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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
  • E35 How to Build Muscle & Get Stronger: What Everyone Needs to Know and Do

    E35 How to Build Muscle & Get Stronger: What Everyone Needs to Know and Do
    Oct 22 2025
    Host: Christopher L. Camp, M.D., Creator & Guide | Mayo Clinic Human Optimization Project Guest: Eric Cressey, MA, CSCS, President, Cressey Sports Performance - Palm Beach Gardens, FL and Hudson, MA Director, Player Health and Performance - New York Yankees Improving strength and gaining an appropriate muscle mass is critical for our overall health and function. And our strength and muscle mass are two of the greatest predictors of longevity. For those reasons, everyone is wondering, how do I get stronger and gain muscle in the most efficient and practical way? Whether you are brand new to strength training or are a muscle-bound weightlifting maniac, this episode is for you. We are going to cut through the hype and misinformation to give you practical tips and knowledge, so you can become your strongest self. Our session is titled: “How to Build Muscle & Get Stronger: What Everyone Needs to Know and Do.” Our expert guest is Eric Cressey, co-founder of Cressey Sports Performance and host of the “Elite Baseball Podcast”, and he is going to help us answer the following big questions: 1. What is meant by strength training and why is it so important? 2. Why do so many of us struggle to work out regular and gain muscle? 3. What are the core practices that everyone should incorporate to build muscle and get stronger? To help you turn this knowledge into action, consider starting/joining a pod-club… How to start a Mayo Clinic Human Optimization Project “Pod-Club”: Step 1: Find 2-30 friends who want to get better Step 2: Choose your episodes (can be focused on specific themes or random) Step 3: Listen to/watch the episodes Step 4: Meet with your group to work through the provided discussion questions for each episode, and feel free to add your own! Step 5: Celebrate the fact that you are turning passive knowledge into action! Discussion Questions for this Episode: 1) What is your “why” or reason for wanting to get stronger? If you have more than one, rank them in order of priority. 2) In the past, what have been the biggest hurdles that prevented you from achieving your strength goals? Separate these out by factors that are directly in your control vs. those that are not. 3) We mention the 4 factors that contribute to strength are genetics, nutrition, sleep, and training program. How has your nutrition and sleep positively or negatively influenced your strength goals? 4) After listening to this episode, did you discover any new reasons as to why you haven’t seen the strength gains you seek? 5) Do you currently have any sort of accountability in your training program (writing down your workouts, working with a coach, having a training partner)? If so, how has that helped? If not, how could you practically implement some accountability? 6) Are you willing to consistently commit to a program that appropriately challenges you for 6 months? If so, what benefits do you expect to see (think about benefits along the way as well as the end result). If not, what would it take to improve your motivation to do so? 7) What is one change you are going to make this week to get the first win in your quest to improve your strength? Make this very clear and concrete. 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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    54 mins
  • E34 Self-Management: The Second Step in Improving Your Emotional Intelligence

    E34 Self-Management: The Second Step in Improving Your Emotional Intelligence
    Oct 15 2025

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

    Guest: Chrissy Holm Haider, Ed.D., MSc, MS, LPCC, CMPC, Athletic Counselor, Certified Mental Performance Consultant | Premier Sport Psychology

    We all need to improve our emotional intelligence, and one of the main pillars of that is learning to manage ourselves. We’ve said before that first step of Emotional Intelligence is “Understanding Ourselves.” After that, the next step is “Managing Ourselves.” This concept of self-management is critical to improving our emotional intelligence and interacting with the world. Our expert here to help us with this today is Dr. Chrissy Holm Haider.

    The three big questions we have for her are:

    1. What is “Self-Management” and how does it fit into “Emotional Intelligence?”

    2. What makes self-management so challenging in our modern lives?

    3. What are the actual steps I can take to finally master my ability to manage myself?

    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
    Show More Show Less
    55 mins
  • E33 Managing Conflict: Sorting Facts and Feelings to Turn Disputes into Progress

    E33 Managing Conflict: Sorting Facts and Feelings to Turn Disputes into Progress
    Oct 8 2025

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

    Guest: Erica Martin, PhD, SPHR, Development Programs Director – Department of Development – Mayo Clinic

    Conflict is a universal experience. Anywhere two people are present, conflict is likely to occur at some level. This conflict can be devastatingly harmful, but it can also foster growth and progress. Given how ubiquitous conflict is, it’s critical for us to learn how to identify it, work through it, and use it for good. To help us get started in this process, our expert guest is Dr. Erica Martin.

    The three big questions she is going to answer for us include:

    1. What is conflict and what is its impact?

    2. Why do we find ourselves in conflict so often, and why is it hard for us?

    3. What can we do to turn conflict into progress— at work and in our everyday relationships?

    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
    Show More Show Less
    52 mins
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