemsworth. She is also a former violin student of Itzhak Perlman at Juilliard.
Order Maya's book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/729180/the-other-side-of-change-by-maya-shankar/
Website: https://mayashankar.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drmayashankar/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmayashankar/
About the Host of the Live Greatly podcast, Kristel Bauer:
Kristel Bauer is a corporate wellness and performance expert, keynote speaker and TEDx speaker supporting organizations and individuals on their journeys for more happiness and success. She is the award-winning author of Work-Life Tango: Finding Happiness, Harmony, and Peak Performance Wherever You Work (John Murray Business November 19, 2024). With Kristel’s healthcare background, she provides data driven actionable strategies to leverage happiness and high-power habits to drive growth mindsets, peak performance, profitability, well-being and a culture of excellence. Kristel's keynotes provide insights to “Live Greatly” while promoting leadership development and team building.
Kristel is the creator and host of her global top self-improvement podcast, Live Greatly. She is a contributing writer for Entrepreneur, and she is an influencer in the business and wellness space having been recognized as a Top 10 Social Media Influencer of 2021 in Forbes. As an Integrative Medicine Fellow & Physician Assistant having practiced clinically in Integrative Psychiatry, Kristel has a unique perspective into attaining a mindset for more happiness and success. Kristel has presented to groups from the American Gas Association, Bank of America, bp, Commercial Metals Company, General Mills, Northwestern University, Santander Bank and many more. Kristel's work has been featured in Forbes and she has had multiple TV appearances including NBC News Daily, ABC News Live, FOX Weather, ABC 7 Chicago, WGN Daytime Chicago and more. Kristel lives in the Chicago, IL area and she can be booked for speaking engagements worldwide.
To Book Kristel as a speaker for your next event, click here.
Website: www.livegreatly.co
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To Watch Kristel Bauer's TEDx talk of Redefining Work/Life Balance in a COVID-19 World click here.
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Disclaimer: The contents of this podcast are intended for informational and educational purposes only. Always seek the guidance of your physician for any recommendations specific to you or for any questions regarding your specific health, your sleep patterns changes to diet and exercise, or any medical conditions. Always consult your physician before starting any supplements or new lifestyle programs. All information, views and statements shared on the Live Greatly podcast are purely the opinions of the authors, and are not medical advice or treatment recommendations. They have not been evaluated by the food and drug administration. Opinions of guests are their own and Kristel Bauer & this podcast does not endorse or accept responsibility for statements made by guests. Neither Kristel Bauer nor this podcast takes responsibility for possible health consequences of a person or persons following the information in this educational content. Always consult your physician for recommendations specific to you.