The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast

Episode 669: Happiness Lives in the Present Moment | Dr. Greg Hammer, The Mindful Teen
Date: January 4, 2026
Host: Ginny Yurich
Guest: Dr. Greg Hammer

Episode Overview

In this episode, Ginny Yurich welcomes Dr. Greg Hammer, a Stanford physician, bestselling author, and mindfulness expert, to discuss his new book A Mindful Teen and his signature GAIN approach (Gratitude, Acceptance, Intention, Non-Judgment). Together, they explore the mental health challenges facing today’s teens—including technology, comparison, perfectionism, and burnout—and share practical advice for cultivating resilience, presence, and happiness in families through mindful practices.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Dr. Hammer’s Path to Mindfulness

(00:55–04:49)

• Dr. Hammer shares how, through his work on physician burnout at Stanford, he developed an interest in resilience and mental health.
• He explains the GAIN acronym as the distilled essence of personal resilience across spiritual and philosophical traditions: Gratitude, Acceptance, Intention, and Non-Judgment.
  • “I came up with gratitude, acceptance, intention, and non-judgment as really being part of almost every spiritual and philosophic tradition in one form or another.” (03:05, Dr. Hammer)
• Motivation to write A Mindful Teen: teens today face unique stressors—social media, gun violence, political divide, eco-anxiety—prompting a mindfulness resource for parents, educators, and teens.

2. Technology, Over-Protection, and Teen Challenges

(04:49–09:41)

• Discussion on smartphones as “Swiss army knives” giving access to limitless information—and, by extension, stress and pressure.
• Reference to The Nation of Wimps and The Coddling of the American Mind:
  • Over-sanitizing children’s experiences (peanut allergies analogy) leads to increased vulnerability rather than resilience.
  • “We’ve created a generation, in part at least, of people who can’t hack it in the real world.” (08:13, Dr. Hammer)
• Teens crave novel experiences, yet overmanagement stunts identity formation and skill at coping with failure.

3. The Power and Practice of Gratitude

(09:41–15:25)

• Gratitude as a daily, practical practice—especially crucial for teens susceptible to comparison and overwhelm.
• “Happiness lives in the present moment. How can we do that? …That’s the idea behind the elements of GAIN, and gratitude starts with gratitude.” (12:47, Dr. Hammer)
• Our brains’ negativity bias and tendency to dwell on regrets or future worries heighten anxiety and depression, but can be rewired through intentional gratitude practice.
  • Memorable metaphor: Focus shifts from a sore knee in the morning to the “miracle” of our functioning bodies.
  • “When we focus on that for which we’re grateful… we’re actually increasing our resilience and happiness.” (14:42, Dr. Hammer)
• Neuroplasticity: Practicing gratitude strengthens positive thought pathways in the brain.

4. Modeling Gratitude in Family Life

(15:25–24:16)

• Adolescents learn most from observing adult behavior, not lectures.
• Practical family advice:
  • Express gratitude aloud at family meals.
  • Redirect conversations toward gratitude—even when teens express negativity.
  • “If we don’t embody those same principles [as parents], they’re going to think, ‘Oh, well, that’s kind of hypocritical.’” (21:24, Dr. Hammer)
• Research links gratitude, optimism, and mindfulness to greater well-being—including even the preservation of telomere length (i.e., slower aging).

5. Healthy Aging, Social Connection, and Outside Time

(24:16–28:22)

• Discussion of “Blue Zones”: societies with many centenarians share traits of positivity, purpose, social connection, and outdoor physical movement.
  • “Centenarians are very likable people… There’s not a grump in the bunch.” (26:54, Ginny, via Dan Buettner)
• Connection to nature and being outdoors underpins resilience and happiness.

6. Acceptance, Resilience, and Reducing Suffering

(31:18–38:12)

• Acceptance is at the heart of GAIN and core to both surface-level annoyances (e.g., quirky relatives) and deep suffering (e.g., loss of a child).
• “Suffering equals pain times resistance. The pain is there, but if we lower our resistance, which means accepting, then our suffering is decreased.” (33:01, Dr. Hammer)
• Practice: When meditating, deliberately bring painful experiences “into your heart,” breathe, and ask, “Can I live with this pain forever?” Eventually, the answer becomes yes—acceptance leads to less suffering.
• Dr. Hammer’s personal journey: Pediatric intensive care exposed him early to suffering, prompting him to actively choose acceptance over emotional distancing.

7. Perfectionism, Comparison, and the Pitfalls of Judgment

(38:12–47:52)

• Modern teens face extreme perfectionistic pressures, often reinforced by family, schools, and social media comparison.
  • “Perfectionism reduces playfulness… Success hinges less on getting everything right than on how you handle getting things wrong.” (40:37, Ginny paraphrasing The Nation of Wimps)
• Important distinction: discernment vs. judgment. Discernment is choosing wisely; judgment is tinting reality with biased labels.
  • Practical story: Dr. Hammer catching himself judging a stranger looking at their phone instead of nature, using that moment as a mindfulness practice to drop judgment and connect positively (45:00).
• Non-judgment and self-compassion: Teach teens—and ourselves—to respond to imperfection with kindness rather than criticism.
  • “Self-kindness means that we respond to our own imperfections, mistakes, and apparent failures with gentleness, care, and compassion.” (46:59, Ginny quoting Dr. Hammer)
  • Mindfulness interrupts the harsh self-talk that amplifies anxiety and shame.

8. Parenting Strategies for a High-Pressure World

(48:29–52:14)

• Discussion of parenting approaches: Ginny shares a story of a teen paid for grades, and Dr. Hammer weighs the psychological impact.
  • “I think that is sort of… giving money for grades is positive reinforcement… but on the other hand, you’re negatively reinforcing anything less than an A.” (49:08, Dr. Hammer)
• Modern children face high pressure—not just in grades, but in every area.
• A Mindful Teen and GAIN Without Pain offer frameworks for building secure attachment, empathy, forgiveness, and mindfulness in the family context.

9. Meditation, Executive Function, and Play

(50:38–52:45)

• Meditation literally increases brain volume in regions (prefrontal cortex) crucial for executive function—a benefit especially meaningful in a distracted, reactive age.
• Playful, immersive activities function as a form of meditation for young children; lack of play, over-scheduling, and chronic stress compromise developing brains.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Dr. Greg Hammer:
  • “Happiness lives in the present moment.” (12:47)
  • “Suffering equals pain times resistance. The pain may not change, but the suffering is diminished [by acceptance].” (33:01)
  • “When we focus on that for which we’re grateful… we’re actually increasing our resilience and happiness.” (14:42)
  • “Perfectionism… it’s self-judgment.” (46:17)
  • “Let’s be grateful that we have a family, especially now, this time of year, that we can sit around the table and enjoy each other’s company.” (34:18)
• Ginny Yurich:
  • “Already teenage years seem a little bit like not coinciding with being super grateful. And then you throw on social media and comparison.” (10:42)
  • “I love what you wrote… Self-kindness means that we respond to our own imperfections, mistakes, and apparent failures with gentleness, care, and compassion, as opposed to criticism that generates shame and regret.” (46:59)
  • “Centenarians are very likable people… There’s not a grump in the bunch.” (26:54, relaying Dan Buettner)
• On non-judgment & mindfulness in daily life:
  • Dr. Hammer describes catching himself judging a stranger looking at their phone in nature: “Maybe a light bulb will go off… Let’s get a little dopamine hit and have a laugh to ourselves about our judgmental nature and drop that judgment.” (45:00)

Timestamps of Key Segments

• Dr. Hammer’s background & GAIN origin: 01:01 – 04:49
• The challenges and vulnerabilities of teens today: 04:49 – 09:41
• Practical gratitude for teens: why and how: 09:41 – 15:25
• Modeling gratitude as parents: 21:24 – 24:16
• Blue Zones, social connection, and outdoor time: 24:16 – 28:22
• Acceptance and reducing suffering: 31:18 – 38:12
• Perfectionism, judgment, self-kindness: 38:12 – 47:52
• Mindfulness, parenting strategies, meditation: 50:38 – 52:45
• Final reflections & favorite childhood memory: 53:00 – end

Takeaway Messages

• Happiness is found in the present moment, and can be cultivated through daily practice—particularly by focusing on gratitude and acceptance.
• Teens today need intentional support in developing resilience and managing pressures magnified by technology, over-scheduling, and social comparison.
• Parental modeling is key: verbal lessons have little impact without the lived example of mindfulness and gratitude.
• Acceptance—of others, realities, and oneself—reduces suffering and enhances connection, clarity, and joy.
• Mindfulness practices, including gratitude, non-judgment, and meditation, boost well-being at every age and are especially vital in today’s stressed, fast-paced culture.

For more: Explore Dr. Greg Hammer’s books A Mindful Teen and GAIN Without Pain for further guidance on practical, research-backed well-being strategies for teens and families.