How to Handle Life When It Falls Apart: Rewire Your Beliefs, Calm Your Mind, Stop Ruminating & Move Forward With Confidence: Dr Maya Shankar #635

Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee

Dr Rangan Chatterjee

Alternative Health, Medicine, Health & Fitness, Mental Health

4.7 • 11.7K Ratings

🗓️ 11 March 2026

⏱️ 114 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Most of us are quite comfortable with change when we’ve chosen it: a new job, new home or new relationship. It’s the unwanted, unexpected changes that tend to floor us - like an illness, loss or breakup - that leave us wondering who we are and how on earth we’re meant to go on. In today’s episode, I’m joined by Dr Maya Shankar, cognitive scientist and author ofThe Other Side of Change. Maya has spent years studying how our minds respond to change, and she’s also gone through some profound changes of her own – from a hand injury that shattered her hopes of becoming a concert violinist, to a long, painful journey with fertility. We talk about so many different topics related to the theme of change, including why our brains find uncertainty so stressful, how unwanted change can reveal hidden beliefs that we hold and why witnessing other people’s courage or kindness can quietly change what we believe is possible for ourselves. We also explore a variety of evidence-based practical tools to help us deal with things like rumination and negative thought spirals. Throughout the conversation, Maya unpacks some inspiring stories of people facing extreme adversity - things like illness, betrayal, loss and even imprisonment – who were still able to find meaning, new identities and unexpected gifts on the other side. Yes, change is something that many humans struggle with, but as you are about to learn, with the right approach, it can be one of the very best tools to help us transform, grow and evolve. I hope you enjoy listening. Support the podcast and enjoy Ad-Free episodes. Try FREE for 7 days on Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/feelbetterlivemore. For other podcast platforms go to https://fblm.supercast.com. Thanks to our sponsors: https://vivobarefoot.com/livemore https://onepeloton.co.uk https://thewayapp.com/livemore Show notes https://drchatterjee.com/635 DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or qualified healthcare provider. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

Transcript

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0:00.0	We move about in this world carrying so many beliefs and so few of these beliefs we've actually interrogated over the course of our lives.
0:10.4	And so we may carry views that don't reflect reality, that actually are self-limiting.
0:16.7	Change can serve as a moment in which those beliefs are revealed to you,
0:25.0	and then you can actually revisit them, assess them for their credibility and merit,
0:28.5	and then potentially move forward in a world in which we don't have them.
0:30.8	Hey guys, how you doing?
0:32.8	I hope you're having a good week so far.
0:37.0	My name is Dr. Ronggan Chatterjee, and this is my podcast, Feel Better, Live More.
0:41.7	Most of us are quite comfortable with change when we've chosen it.
0:46.9	A new job, a new home, or a new relationship.
0:51.1	It's the unwanted, unexpected changes that tend to flaw us like an illness, loss or breakup that
0:59.4	leave us wondering who we are and how on earth we're meant to go on. In today's episode, I'm joined
1:07.0	by Dr. Meyer Shankar, the wonderful cognitive scientist, an author of the brand new book,
1:14.0	The Other Side of Change, Who We Become When Life Makes Other Plants.
1:20.0	Maya has spent years studying how our minds respond to change, and she's also gone through
1:26.4	some profound changes of her own,
1:29.0	from a hand injury that shattered her hopes of becoming a concert violinist,
1:33.6	to a long, painful journey with fertility.
1:37.4	In our conversation, we talk about so many different topics related to the theme of change, including why our brains find
1:47.3	uncertainty so stressful, how unwanted change can reveal hidden beliefs that we hold, and why witnessing
1:55.5	other people's courage or kindness can quietly change what we believe is possible for ourselves.
2:03.5	Throughout the conversation, Maya shares plenty of practical tools to help us deal with things
	...

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