Cover art for podcast The Anxious Achiever

The Anxious Achiever

181 EpisodesProduced by Morra Aarons-MeleWebsite

Host Morra Aarons-Mele is on a mission to reframe how we think about anxiety and mental health in the workplace. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S. We desperately need better models for leadership and a more holistic view of mental health. Our culture tells those of us … read more

181 Episodes | 2019 - 2024

Farewell

February 22nd, 2024

0:39

An important message from RadioPublic

Are You Harnessing Your Anxiety for Good?

March 27th, 2024

45:13

Anxiety rarely feels good, so it might feel counterintuitive to think about it as a positive thing. But in this episode, we revisit a conversation with Wendy Suzuki, an NYU neuroscientist who studies neuroplasticity. …

Trauma-Informed Leadership: Is it Right For You?

March 20th, 2024

52:39

In the quest to be a more empathetic and effective leader or manager, the lens of trauma-informed leadership might be helpful for you. It’s the idea …

Accent Bias: How It Impacts You and Your Work

March 13th, 2024

42:03

Heather Hansen challenges the notion of "good" and "bad" English. Good communication is about getting the message across. She’s based in Singapore and helps executives with their linguistic and communication skills. …

Are You Good at Embracing Uncertainty?

March 6th, 2024

46:28

Uncertainty and anxiety are highly linked in our brains: when we aren’t sure what will happen, we often go into planning, defensive mode, trying to come up with every possible scenario and ensure a good outcome. Author …

Dan Harris: 10 Percent Happier, 10 Years Later

February 28th, 2024

49:20

We all have big moments that shift the course of our life - and our relationship with those moments also change over time. Dan Harris was a long time TV journalist when he had a panic attack on air in 2004. That set in …

Toxic Bosses, Mean Girls, and Trusting Yourself

February 21st, 2024

45:45

You know the feeling when you know that something is off with a relationship at work, but feel like you can’t speak up? Many of us have felt this feeling but haven’t known how to describe it or work through it in a …

The Toll of Selling Your Business: Two Entrepreneurs Share Their Stories

February 14th, 2024

51:51

We put so much of ourselves and our identity into our work; that’s especially true for entrepreneurs. It can be hard to deal with the emotions of selling the business you started, even when it’s the outcome you dreamed …

Is Your Anxiety a Habit You Need to Break?

February 7th, 2024

57:21

For many of us, anxiety is a partner on our journey of life: it is always there. But a helpful reframe could also be the idea that anxiety is a …

Former Head of Mental Health and Wellbeing at Google on Why Teams and Culture Matter

January 31st, 2024

52:06

How far have we come in terms of mental health at organizations, and how far do we still need to go? Kristin Maczko leads Strategic People Programs for Synopsys, but formerly served as the Head of Health and Wellbeing …

What You Still Don’t Understand About Imposter Syndrome

January 24th, 2024

33:17

Studies show that over 70 percent of us feel imposter syndrome at one time or another. But there’s a lot we still don’t know about the why, the how, the what. In this episode, imposter syndrome expert Lisa Orbe-Austin …

“I Have Always Cared a Lot What Other People Think of Me”

January 17th, 2024

41:58

Congressman Adam Smith spent years quietly struggling with both anxiety and physical pain, while serving the people of his state and the entire …

Micromanaging, Mental Health, and Breaking Free

January 10th, 2024

37:34

Leaders out there who are guilty of micromanaging might not immediately realize that it comes from a need for control, and probably a bit of anxiety. …

LinkedIn Live: From Digital Transformations to Personal Transformations

January 5th, 2024

37:49

Charlene Li is someone who has spent her career focusing on digital transformations and disruptive leadership. And she practices what she preaches - she even helped host Morra Aarons-Mele set up an AI (check out …

“You See Flashes of Really Deep Emotion in the Heat of These Competitions”

January 3rd, 2024

1:00:18

What can we learn about performance and mental health from professional athletes? As we start a new year off, Morra Aarons-Mele revisits her …

Pressure, Perfectionism, and Passion: What Medical Professionals Face

December 20th, 2023

1:04:15

The limelight - and appreciation - given to medical professionals early in the pandemic has largely faded, but the stresses they face continue. In this episode, Morra speaks to a veterinarian and a physician about their …

The Loneliness Epidemic and Work (with Surgeon General Vivek Murthy)

December 13th, 2023

40:48

Do you feel lonely, even when you’re almost never alone? It’s a common feeling for many workers in the U.S. right now - with around 50 percent of Americans experiencing measurable levels of loneliness. That sense of …

We All Experience Class At Work (And Why We Should Talk About It)

December 6th, 2023

46:28

 Ever been at work and everyone starts talking about their recent trip to Italy, or their Ivy League college reunion coming up… and you just feel …

Want To Run A Good Company? You Can’t Ignore Menopause Anymore

November 29th, 2023

51:56

The working world has gotten a lot more open about a lot of things, from mental health challenges to the realities of being a working parent. But a topic that is still taboo for many is the subject of menopause. Today's …

How Your Family History - and Tensions - Affect You At Work

November 22nd, 2023

38:33

 Many in the U.S. this week are celebrating the holiday of Thanksgiving - which, unfortunately for many, can mean difficult conversations with family …

Building Your Career When You Have Borderline Personality Disorder

November 15th, 2023

39:10

Today’s guest always seemed to seek out chaos in his career. It wasn’t until a diagnosis that he learned to manage his emotions, stay still, and practice consistency as a leader. 


Bryce Seto is an SVP of Business …

Farnoosh Torabi on Fear, Money, and Career Success

November 1st, 2023

36:33

Farnoosh Torabi is a veteran journalist and personal finance expert who has spent much of her life trying to help others have a healthier relationship with money. But we all have hangups, and varying degrees of anxiety …

LinkedIn Live: How to Speak Up

October 27th, 2023

28:47

Speaking up is an essential skill in work and in leadership, but it can be scary and anxiety-inducing for many of us. This week, Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with executive coach Nihar Chhaya about how can speak up more …

Leadership, Burnout, and Breakdowns (and Why Coaching Can Help)

October 25th, 2023

41:22

Everyone needs support at work, whether that comes in the form of coaching, therapy, some combination - or something else. In this episode we look at the specific kinds of challenges that executives face with burnout …

Mood and Food: What You Need to Know About Gut and Mental Health

October 18th, 2023

39:02

While information about the connection between food, gut health, and our overall well-being has come into the spotlight in recent years, it can still often be something that only the privileged have time, money, and …

The Israel-Hamas War and Managing Grief

October 16th, 2023

1:03:46

It was an emotional and scary week for millions of people around the world following the horrific attacks in Israel and subsequent ramp up of war. In …

20 Minutes a Week Devoted to Culture Building Can Improve Mental Health for Grocery and Retail Workers

October 11th, 2023

36:17

Anthony Sartori knows just how overlooked the mental health of retail workers can be. After finishing college in 2018, and seeing the plight of …

Mindfulness to Be A Better Colleague - and Stop Being Passive-Aggressive

October 4th, 2023

53:47

We bring ourselves to work - or to our Zoom calls - every day with the desire to be professional and to achieve. That often means trying to put whatever else is going on in our world aside, but it’s a lot easier said …

“He’s a Jerk Who Got Rich and Now He Hates Everybody”

September 27th, 2023

42:05

Gabe Howard had a successful tech career when, at the age of 26, he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. To the outside world, many people thought it …

"I Have Everything to Gain and Nothing to Lose, and I Have a Responsibility to Use My Voice"

September 20th, 2023

41:28

A huge part of breaking down stigma around mental health challenges at work is about being open and honest about our experiences. Mita Mallick is head of Inclusion, Equity and Impact at Carta and host of the LinkedIn …

“When I Was Diagnosed with PTSD I Was Treated Like Damaged Goods” (Part II)

September 15th, 2023

26:11

We continue the conversation with Dean Yates, a Tasmania-based mental health advocate, former journalist, and author of the book Line in the Sand.

“I Wanted to Cover War Without Having Any Clue What War Was Like” (Part I)

September 13th, 2023

27:28

Dean Yates was a foreign correspondent and worked for Reuters for decades until the traumatic events he witnessed took their toll. Over time, he …

“I Didn’t Know What the Word Burnout Meant”: One Teacher’s Mental Health Journey

September 6th, 2023

35:37

The public school system in the U.S. lost at least 300,000 public school teachers and administrators between February 2020 and May 2022, according to …

Behind the Scenes of Meditation and Mental Health with the CEO of Headspace

August 30th, 2023

38:16

The first time that Russell Glass tried meditation, he wasn’t really sure what to make of it. Flash-forward several years and lots of practice later, Glass is now the CEO of Headspace, the mental health and meditation …

LinkedIn Live: Weight-Loss Drugs, Food Noise, and Mental Health

August 18th, 2023

42:03

Host Morra Aaons-Mele has an informal chat with author and entrepreneur Meredith Arthur about how Wegovy - a drug similar to Ozempic - has changed her life, and reduced what she calls “food noise”.

This Leadership Expert’s Experience Managing Autism Can Help Everyone Enjoy Work More

August 16th, 2023

47:00

Tara McMullin was diagnosed with autism at the age of 38, and it put her previous struggles with work and the structures we have around work in a new …

LinkedIn Live: Am I Too Old for This Role?

August 11th, 2023

36:27

Do you ever wonder if you are “aging out?” This week, Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with executive coach Nihar Chhaya about the realities of age bias, expectations, and the stress it brings. 

Catch more of Morra and Nihar’s …

Best of Anxious Achiever: Pressure, Achievement, and Self-Compassion

August 9th, 2023

40:00

High achievers and those who struggle with mental health often find it hard to give themselves compassion. We revisit one of our favorite episodes …

“I Could Work 16 Hours a Day and Not Have It Affect Me… I Thought”

August 2nd, 2023

44:35

We don’t always immediately see the ways that anxiety, trauma, or institutional inequities show up for us - and our bodies - at work. Deepa …

Real Leaders Get Emotional: Cloudfm CEO Jeff Dewing

July 26th, 2023

44:49

Today, Jeff Dewing runs a successful facilities management technology corporation. He’s had a dramatic career. Mark began his career in refrigeration …

LinkedIn Live: Is Mental Health at Work a “Gen Z Thing”?

July 21st, 2023

35:26

Older generations have heard the stereotypes, and maybe seen anecdotal evidence that supports these biases: Gen Z, newish to the workforce, is a bit too aware of their feelings and their mental health; but sometimes we …

How MLMs Hurt Women’s Mental Health

July 19th, 2023

49:56

Multi-level marketing businesses, or MLMs, offer people - often women who don’t work outside the home - the chance to be entrepreneurs, face new …

The “Goal Conqueror” Diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder During the Pandemic

July 12th, 2023

41:24

Natasha Bowman always thought of herself as a goal conqueror: someone who could seemingly take on any project, multitask any number of things, and …

LinkedIn Live: How to Handle Envy, FOMO, and Jealousy

July 7th, 2023

41:30

Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with executive coach Nihar Chhaya about what Morra calls the "triangle of doom" - envy, shame and scarcity - as part of …

Best of Anxious Achiever: Can Workplaces Help Us Heal?

July 5th, 2023

37:48

With all of the issues in corporate America, in startup culture, and in workplaces biases and inequalities, it can be easy to forget the ways in …

When High-Powered Careers Come to Define Us

June 28th, 2023

44:55

Have you ever daydreamed about quitting your stressful job and hitting the open road? It isn’t something everyone can afford to do with their time …

I Get This Question a Lot: Should I Try To Make My Corporate Job Work?

June 23rd, 2023

32:59

For many people, the choice between a corporate job or entrepreneurship comes down to the freedom and flexibility they might get on their own… versus the stability and paycheck they get at work. But in a time when many …

The Relationship between Ambition, OCD, and Culture

June 21st, 2023

45:49

Many high achievers have a complicated relationship with their own health, and their own ambition. Things like anxiety can fuel us but also wreak havoc in our lives in ways we don’t always recognize or examine. 


Do Entrepreneurs Need Specialized Mental Healthcare?

June 14th, 2023

44:48

Michael Freeman is a psychiatrist and professor looking to better understand and better support the mental health of entrepreneurs. A fourth generation entrepreneur himself, he’s done research that looks at the higher …

LinkedIn Live: I Get This Question A Lot

June 9th, 2023

44:06

In this new series, host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with executive coach Nihar Chhaya about some of your most pressing questions around mental health, career, and success in this new LinkedIn Live series.

Entrepreneur Dan Mangena on His Adult Autism Diagnosis, and Living in a Place of Abundance

June 7th, 2023

44:28

Dan Mangena spent much of his early life and early adulthood struggling with severe social anxiety and insomnia. It wasn’t until he was diagnosed …

Marketing Expert Dorie Clark on Being Yourself and Being Valued For It

May 31st, 2023

49:48

Does your career path feel uncertain, or at the very least, unsteady? In a world where jobs aren’t guaranteed, we increasingly need to advocate for ourselves and create a brand around our work. In the process of …

A Recent Morehouse College Grad On How He - and Gen X - Handle Mental Health

May 24th, 2023

38:53

Anthony Hunter is someone just setting out in what most of us consider to be adulthood: just graduating from college and joining the workforce …

Rep. Becca Balint Has Struggled with Anxiety and Depression. Now She’s Fighting for Mental Health Support and Policies.

May 17th, 2023

47:20

Representative Becca Balint is a new member of Congress, joining this January after several years in the Vermont Senate. She didn’t start her career …

Is American Motherhood (and Work) Sustainable?

May 10th, 2023

36:32

“I didn’t want to accept myself as someone who had mental health struggles. And having kids made me be like, oh no, this is a health issue that you …

The Ritalin and Adderall Shortage and How It Impacts Work

May 3rd, 2023

53:36

Millions of Americans depend on prescription medication like Ritalin and Adderall each day to help them accomplish their tasks. Whether taking these …

Hospitality Entrepreneur Chip Conley on Mental Health, Wisdom, and Generation Gaps

April 26th, 2023

47:58

Chip Conley is an entrepreneur who has built a number of companies from the ground up, and also served as Head of Global Hospitality and Strategy at AirBnb. He’s also someone who has made it his life’s work to speak out …

Do You Have Codependency Issues at Work?

April 19th, 2023

40:49

Codependency is the existence of unhealthy relationship where one person fixates on taking care of or even controlling the other, forgetting their …

What Psychedelic Research Might Mean for Leadership and Work

April 12th, 2023

56:54

We’ve seen an increasing number of headlines around the study and use of psychedelics like psilocybin, ketamine, MDMA and LSD. As research continues, many are wondering how these studies can be improved - and how they …

What A Divorce Taught This Leader About Facing His Fears

April 5th, 2023

36:11

Those of us who put pressure on ourselves to achieve do it in all aspects of life - from school to work to family. That means that when our sense of …

Disrupting Yourself and Your Career

March 29th, 2023

40:36

Disruption is the name of the game in so many businesses today, and that’s the case for many high performing individuals as well. But how do we think about drastically changing our life and our career, without letting …

“I Had All My Money with SVB”: An Entrepreneur on Bank Failure and the Anxious Echo Chamber of Social Media

March 22nd, 2023

33:56

 On March 10th, the FDIC announced the closure of Silicon Valley Bank, marking the second largest bank failure in U.S. history. If you were watching the minute to minute news on social, this development might have felt …

How This NBCUniversal Exec Publicly Dealt with Mental Illness (And Teamed Up With A Psychologist to Better His Workplace)

March 15th, 2023

46:12

The film and television industry is incredibly pressure-filled, high stakes, and visible. That’s true for the actors and actresses - but there’s often just as much pressure for those behind the scenes. 


Jimmy Horowitz is …

Are Women Punished For Being Emotional At Work?

March 8th, 2023

43:25

The question of how and when to show certain emotions at work is evolving, and it’s subject to a lot of bias. There are still double standards around …

Recognizing and Working with Anxiety at the Negotiating Table

March 1st, 2023

35:16

Have you ever had to go into conversation where you needed to advocate for yourself and really feel like you weren’t coming from a position of power? Learn how to calm anxiety, and regain your negotiating power.


For most …

Breaking the Stigma of Mental Health for Men in Business

February 23rd, 2023

44:40

You know that cliche phrase "leaving to spend more time with my family" that so many people us when they leave a job?

For Lenny Mendoca, the phrase didn't have much life. After serving as senior partner at McKinsey, …

Your Anxiety Needs a Product Manager

February 15th, 2023

37:13

Meredith Arthur is a self-described recovering overthinker. She is chief of staff at TwoTwenty, a in-house incubator for new projects at Pinterest. She’s also a mental health advocate and author of the book Get Out of …

This Father and Son Transformed Their Relationship and Careers After Mental Health Challenges

February 8th, 2023

49:03

Craig Kramer was someone with an impressive corporate career. His son, Peter Lee-Kramer, was on a track of academic and athletic success. Then mental health issues surfaced - and sent the father and son to both …

Here’s How to Plan for Difficult Conversations

February 1st, 2023

38:54

It might be a confrontation with a colleague who is constantly late to meetings. You might need to finally ask for that raise. Or it could be …

What Athletes Teach Us About Mental Health

January 25th, 2023

1:01:29

Most offices are rife with sports metaphors, from hitting the target to being a team player. There’s a lot we can learn from athletes and those who train them about performance and mental health. And high-profile …

Facing Loss Amid the Tyranny of Positivity

January 18th, 2023

56:49

There are a lot of challenges in our lives that can help us achieve. And then there is the reality that there ARE going to be times that are traumatic, tragic, sad. We face depression, death, and grief - because we are …

What Mental Health Leave Taught One Google Executive

January 11th, 2023

43:30

People who end up in leadership positions at huge companies are usually overachievers: they’ve succeeded in school, internships, early career jobs, …

Shopify’s Harley Finkelstein is an Anxious Achiever

January 4th, 2023

37:00

Harley Finkelstein is president of Shopify, the e-commerce platform that has processed over 1 billion orders. For years, Harley’s anxiety troubled him but also gave him tremendous drive and energy. He realized that …

CVS Health’s Cara McNulty on Fighting Mental Health Stigma

December 21st, 2022

43:52

Much about mental health care in this country is pretty broken. In her role at President of Behavioral Health and Executive Vice President at CVS …

How to Channel Anxiety Into Positive Work Outcomes, According to Research

December 14th, 2022

40:36

Work can be stressful and downright anxiety-inducing; but we also know that bit of anxiety that comes from bumping up against a deadline or having to …

Managing With Intention Can Help Us Fight Toxic Work Environments, Burnout, and Anxiety

December 7th, 2022

1:01:28

Being intentional about how we spend our time and how we treat others is sometimes easier said than done. But it’s an essential piece of how we keep workers and workplaces mentally healthy in today’s increasingly …

The Anxiety of Money, University, and Raising Mentally Healthy Kids

November 30th, 2022

45:01

It’s the time of year when so many young adults and their parents are thinking about a major achievement in young life - getting into college. It’s …

Finding the Right Work Fit When You’re Neurodivergent

November 23rd, 2022

41:31

For all the negative stuff that social media and our online world can put out there - a lot of which we talk about in this show - there are also some …

Digging Deeper on Perfectionism

November 16th, 2022

54:42

Many high performers go through their working lives struggling with perfectionism and not even realizing it - or not understanding why they have such a need to achieve. In this episode, we continue the conversation …

Using Achievement - and Exercise - to Cope

November 9th, 2022

40:44

Emi Nietfeld is one of those people who looks great on paper. Raised in tumultuous circumstances and facing mental health challenges in her early …

Dealing with Grief While Dealing with Work

November 2nd, 2022

41:33

Grief is something we’ll all experience in our adult lives, and we all experience it differently. But it’s not something the modern workplace is …

Why Giving Up Control at Work Can Improve Your Emotional Health

October 26th, 2022

44:34

Aaron Dignan is founder of The Ready - an organizational transformation and coaching practice. He focuses on how to prioritize adaptivity and …

Surgeon General Announces Framework on Mental Health and Work

October 20th, 2022

30:58

US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has never shied away from talking about emotions, and their impact on our health. On his own podcast he brings forth topics like loneliness, the pressure of achievement, meditation and …

Scary Mommy’s Founder on When Life Throws Curveballs

October 12th, 2022

38:06

We’re told again and again in the business world that the way to be successful is to follow your passion and to be authentic. Jill Smokler, the …

Why Difference is a Superpower with Christopher Lochhead

October 5th, 2022

41:18

Many people who are neurodivergent have to figure out a way to succeed outside the rules and regulations of traditional institutions. 


Christopher …

Burnout and Mental Health: Perspectives from Human Resources

September 28th, 2022

42:43

Every wonder what your manager or HR leader is really thinking? 

In this episode, host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with Vice Media’s Chief People Officer Daisy Auger-Dominquez about mental health, the great resignation, …

Gretchen Rubin on Expectations, Pillars of Habits, and Understanding Why You React the Way You Do

September 21st, 2022

46:33

Before many others, podcast host and author Gretchen Rubin found a way to create her own brand, run a remote company, and think carefully about …

A CEO on Strengthening Leadership and Facing Childhood Trauma

September 14th, 2022

38:19

Adam Baruh is CEO and founder of the consulting agency SuiteCentric. But he’s also on a mission to talk with servant leaders and normalize …

Your Questions, Answered: How to Get What You Need at Work

September 7th, 2022

52:24

We set out in every episode to share a story, reframe a perception, or even change your mind about mental health. But listeners are always writing in with questions. You asked, so we answered.

In this episode kicking off …

Questioning and Understanding Our Need to Achieve

August 24th, 2022

38:45

One of the core tenets of this show is about examining our motivations to achieve (and even overachieve), especially because those needs can …

The Hidden Mental Anguish of a Successful Tech Investor

June 22nd, 2022

43:52

Andy Johns has had a nearly two decade career as an investor - working on companies like Facebook and Twitter when they were in their early stages. Today, he’s working as a mental health advocate. Andy is reflecting on …

Lori Gottlieb on Writing as Therapy, the Mind-Body Connection, and What to Do When You Need Help

June 15th, 2022

41:29

Lori Gottlieb found her life’s work later in life, but she then built her career around therapy and writing - helping herself and countless others along the way. She wrote about her own journey through therapy in her …

Changing Your Relationship With Email and Phones

June 10th, 2022

28:28

 Sometimes you just need a little extra inspiration to remind you how to draw the right boundaries and make sure you relationship with work remains healthy. In this bonus episode, host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with …

Lessons in Mental Health and Leadership from History

June 8th, 2022

44:13

Mental health seems to be all the rage in the corporate world today. But the reality is that great leaders, great creatives, and great innovators throughout time have also been likely to suffer from bouts of mental …

Why We Need to Understand Our Emotions Around Money

June 1st, 2022

44:28

Even if you don’t suffer from more generalized anxiety, money is something that causes almost everyone some stress and strain. Buffie Purselle, an entrepreneur and personal finance expert, says understanding our …

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (And Work)

May 25th, 2022

38:35

A lot of us still think of mental struggles as something to push through. Or we think we need to “cure” ourselves from anxiety and that will be that. 

Why Managing Is the Hardest Job She’s Ever Had

May 18th, 2022

36:21

Building a positive, mentally healthy workplace isn’t a one-time feat. It requires work day in and day out - which makes managing an even harder job than it used to be. In this episode, journalist Priska Neely returns …

Bonobos Cofounder on the Highs of Success and Lows of Mental Struggle

May 11th, 2022

46:05

Andy Dunn is the cofounder of Bonobos, a innovative retail company he helped start out of business school in 2007. And while the company reached …

Managing Anxiety When the World Feels like a Scary Place

May 4th, 2022

36:07

For many of us, anxiety is about the day to day - whether that’s from social interaction, managing all of our work, or a more serious disorder we might be struggling with. But what about what the problem is big - like, …

Imposter Syndrome, Work, and Mental Health

April 27th, 2022

30:08

So many of us experience imposter syndrome - the idea that you feel like a fraud in your job; that you’re faking it until you make it and that any minute now, people will be able to see through it. The problem can be …

Miss America on the Suffering We Can’t Always See

April 20th, 2022

34:23

So many people struggle with mental health issues in part because, unlike many physical ailments, you can’t always know that someone is suffering, or just how badly. In this episode we dive in with reigning Miss America …

Racial Trauma and Work: “I Hear From Broken-Hearted Women Several Times a Day”

April 13th, 2022

39:00

Today’s guest is someone who experienced the racism in the corporate world. After years of constantly being triggered at work, she had enough, and walked away. She discusses how to heal after work breaks your heart.

Understanding “Good” Anxiety

April 6th, 2022

43:09

Dr. Wendy Suzuki is a neuroscientist at NYU who studies neuroplasticity. She’s the author of “Good Anxiety: Harnessing the Power of the Most Misunderstood Emotion,” and she talks with host Morra Aarons-Mele about why …

Does Negotiation Give You Anxiety? Here’s How To Approach It.

March 30th, 2022

42:28

Preparing for and managing a negotiation can be hard for anyone, but for people who suffer from anxiety and tend toward rumination, it can feel near impossible. In this episode, Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with negotiation …

Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms On Mental Health In And Out of Office

March 23rd, 2022

41:13

A career in the public eye is not for the faint of heart. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms didn’t start out knowing she would enter a career in politics, …

Learning Compassion for Your High-Achieving Self

March 16th, 2022

43:57

What if we all were a little nicer to ourselves? In this episode, we hear from lawyer Mark Goldstein about his own journey with depression, OCD, and …

A Mini Meditation When You Need It

March 11th, 2022

5:44

Hear mindfulness leader Sharon Salzberg walk you through a short meditation you can use at work or any time you feel anxious.

A Career in Mindfulness, Mindfulness for Your Career

March 9th, 2022

41:57

Meditation and mindfulness have become household concepts, especially in the wake of the global pandemic. But it wasn’t always that way. In this …

Why Ambition Can Make You a “Terror” - And How to Fix It

March 2nd, 2022

38:40

When we get jobs that seem impressive to the outside world - and get sucked into a corporate, competitive culture - we don’t always end up displaying …

On Being CEO - and Living with Bipolar Disorder

February 23rd, 2022

35:36

Many leaders succeed and thrive not just in spite of anxiety, depression, or other mental health struggles - but because of them. They make leaders more aware of themselves, and more empathetic to those around them. …

Psychological Safety in Theory and In Practice

December 20th, 2021

58:21

What does psychological safety at work mean for people with anxiety and other mental health challenges? Host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with Amy …

Why the Workplace is Actually a Good Place to Heal

December 13th, 2021

41:30

Host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with Susan Schmitt, co-author of Healing at Work: A Guide to Using Career Conflicts to Overcome Your Past and Build the Future You Deserve, about how we can face childhood trauma, …

Anxiety Is a Habit

December 6th, 2021

58:50

Host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with Dr. Judson Brewer, author of “Unwinding Anxiety: New Science Shows How to Break the Cycles of Worry and Fear to Heal Your Mind,” about how we can experiment with different behavior …

Huma Abedin on Private Pain and Public Struggle

November 24th, 2021

43:04

As a political staffer for Hillary Clinton, Huma Abedin was under immense pressure to achieve, while staying out of the public eye. That all changed …

Neurodiversity at Work

November 22nd, 2021

56:01

Host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with Danny Lakes, a Procter & Gamble employee who is on the autism spectrum, as well as Todd Ballish, a neurotypical manager at P&G, about why having a program for neurodiverse …

What You Want Matters

November 15th, 2021

41:53

Anxious achievers are often hyper-attuned to other people and how to please them. New York Times bestselling author Julie Lythcott-Haims argues that …

How Family Dynamics Play Out at Work

November 8th, 2021

43:17

Host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with Kathleen Smith, an associate faculty member at the Bowen Center for the Study of the Family, about how family …

Even Public Figures Have Social Anxiety

November 1st, 2021

40:55

Host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with New York Times bestselling author Lindsey Pollak about how she maintains a public speaking career while dealing …

Understanding Our Roots to Find the Path Forward

October 25th, 2021

51:07

Host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with Anu Gupta, founder and CEO of educational tech company BE MORE with Anu, about immigrating to the U.S. with his family, why he stayed in the closet so long, how he realized he needed …

Why Conflict Is Necessary and How to Manage It (with Amy Gallo)

October 18th, 2021

42:45

Host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks to HBR contributing editor and podcast host Amy Gallo about why conflict is so hard and how to make conflict a force for good in your work relationships. Amy is also the author of "The HBR …

Handling the “Mental Fire”

October 11th, 2021

41:51

For many of us, the world can feel like too much right now – a never ending cascade of anxiety-inducing news. It’s something that Christina Blacken, founder and chief narrative strategist at The New Quo, calls the …

Joseph Gordon-Levitt on the Anxiety of Unfulfilled Dreams

October 4th, 2021

38:52

Welcome to Season 5! Host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with the actor, writer, and director about media and film portrayals of people with mental health …

Bonus: Talking about Self-Awareness and Anxiety (with Hello Monday’s Jessi Hempel)

September 13th, 2021

27:33

There’s another podcast we love: "Hello Monday with Jessi Hempel." The show explores how to make work happier, healthier, and more human. In this special bonus episode, Hempel interviews host Morra Aarons-Mele about her …

The Great Re-Norming

July 19th, 2021

39:35

Jessi Hempel is constantly thinking about the state of work. She’s senior editor at large at LinkedIn and host of the podcast Hello Monday. In the final episode of Season 4, she speaks with host Morra Aarons-Mele about …

ADHD, Neurodiversity, and Bias

July 12th, 2021

35:54

There’s a stereotype that most people who struggle with ADHD are white, male, and often young. In this episode host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks to Stephanie Ozuo, a career advisor in the UK, about her experience being …

Anna Sale on Money, Shame, and Tough Work Conversations

July 5th, 2021

39:24

Podcast host and author Anna Sale has built her career on difficult conversations. On her podcast, she focuses on the hardest topics we deal with as …

Mental Health and Media

June 28th, 2021

49:03

Chris McCarthy, president of MTV Entertainment Group, speaks with host Morra Aarons Mele about the role TV shows can play in changing how people view …

Creating Boundaries in Our Everyday Work (with Roxane Gay)

June 21st, 2021

48:08

When you’re struggling with mental health, the day-to-day routines of a work environment can be a lot – even for a famous author and academic, like Roxane Gay. Gay speaks with host Morra Aarons-Mele about how …

How Kayak Co-Founder Paul English Manages and Thrives Through His Bipolar Disorder

June 14th, 2021

37:57

Paul English is an entrepreneur, founder, and philanthropist. But throughout his many career successes, he’s battled internally with his mental …

Why Therapy Can Make You Better at Your Job

June 7th, 2021

37:30

Investor and philanthropist Vikas Shah has been an entrepreneur since he was a young teenager. And throughout much of his career, he struggled with anxiety and depression. But for a long time, he didn’t have the words …

Social Anxiety and Work

June 1st, 2021

38:26

How do we listen to ourselves and know when to address our social anxiety, especially when it comes into play with colleagues? Host Morra Aarons-Mele …

Back to Work: Post-Covid Social Anxiety

May 24th, 2021

36:19

As offices in the U.S. begin reopening after more than a year, many people – especially those of us with social anxiety – are feeling uneasy about the return to so-called normal. Certified therapist Dr. Jenny Taitz …

Shopify President Harley Finkelstein on Anxiety and Entrepreneurship

May 17th, 2021

36:50

For Harley Finkelstein, president of Shopify, anxiety has always been his super power – even when he didn’t know how to put a label on it. Host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with Finkelstein about the generational trauma of …

The Power and Peril of Working on a Video Screen

May 10th, 2021

41:34

The nature of work is changing, and more and more of us have been working behind screens even before the pandemic. That brings both downsides – and some upsides – for mental health. Host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with …

Back to Work: Calm Body, Calm Mind

May 3rd, 2021

36:35

This last year has been rough on everyone, in so many different ways. But as we look toward recovery and adjust to life after the pandemic, it’s important to recognize the direct connections among physical behaviors, …

Bonus: Finding a New Balance with Esther Perel

April 19th, 2021

35:29

After a year of collective trauma and private losses, stress, and heartbreaks, how do we even start to think about returning to a more normal working …

Bonus: How to Stop Remote Work Burnout

February 1st, 2021

13:43

Host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with the TED Business podcast about how she protects her energy and boundaries while working remotely.

Succeeding with ADHD

January 4th, 2021

46:07

A military pilot, an entrepreneur, and a business professor discuss how they cope with their ADHD, how it’s helped them be successful in their …

Understanding Envy Part 2: Facing Professional Envy

December 21st, 2020

36:32

Tanya Menon, a professor at Fisher College of Business, Ohio State University, says envy comes up a lot in the workplace – though it’s often …

Understanding Envy Part 1: How Envy Impacts Anxiety and Leadership

December 14th, 2020

38:44

Executive coach Nihar Chhaya explains how envy, FOMO, and the illusion of scarcity can contribute to anxiety and depression, and how leaders can cope. It’s part one of our two-part mini-series on envy at work.

Lessons in Uncertainty, Anxiety, and Resilience

December 7th, 2020

39:35

Journalist and author Aarti Shahani tells host Morra Aarons-Mele how she managed overwhelming uncertainty during her father’s 14-year legal battle and channeled her anxiety into productive work. Later, her anxiety also …

Anxiety, Depression, and Working Moms in a Pandemic

November 30th, 2020

38:13

Sociologist Jessica Calarco has been studying women struggling to balance work and parenting during the Covid-19 pandemic – and how workplaces can …

Why Start-Up Culture Still Hides Mental Health Struggles

November 23rd, 2020

37:38

Host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with veteran tech journalist Catherine Shu, of TechCrunch, about improving mental health culture in Silicon Valley. And …

Kevin Love on Trying to Achieve His Way Out of Depression

November 16th, 2020

39:10

For a long time, the NBA star hid his battle with mental health. But after a very public panic attack in 2017, he started speaking out. Love talks …

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and the Stress of Creativity

November 9th, 2020

36:08

Aaron Harvey is a successful advertising industry executive – but for many years of his life, he struggled with a form of OCD (Obsessive Compulsive …

Finding the Funny – and Embracing the Pain – of Depression

November 2nd, 2020

39:16

John Moe took a bold step when he decided to start a podcast featuring frank, but funny, conversations about depression. Moe was recently laid off, …

Success, Stress, and Money: Lessons from a Financial Therapist

October 26th, 2020

38:41

Amanda Clayman, a psychotherapist specializing in financial wellness, helps her clients uncover the motivations and roots underlying their money anxieties, so they can make better financial decisions. It’s a problem she …

Why Learning to Label Your Feelings Makes You a Better Leader

October 19th, 2020

40:40

Many managers and leaders misunderstand what emotional intelligence really means, despite the trendiness of the phrase. Marc Brackett, director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, urges leaders to learn to …

Notes to My Future Manager Self

October 12th, 2020

40:27

Priska Neely, the new Managing Editor of NPR’s Gulf States newsroom, has always wanted to manage people, and she’s long thought about the best way to …

Art Critic Jerry Saltz’s Reckoning with Trauma and Anxiety

October 5th, 2020

40:19

Early on in the pandemic, Pulitzer Prize-winning art critic Jerry Saltz wrote a piece about his unusual eating habits that grabbed the attention of …

How a Rising Political Star’s PTSD Fueled His Addiction to Work

July 6th, 2020

44:16

Jason Kander was on track to be a major force in American politics. But for him, working – and succeeding – was a way to escape the pain of PTSD and …

How the Cult of Sleep-Deprivation Affects Work and Mental Health

June 29th, 2020

36:13

Many high-powered jobs require people to work long hours and give up sleep. But for people who suffer from anxiety and depression, lack of sleep can also create downward spirals that make those issues worse. Sleep …

How to Stop the Cycle of Overachieving

June 22nd, 2020

38:43

Many people who end up in prestigious careers choose their professions, consciously or subconsciously, in order to seek the approval of others. But that can create depression and anxiety. Host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks …

Facing Reality, Modeling Positivity

June 15th, 2020

35:31

For managers struggling with anxiety and stress right now -- or worrying about their employees feeling that strain -- it can be hard to find the right mix of transparency and positivity. Host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks …

Millennials, Gen Z, and Generational Anxiety

June 8th, 2020

43:22

In this episode, we hear from two young professionals. Both of them have worked hard and carefully planned their careers, but now they’re confronting …

Discomfort, Anxiety, and Grief: Confronting Racism with Colleagues

June 5th, 2020

52:57

Amelia Ransom, Senior Director of Engagement and Diversity at Avalara, offers advice for how people of color can get what they need from their …

When Leaders Model Openness About Their Mental Health

June 1st, 2020

43:08

Host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, who used meditation to address the trauma and anxiety he experienced while working as a New York City cop. Later in the show, tech CEO Joel …

Managing Mental Health When Working for a Mission

May 25th, 2020

37:19

Poppy Jaman OBE struggled with postpartum depression after the births of her children. Now she’s on a mission to promote mental health awareness to the financial and professional services industries, as the CEO of City …

Substance Abuse, Success, and Self-Realization

May 18th, 2020

51:00

We speak with MIT’s Seth Mnookin, a writer and ex-addict who has been clean for 20 years, about the connection between substance abuse and underlying mental health issues, and how addiction can affect creativity and …

Goop’s Chief Content Officer on Balancing Self-Care at Work

May 11th, 2020

33:55

What’s it like to lead a team when optimizing self-care and emotional wellness is the point of their work? Goop, a company founded by actress Gwyneth Paltrow, explores all aspects of mental and physical health and …

How Vulnerability Can Be a Leadership Superpower

May 4th, 2020

33:37

Jason Rosario discusses his own journey with depression and anxiety, and the lessons he’s learned about vulnerability, masculinity, and leadership. …

Leading Through Grief in Life and Work

April 27th, 2020

38:11

Throughout our lives, we will all experience grief in one form or another. It can also translate into depression, anxiety, and other emotional strain. But as we grieve, we often have to keep working or growing our …

Wading Through the Imperfect Mess of Parenthood

April 20th, 2020

43:39

In this episode, host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with organizational psychologist Stew Friedman and tech entrepreneur Sehreen Noor Ali about the ways …

Freelancing, Self-Employment, and Mental Health

April 13th, 2020

48:56

Working for yourself – and working outside an office – can have a lot of benefits for people struggling with mental health issues, including flexibility when you need to take a breather. But freelancing and the gig …

Gabrielle Union on Toxic Workplaces, PTSD, and Social Anxiety

April 6th, 2020

42:07

With great success can come even greater stress and anxiety. But Gabrielle Union is using her success to stand up for her truth. A sexual assault …

Managing the Stress and Uncertainty of Coronavirus

March 16th, 2020

47:00

The rapid onset of the coronavirus is changing our work – and our lives. For those who own businesses or work in the gig economy, the stress and financial uncertainty is even greater. When we don’t know what the future …

Strategies for Managing Day-to-Day Anxiety

December 30th, 2019

47:24

Anxiety can affect so many aspects of our work – from how we make decisions to how we receive feedback and behave in meetings. In the final episode …

Designing the Mentally Healthy Workplace

December 23rd, 2019

53:48

In earlier episodes of this show, we’ve talked about how to open a dialogue about mental health and work, and how both employees and leaders can navigate a mental health issue at work. In this episode, host Morra …

Mental Health in the Office: Difficult Conversations

December 16th, 2019

48:50

How should you approach difficult conversations about mental health with your colleagues and boss? In this episode, host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks …

Building Mental Resilience While Building a Business

December 9th, 2019

46:35

Anxiety shows up in all kinds of business situations — especially when you’re starting your own company. In this episode, host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with Cheryl Contee, CEO of Do Big Things, and Jeannette Kaplun, …

Tackling Leadership Struggles, Burnout, and Performance Anxiety

December 2nd, 2019

48:06

Leading a group of people can produce chronic anxiety, but many leaders who suffer from anxiety don’t even realize it. In today's episode we explore …

What No One Tells You: The Emotional Strain of Startup Life

November 25th, 2019

40:39

We hear the stories of successful Silicon Valley startups all the time. But entrepreneurship can also have a dark side, especially when it involves …

Battling Depression from the C-Suite

November 18th, 2019

34:04

For most of his life, Paul Greenberg suffered from severe depression -- depression so bad that he had near constant thoughts of suicide from the age …

Managing Career Transitions Part 2: Taking A Break

November 11th, 2019

38:05

Many people in the business world find their success by always being “on.” They wake up at 4 a.m., answer emails 24 hours a day, and don't take vacations. Sometimes they’re so high functioning that they don't even …

Managing Career Transitions Part 1: Facing Childhood Demons

November 4th, 2019

35:44

Whether you’re getting fired, taking a promotion, or leaving a job you love, career transitions are a time of anxiety. In the next two episodes, we’ll be focusing on how to manage anxiety associated with big changes at …

How We Cope: Food and Eating Disorders at Work

October 28th, 2019

40:19

Work is a part of our daily lives — as is food. Disordered eating and diagnosed eating disorders can be tricky to deal with at the office, but they can be common in high achievers and are closely tied to anxiety and …

How the Mental Affects the Physical

October 21st, 2019

45:15

Anxiety and stress can have detrimental effects on your physical health — which can affect your job and your career path. In this episode, host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with Jason Miller, the director of the Leadership …

The Anxiety of Being the “Only”

October 14th, 2019

43:14

Being the "only" in the workplace -- the only woman, the only person of color, the only one openly suffering from a mental or physical illness -- can …

Social Anxiety and Success

October 7th, 2019

41:19

We're often told that to succeed in the workplace, you need to bring your A game, play office politics, and network nonstop. But how do you do that …

Your Mental Health and Your Work

September 30th, 2019

36:04

At a time when we bring so much of ourselves to work, mental health is still something we don’t like talking about at the office. But so many high-achieving people have suffered — or are currently suffering — from …

Introducing The Anxious Achiever

September 19th, 2019

3:57

Now from LinkedIn Presents: a show about mental health in the workplace. We explore the ways anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues affect people at work, for better and for worse. We’ll hear from leaders …

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