Watch this episode featuring Dr. Christina Karns, a neuroscientist at the University of Oregon, to discover how the IDG skill “Appreciation” can rewire our brain, improve our relationships, and boost our well-being.
In this enlightening conversation, Christina unpacks the fascinating science behind gratitude and describes how our ability to recognize and express appreciation activates neural pathways linked to empathy, generosity, and happiness.
00:00 Preview
00:31 Introduction
01:08 About Dr. Christina Karns
03:14 Christina’s backstory
05:03 How the IDG definition of “Appreciation” resonates with Christina
09:00 The neuroscience of gratitude
13:16 What are the physical benefits of gratitude?
15:53 The neuroscience of “Appreciation”
18:25 How has studying gratitude changed Christina as a person?
23:02 Understanding neuroplasticity
28:14 How do acts of kindness boost empathy & happiness?
32:22 How to develop our capacity for gratitude
37:06 The impact of letters of gratitude
42:42 Why is “Appreciation” important at a social level?
46:42 Dr. Christina Karns’s Purposeful Empathy
CONNECT WITH ANITA
✩ Email purposefulempathy@gmail.com
✩ Website https://www.anitanowak.com
✩ Buy a copy of Purposeful Empathy http://tiny.cc/PurposefulEmpathyCA
✩ LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/anitanowak/
✩ Instagram https://tinyurl.com/anitanowakinstagram
✩ Podcast Audio https://tinyurl.com/PurposefulEmpathyPodcast
✩ Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/anitanowak.bsky.social
CONNECT WITH CHRISTINA
✩ LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/christina-karns-99bab519/
✩ Blog https://blogs.uoregon.edu/karns/
SHOW NOTES
✩ Brain Development Lab https://bdl.uoregon.edu/research/people/staff/christina-karns/
✩ A Functional MRI Study of Change with Gratitude Practice https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/human-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2017.00599/full
Video edited by Green Horizon Studio
