Dr. Maya Shankar: Transform Your Mindset to Navigate Life’s Biggest Changes in 2026 | Human Behavior | E381

Why does mindset collapse when the life you planned disappears? Dr. Maya Shankar learned this firsthand after two devastating losses. A sudden injury ended her dream of becoming a professional violinist, and years later, repeated miscarriages shattered her vision of motherhood. These moments exposed how easily we attach self-worth to imagined futures. Drawing from cognitive science and human psychology, she learned to redefine her identity beyond self-imposed labels. In this episode, Maya explores the psychology of change, revealing why we experience “identity paralysis” when unexpected changes occur, and how we can use that to our advantage. In this episode, Hala and Dr. Maya will discuss: (00:00) Introduction (02:59) Understanding Identity Paralysis (07:21) The Science Behind Change (17:00) Unlocking Potential Future Selves (24:09) The Difference Between Resilience and Reinvention (33:14) How Change Reshapes Values and Beliefs (36:56) Self-Affirmation Exercises That Boost Positivity (40:40) The Change Toolkit: Navigating Life Transitions (57:16) Navigating the Messy Middle of Change (01:00:34) Mastering Career Pivots and Starting Fresh Dr. Maya Shankar is a cognitive scientist and host of the podcast A Slight Change of Plans. She serves as Senior Director of Behavioral Economics at Google and previously founded the White House Behavioral Science Team under President Obama as a Senior Advisor. A Rhodes Scholar with a Ph.D. from Oxford and a B.A. from Yale, Dr. Maya completed her postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford. Her new book, The Other Side of Change, explores the psychology and stories behind life’s most disruptive transitions.