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Mayo Clinic Human Optimization Project

Mayo Clinic Human Optimization Project

By: Mayo Clinic School of Continuous Professional Development
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 The bar for human performance is higher than it’s ever been. As a result, we all feel the need to do MORE. At the same time, we are becoming increasingly aware of the value of sleep, rest, recovery, and wellness. Accordingly, we also feel the need to do LESS. If you’re like most people, it can be challenging to reconcile this conflict of feeling the need to do MORE and LESS simultaneously, and that is likely contributing to high rates of burnout and decreased performance. So how do we reconcile these seemingly competing desires? That is where Human Optimization comes in. Human Optimization is the process of achieving more (however you define that for yourself) while simultaneously improving your wellness and well-being. Although it’s not easy, it’s certainly possible. Not only is it possible, but it is becoming increasingly essential. In this Mayo Clinic Talks Mini-Series, we are going to dive into the topic of Human Optimization and will focus on a few key areas including: exercise, nutrition, culture, emotional intelligence, and finding joy in all you do. Learn more about the Human Optimization Project at: https://ce.mayo.edu/optimize X: @MayoHumanOpProj Instagram: @MayoHumanOpProj YouTube: The Human Optimization Project - YouTube Email: optimize@mayo.edu Listening is free and no CME Credit is available for this series.Copyright 2025 All rights reserved. Hygiene & Healthy Living Personal Development Personal Success Psychology Psychology & Mental Health
Episodes
  • E28 Servant Leadership: How Serving Creates Winning Teams in Work and Life

    E28 Servant Leadership: How Serving Creates Winning Teams in Work and Life
    Sep 3 2025

    Host: Christopher L. Camp, M.D., Creator & Guide | Mayo Clinic Human Optimization Project

    Guest: Heidi L. Diter, M.B.A., Chief Research Administrator | Mayo Clinic

    If you lead a group, team, family, or set of friends in any way, I’m sure you’d like to be able to boost morale, increase engagement, decrease turn over, and improve creativity. Well, one scientifically backed way to do that is to become a “servant leader.” Multiple studies show substantial improvements for groups who are directed by servant leaders; and data also suggests that it improves the joy of the leaders themselves. Our expert guest for this topic is Heidi Dieter, Chair of the Department of Research Administration at Mayo Clinic.

    The three big questions we are going to work through are:

    1. What is high-quality praise, and how does it impact others?
    2. Why do so many of us hesitate—or misfire—when giving praise, and how does that shortfall impact us?
    3. What steps can we take to be more effective of praising others in our lives?

    Learn more about the Human Optimization Project at: https://ce.mayo.edu/optimize X: @MayoHumanOpProj Instagram: @MayoHumanOpProj YouTube: The Human Optimization Project - YouTube Email: optimize@mayo.edu
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    51 mins
  • E27 Compliment People: The How and Why of Giving Praise to Others

    E27 Compliment People: The How and Why of Giving Praise to Others
    Aug 27 2025

    In a world that sometimes bends towards negativity, complimenting and giving praise is may seem like a lost art. But this is exactly why we need to be giving praise now more than ever! The impact that praise has (on both the receiver and the giver) is massive, so it is something that we should all be doing more frequently. To help us understand why, our guest today is Natalie Caine, Chief Administrative Officer of Mayo Clinic in Rochester.

    The three big questions we have for Natalie are:

    1. What is high-quality praise, and how does it impact others?

    2. Why do so many of us hesitate—or misfire—when giving praise, and how does that shortfall impact us

    3. What steps can we take to be more effective of praising others in our lives?

    Learn more about the Human Optimization Project at: https://ce.mayo.edu/optimize X: @MayoHumanOpProj Instagram: @MayoHumanOpProj YouTube: The Human Optimization Project - YouTube Email: optimize@mayo.edu
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    46 mins
  • E26 The Power of Gratitude: What It Is and How it Can Transform Your Life

    E26 The Power of Gratitude: What It Is and How it Can Transform Your Life
    Aug 20 2025

    Host: Christopher L. Camp, M.D., Creator & Guide | Mayo Clinic Human Optimization Project

    Guest: Dawn Mussallem, DO, DipABLM, Lifestyle Medicine & Integrative Oncology Medical Director, Humanities in Medicine | Mayo Clinic – Florida

    You’ve all heard the term “gratitude” recently, and it was most likely from someone telling you that you need more of it in your life. What if we told you that if you were able to increase your gratitude, it could improve your sleep, improve exercise gains, reduce depression/anxiety, increase your lifespan, improve job satisfaction, and make you more productive? All that is true. Now, we are going to show you how you can increase your gratitude to start reaping these benefits with our expert guest, Dr. Dawn Mussallem.

    The three big questions we are going to work through with Dawn are:

    1. What exactly is gratitude and what are the benefits?

    2. Why is it so hard for us as humans to be grateful and regularly practice gratitude?

    3. What steps should we take to become our most grateful selves in our life at work, home, and beyond?

    Learn more about the Human Optimization Project at: https://ce.mayo.edu/optimize X: @MayoHumanOpProj Instagram: @MayoHumanOpProj YouTube: The Human Optimization Project - YouTube Email: optimize@mayo.edu
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    50 mins
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