Hardiness with Dr Paul Taylor

Your anxiety might be a signal, not the problem. Dr. Olivia Lesslar and I break down why chronic stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and the body’s threat-detection systems can leave you exhausted, inflamed, and stuck in survival mode - and what to do about it. If you’ve been told your symptoms are “just stress,” this conversation will feel like a revelation. Olivia explains how the mind-body connection shows up in complex chronic illness, why mitochondria act like cellular decision-makers, and how the cell danger response can push the body into energy-conserving hibernation when it senses threat. Olivia also shares her framework for adaptive versus maladaptive responses, her thoughts on mitochondrial support nutrients like B vitamins, minerals, iron, copper, zinc, and ubiquinol, and why more is not always better when it comes to longevity tools, supplements, or training. She explains how light, heat, and frequency may be used to support healing in everything from wounds to neurodegenerative disease.
You’ll discover:
Why your brain, muscles, and mitochondria compete for finite resources
How exercise can help or hurt depending on volume, recovery, and intensity
The real science behind photo biomodulation, red light, near infrared, and sauna use
Why sun exposure, sleep, and circadian timing change how your body handles stress
How PEMF and hyperbaric oxygen therapy are being used in complex chronic conditions
Why breath work can either calm your nervous system or send you into overdrive
Time Stamps
00:00 - Introducing Dr Olivia Lesslar and her work in complex chronic illness
03:02 - Threat detection, stress appraisal, and why cortisol matters
05:40 - What mitochondria are and why they do more than make energy
10:48 - The cell danger response and how cells shift into repair mode
14:57 - Hormesis and why some stress can build resilience
16:07 - Muscle, mitochondria, and the problem with no ceiling on training
19:26 - Extreme exercise theory and the risks of too much volume
23:23 - What photo biomodulation is and how red light affects physiology
25:36 - Healing use cases for red and near infrared light
30:32 - Red light versus near infrared and when each is used
32:25 - Near infrared, heat shock proteins, and neurodegenerative disease
34:57 - Gut-brain axis applications and Parkinson’s research
36:36 - Mitochondrial support supplements and why personalization matters
41:05 - What PEMF is and why Olivia takes it seriously
47:11 - HBOT, pressure levels, and why more oxygen is not always better
52:43 - Breath work, nervous system control, and practical daily breathing
Resources
Website - https://www.drolivialesslar.com/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/drolivialesslar/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/drolivialesslar/?hl=en

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This week's Mojo Monday looks at four Stoic steps for cutting down unnecessary suffering, starting with Epictetus's dichotomy of control: sorting what's actually within your control from what isn't, redirecting your attention toward your own response, pivoting into useful action once you've accepted the facts, and taking the view from above for perspective. It also unpacks the difference between rumination and genuine processing, and includes a reflection on ego, injustice, and why choosing not to react can be its own kind of strength.
Carly is a counsellor and coach who specialises in building psychological hardiness, which is the ability to navigate challenge, stay engaged, and take meaningful action under pressure. Her work integrates modern psychology with Eastern and Stoic approaches, helping people build resilience, live with purpose, and respond to life’s challenges with greater clarity, courage and steadiness.
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The education system is sending kids the wrong message about learning, ability, and success - and it’s leaving far too many behind. Dr. Geoff Masters reveals why age-based schooling, narrow assessment, and one-size-fits-all teaching are failing students, and what a smarter redesign could look like. Geoff is the former head of the Australian Council for Educational Research, explains the hidden lessons schools teach children: that learning is for pleasing others, that the body is separate from the mind, that learning happens alone, and that progress is just a sequence of disconnected content chunks. He shows how those assumptions shape disengagement, frustration, and the belief that some kids are simply “good” or “bad” learners.
You’ll discover:
Why 40 to 50 percent of students are disengaged in the middle years
Why the top 10 percent in a year level can be five to six years ahead of the bottom 10 percent
Why that makes the current model nearly impossible for one teacher to meet.
Geoff also breaks down how assessment should change from “how well did you learn what I just taught?” to “where are you up to now, and what comes next?
“We also unpack what schools can borrow from Finland, Hong Kong, and Wales, including multi-year learning spans, progression steps, and greater teacher autonomy. Geoff and I explore why scripted lessons and rigid standardisation often backfire, how teacher expectations shape student outcomes, and why rebuilding self-efficacy starts with showing children the progress they are already making.

Key Takeaways
00:30 - From science teacher to educational research leader
01:27 - How educational research shapes policy and school systems
02:18 - Why The Children We Leave Behind was written
04:39 - What the system teaches students about learning
05:45 - Learning as cognitive only, and the body being left out
06:52 - Learning as isolated and competitive rather than social
07:52 - The problem with treating learning as disconnected content chunks
09:45 - Why the early years handle learning better than the senior years
10:52 - University, relevance, and preparation for the real world
12:03 - What schools teach students about their ability as learners
13:53 - Disengagement in the middle years and the loss of agency
15:13 - Why age is a poor proxy for learning needs
17:09 - Why the system needs redesign, not just small fixes
19:23 - Moving from age-based grouping to individual learning pathways
20:29 - Why assessment should measure progress, not just completion
22:40 - Building self-efficacy by making progress visible
23:30 - Teacher expectations and their impact on student outcomes
25:16 - Why this is a whole-school and system-level challenge
26:56 - How much autonomy schools actually have
27:25 - Rethinking learning across year spans instead of single year levels
29:37 - Examples from Finland and three-year schooling phases
31:41 - Wales and progression steps instead of year-level lockstep
32:46 - Why Finland’s teacher preparation and autonomy matter
34:15 - The downside of scripted lessons and excessive prescription
35:58 - Standardisation versus true evidence-based teaching
37:19 - What parents can do to support engagement and growth
38:44 - Whether learning styles are real and how schools should respond
40:22 - If education were redesigned from scratch
41:20 - Music, proficiency levels, and learning as a continuum
42:46 - Organising mathematics around proficiency levels
43:41 - Using growth data to guide teaching and communicate progress
44:58 - Why teacher quality and pay need to rise together
47:48 - What society values, and why education needs a new starting point

Resources
Geoff’s book: The Children We Leave Behind
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoff-masters-a8526a88/
Institute for Educational Reform: https://educationalreform.org.au/who-we-are/

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If you found this conversation valuable, consider subscribing and leaving a review on your preferred podcast platform. Your feedback helps us continue to bring you insightful discussions on important health topics.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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