On Purpose with Jay Shetty cover art

On Purpose with Jay Shetty

On Purpose with Jay Shetty

By: iHeartPodcasts
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Summary

I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace.

I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!

2026 iHeartMedia, Inc. © Any use of this intellectual property for text and data mining or computational analysis including as training material for artificial intelligence systems is strictly prohibited without express written consent from iHeartMedia Economics Hygiene & Healthy Living Psychology Psychology & Mental Health
Episodes
  • Esther Perel: The REAL Reason You’re Struggling to Find Love (Fix THIS to Build Chemistry in Real Life)

    Esther Perel: The REAL Reason You’re Struggling to Find Love (Fix THIS to Build Chemistry in Real Life)
    May 4 2026
    Today, Jay Shetty welcomes back Esther Perel to unpack a growing tension in modern relationships: in a world more connected than ever, why so many people feel deeply disconnected. Esther reframes dating struggles as something deeper than love itself, pointing to a broader loss of real-life social practice. Without the everyday interactions that once taught us how to approach, connect, and handle rejection, dating now feels like a high-stakes performance instead of a natural progression. What was once built through play, curiosity, and gradual connection has been compressed into a single moment of pressure, turning love into something overwhelming rather than something we can explore. Jay and Esther explore the illusion of connection in the digital age, where texting replaces talking and screens replace presence. Esther explains how this disembodied way of relating strips away the elements that create real intimacy, like eye contact, tone of voice, touch, and shared energy. While it can feel like we are communicating more, we are often losing depth, nuance, and emotional resonance. This shift has shaped a culture that avoids friction and discomfort, yet still feels more anxious, lonely, and exhausted. In trying to make relationships easier and more efficient, we may be losing the very experiences that give them meaning. In this episode you'll learn: How to Build Real Connection Offline How to Turn Dating Into Discovery, Not Pressure How to Be More Curious Instead of Judgmental How to Create Attraction Through Presence Not Perfection How to Ask for What You Truly Need How to Build Trust in Small, Consistent Moments How to Balance Independence and Interdependence How to Stay Open to Love Without a Checklist If there’s one thing to hold onto, it’s this: nothing about love is broken, you’re just being asked to approach it differently. The world may have made connection feel more complicated, but at its core, it still comes back to showing up, being present, and allowing yourself to be seen without needing to get everything right. With Love and Gratitude, Jay Shetty JAY’S DAILY WISDOM DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX Join 900,000+ readers discovering how small daily shifts create big life change with my free newsletter. Subscribe https://news.jayshetty.me/subscribe Check out our Apple subscription to unlock bonus content of On Purpose! https://lnk.to/JayShettyPodcast What We Discuss: 00:00 Intro 01:11 Why Is Gen Z Dating Less? 04:23 The Disappearance of Physical Connection 06:26 Living in a Fully Contactless World 09:54 Connected, Yet Deeply Disconnected 12:01 Dating in the Age of Surveillance 14:11 Why Real Connection Feels Harder Than Ever 17:07 Why Love Falls Flat Without Friction 18:41 The Missing Skills No One Taught Us About Love 24:35 The Hidden Power Struggles Shaping Modern Relationships 27:05 The 4 Pillars of Relational Intelligence 30:07 Have We Lost the Ability to Problem-Solve? 32:38 How to Know If You Can Really Trust Someone 36:44 From “Me” to “We” 38:27 Should You Make a Dating Checklist? 41:04 Why Dating Feels Like a Full-Time Job 43:00 The Pressure Behind “Intentional” Dating 47:50 When Love Doesn’t Speak Your Language 50:25 Why Talking to AI Feels Easier Than People 55:16 The Trap of Wanting Love to Feel Effortless 56:35 Is Love Supposed to Be Hard? 57:58 Why Wanting Love Isn’t “Cringe” 01:02:43 Codependence vs Healthy Love 01:07:09 What Actually Keeps Desire Alive? 01:10:26 Breaking Down Viral Relationship Myths 01:17:38 Esther on Final Five Episode Resources: Website | https://www.estherperel.com/ YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@estherperel Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/esther.perel/ Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/estherperelofficial LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/estherperel TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@estherperel_official Substack | https://estherperel.substack.com/ Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel Mating in Captivity: Unlocking Erotic IntelligenceSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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    1 hr and 28 mins
  • Can’t Sit Still Without Distraction? (Train Your Brain With THIS Daily Practice & Embrace Boredom!)

    Can’t Sit Still Without Distraction? (Train Your Brain With THIS Daily Practice & Embrace Boredom!)
    May 1 2026

    Today, Jay explores a truth most of us instinctively avoid: we no longer know how to be alone with our own thoughts. He reflects on how our constant need for stimulation, scrolling, watching, filling every empty second, is not just a habit, but a quiet escape from ourselves. What we often dismiss as “boredom” isn’t something to fix, but a signal, quietly guiding us toward clarity, deeper self-awareness, and inner peace.

    Jay brings in modern neuroscience to explain why boredom is not empty at all. He introduces the concept of the Default Mode Network, the part of the brain responsible for self-reflection, creativity, empathy, and imagining the future. This system only activates when we stop consuming and allow our minds to wander. In a world engineered to keep us constantly distracted, we are gradually disconnecting from the very mechanism that helps us understand ourselves and generate our best ideas.

    In this episode you'll learn:

    How to Stop Reaching for Your Phone Automatically

    How to Turn Idle Moments Into Creative Breakthroughs

    How to Activate Your Brain’s Default Mode Network

    How to Build a Daily Practice of Doing Nothing

    How to Break the Habit of Constant Stimulation

    How to Create Space for Deep Thinking and Clarity

    You don’t need to fill every moment to live a meaningful life. The pauses you’ve been avoiding may be the very spaces where clarity, peace, and creativity begin.

    With Love and Gratitude,

    Jay Shetty

    JAY’S DAILY WISDOM DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX

    Join 900,000+ readers discovering how small daily shifts create big life change with my free newsletter. Subscribe here: https://news.jayshetty.me/subscribe

    Check out our Apple subscription to unlock bonus content of On Purpose! https://lnk.to/JayShettyPodcast

    What We Discuss:

    00:00 Intro

    00:33 Can Anybody Just Sit Still Anymore?

    03:01 What is the Scientific Definition of Boredom?

    12:33 The Persuasion Machines

    16:09 The Ancient Art of Doing Nothing

    18:07 #1: Understand What You're Doing

    18:49 #2: The 3-Minute Hold

    20:13 #3: Do One Boring Thing

    21:14 #4: Get Bored on Purpose

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
    Show More Show Less
    25 mins
  • Bridget Bahl: The Diagnosis That Changed Everything (The Reality She Wasn’t Prepared For and the Perspective It Gave Her)

    Bridget Bahl: The Diagnosis That Changed Everything (The Reality She Wasn’t Prepared For and the Perspective It Gave Her)
    Apr 29 2026

    Jay sits down with Bridget Bahl, entrepreneur and founder of the fashion brand The Bar, who has built a powerful community through her honesty about life, faith, and relationships. What begins as a conversation about success and ambition evolves into something far more personal, a journey through fear, uncertainty, and the quiet strength it takes to keep going when life feels out of your control. Bridget shares what it looks like to move from constantly striving for more to being forced to slow down, reflect, and rediscover what truly matters, not in theory, but in real time.

    Jay and Bridget open up about the emotional layers we rarely talk about, the grief that can exist alongside gratitude, the pressure to stay strong, and the reality that healing is not always linear. After being diagnosed with breast cancer, Bridget began sharing her journey with honesty and resilience, using her platform to bring awareness, hope, and purpose to others. Her story reflects something deeply familiar, that we often do not realize how much we take for granted until life demands our full attention. Through her vulnerability, Bridget reminds us that even in the hardest moments, meaning can still be found in the people who show up, the perspective we gain, and the small shifts that change how we live each day.

    In this episode, you'll learn:

    How to Stay Strong in Uncertainty

    How to Let Go of Control

    How to Support Someone Through Difficult Times

    How to Listen to Your Body Early

    How to Hold Grief and Gratitude At the Same Time

    How to Keep Faith in Life’s Hardest Moments

    Whatever season you’re in right now, whether life feels overwhelming, uncertain, or just not how you imagined, this is your reminder that you’re stronger than you think. Even in the moments that feel heavy or unclear, there is still meaning being formed and growth happening beneath the surface.

    With Love and Gratitude,

    Jay Shetty

    JAY’S DAILY WISDOM DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX

    Join 900,000+ readers discovering how small daily shifts create big life change with my free newsletter. Subscribe https://news.jayshetty.me/subscribe

    Check out our Apple subscription to unlock bonus content of On Purpose! https://lnk.to/JayShettyPodcast

    What We Discuss:

    00:00 Intro

    02:22 Where Her Journey Began

    06:33 The Moment Everything Changed

    10:12 Why Early Detection Matters

    17:15 The Reality of Living with Cancer

    22:16 “Why Is This Happening to Me?”

    24:14 Facing the First Chemotherapy Appointment

    26:34 Learning to Be Softer with Yourself

    28:24 Redefining Strength Through Pain

    34:54 What Not to Say to Someone with Cancer

    38:24 Choosing a Partner Who Shows Up In Sickness & Health

    41:03 The Husband List

    45:30 How Their Love Story Began

    46:06 You’re Not Behind in Love

    47:55 Choosing Joy, Even When It’s Hard

    51:38 Rebuilding Confidence After Struggle

    53:36 How to Keep Going When It’s Tough

    57:25 Honest Conversations with Faith

    58:14 Learning to Hold Grief and Gratitude

    01:03:24 This Too Shall Pass

    01:04:20 What’s the Best That Could Happen?

    Episode Resources:

    Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/bridget/

    TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@bridgezilla

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 8 mins
All stars
Most relevant
I love Jay Shetty - he can extract positivity from every conversation he has, even people who I wouldn’t really be interested in. While the content and quality of guests is varied, on the whole, this podcast is the one to follow. You’ll open your mind to issues and topics you never even knew you needed to know about! I would say though the advertising during the podcast is a real turn-off. There seem to be way more than before. I understand it’s a business but keeping ads to under 30 seconds would be more bearable. Otherwise, great work Jay. Most forwarded of my library.

Engaging conversation but too many ads

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I have listened to Jay Shetty on the Calm app for a few years now and have been always immensely inspired.
I stumbled upon this podcast through a TV ad and I just listened to the episode where Jay interviews Chris Hemsworth. Simply magnificent. Working in aged care and with clients with dementia this was another perspective and very insightful. Thank you Jay and I'm looking forward to many more podcasts.

Remarkable podcast

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It’s so refreshing listening to you and your podcast. Love your voice , love your energy and love your passion. Thanks a lot Arjun from New Zealand

You are amazing!

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