The Anxious Achiever

Did you know your childhood story can shape your health, work, and relationships? In this episode, Dr. Melissa Merrick, President and CEO of Prevent Child Abuse America, shares the science behind ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and why nearly two-thirds of adults carry them. We talk about how trauma shows up in adulthood, why high achievers often live with hypervigilance, and the protective factors that can tip the scales toward healing. Tune in to learn why your past doesn’t define you and how to build a stronger, healthier future starting today. In this Episode, You Will Learn 00:00 Meet Dr. Melissa Merrick, President and CEO of Prevent Child Abuse America. 01:45 What are ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and why do they matter? 05:45 How childhood adversity increases risk for physical and mental health issues. 07:00 The #1 protective factor proven to fuel adult healing and growth. 09:45 The link between ACEs, hypervigilance, and high-achieving adults. 13:15 Why a high ACE score can shorten life expectancy by nearly 20 years. 15:00 The weight of carrying family trauma across generations. 19:30 Examples of leaders creating safer and more supportive work environments. 23:45 Daily habits that retrain your biology to handle stress better. 25:45 Dr. Merrick’s go-to resources for stress and pressure relief. Resources + Links Learn more about ACEs HERE Learn more about Prevent Child Abuse America HERE Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever Watch the podcast on YouTube Find more resources on our website morraam.com Follow Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam Follow Dr. Merrick on LinkedIn

Anxiety doesn’t have to be the thing that holds you back, it can actually be the spark that pushes you forward. In this episode, I sit down with Whitney Johnson, one of the world’s leading experts on personal disruption, to talk about what it really means to disrupt yourself and why growth often comes with discomfort, fear, and uncertainty. Whitney opens up about her leap from Wall Street, building a new identity, the lessons she’s learned as a mother and entrepreneur, and the daily practices that help her stay grounded. She also shares the question to ask yourself when anxiety kicks in, why you sometimes quit or avoid opportunities out of fear, and the exact strategies she uses to handle anxiety instead of running from it. Get ready to grow, no matter where you’re starting from. Highlights 00:00 Meet Whitney Johnson, CEO of Disruption Advisors. 03:30 The privilege of dreaming and why so many people hold back. 05:00 Leaving Wall Street, parenting, and finding a new work-life fit. 07:45 What is disrupting yourself? 12:45 Is anxiety fueling your work ethic or running your life? 17:30 Whitney’s way of breaking the avoidance loop. 19:30 How anxiety shows up in your career and inbox. 23:30 How do you handle the anxiety of leaving a steady job to go out on your own? 27:30 Ways to find strength when anxiety holds you back. 31:00 Why growth is your default setting (and proof change is always possible). 32:45 Whitney’s hack for stopping the anxious cycle. Resources + Links Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever Learn more about Whitney Johnson and Disruption Advisors HERE Find more resources on our website morraam.com Follow Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam Follow Whitney: @johnsonwhitney

Over 40 million Americans have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and many more go undiagnosed. This episode takes a deep dive into what we know (and don’t know) about bipolar I and II, why science has lagged behind, and what a groundbreaking new initiative—BD²: Breakthrough Discoveries for Thriving with Bipolar Disorder—is doing to change that. Host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with Dr. Mark Frye, psychiatrist and professor of psychiatry at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, Dr. Kate Burdick, Distinguished Chair in Psychiatry and the Vice Chair for Research in Psychiatry at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA, and neuroscientist and BD² initiative lead Dr. Cara Altimus about the genetics, biology, and lived experience of bipolar disorder, and what it means to truly thrive with a complex mental illness. We discuss promising research directions, including GLP-1s, cognitive trajectories, and precision psychiatry. Key Quote: " It’s not enough to reduce the bad. We’re aiming to increase the good—to help people with bipolar disorder live the full lives they want to live." — Dr. Cara Altimus Breakthrough Discoveries for Thriving with Bipolar Disorder (BD²) is a collaborative initiative building the scientific foundation for better treatments and better lives for people with bipolar disorder. Learn more and get involved at https://www.bipolardiscoveries.org/. Listeners who live with bipolar disorder can learn more about BD2' and their ongoing study described in this episode by visiting bipolardiscoveries.org or sending an email to [email protected]. The study is taking place in partnership with 11 medical institutions across 44 locations in the U.S. and Canada. The medical institutions are: Mass General Brigham (Massachusetts) McLean Hospital (Massachusetts) Johns Hopkins University (Maryland) Mayo Clinic (Minnesota and Arizona) University of California Los Angeles (California) University of California San Diego (California) University of Michigan (Michigan) The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (Texas) The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research (New York) The University of Texas at Austin (Texas) University of Cincinnati/Lindner Center of HOPE (Ohio) Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (Canada) Listeners can also sign up for the BD2’ newsletter, Thrive Updates, at bipolardiscoveries.org and learn more by following on LinkedIn, BlueSky, and X at BD2Discoveries. Timestamps: 05:31 Understanding Bipolar Disorder: Definitions and Types 14:48 The Role of Genetics in Bipolar Disorder 20:57 Research Funding and Its Impact on Bipolar Disorder 26:51 Stigma Surrounding Bipolar Disorder and Its Effects 32:07 Breaking the Stigma of Mental Illness 36:51 Thriving with Bipolar Disorder 42:12 The Integrated Network: A New Approach to Bipolar Research 47:39 Shifting Perspective From Symptom Reduction to Thriving 53:46 Understanding the Complexities of Bipolar Disorder

Managing your energy is key to regulating anxiety, stress, and overwhelm. In this episode, Morra sits down with energy healing practitioner Ellen Donaldson to explore how energy dysregulation shows up in high-achieving, anxious professionals, and what you can do about it. Ellen breaks down key concepts in mind-body energy medicine, including the chakra system, and offers practical tools to help you feel more grounded, present, and powerful. Morra shares her own experience learning from Ellen, including how a simple shift in energetic awareness helped her cope with caregiving demands and daily overwhelm. You’ll also hear a short guided meditation to help you regulate your energy, even on the busiest days. Takeaways from the episode: Your energy body (composed of chakras and an aura) affects your emotional and physical well-being. Dysregulated energy (like overly open or closed chakras) can manifest as anxiety, emotional flooding, or exhaustion. The second chakra is particularly relevant to people-pleasers and caregivers. Learning to “close” it slightly can reduce overwhelm. Grounding through the first chakra helps regulate the nervous system and bring you back to the present moment. Simple practices—like visualizing veggie steamers as chakra regulators!—can be done in seconds, tied to everyday routines. Ellen guides listeners through a quick grounding and chakra-regulation meditation you can repeat anytime—before a tough meeting, while caregiving, or simply when you're feeling frazzled. Resources & Links 🌿 Download a free guided meditation from Ellen at: starleafwellness.com/morra-interview 🌿 Learn more about Ellen’s practice: starleafwellness.com Timestamps: 03:40 Understanding Energy and Its Importance 06:21 Exploring Chakras and Their Functions 09:28 Grounding Techniques and Practices 12:22 Guided Meditation for Energy Regulation 17:25 Practical Applications of Energy Regulation 20:45 Resources

How does growing up in foster care shape you as a leader? Chéla Gage is the former Vice President Global Chief Inclusion & Diversity Officer, workforce mental health advocate, inclusion expert, and host of the 1 Million Fosters podcast. Gage joins Morra to share how her childhood in foster care shaped her strengths as a leader, her reflections on anxiety and hypervigilance as an asset, and how she’s transforming trauma into purpose. Chéla’s journey from foster homes and group homes to senior leadership roles at Nissan, Raytheon, and Starbucks is a testament to the power of claiming your story. She shares how her upbringing honed her ability to read a room, anticipate challenges, and build belonging, skills that have made her invaluable in corporate spaces. Learn more about Chéla Gage: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chelagage/ Key Themes: ✅ Hypervigilance as Leadership Strength: Growing up navigating new homes and caregivers taught Chéla to read the room quickly, identify influencers, and trust her intuition—skills she now uses to drive business impact. ✅ Reframing Trauma into Purpose: Chéla discusses how she once felt shame about her foster care past but now sees it as her superpower, providing her with empathy and perspective leaders need. ✅ Parenting as Reparenting: Motherhood allowed Chéla to give the love she didn’t receive as a child back to herself. ✅ The Role of Anxiety: Anxiety kept Chéla alert and prepared, but she learned to manage in therapy, to reduce constant threat scanning and burnout while embracing her “hypervigilance” as a leadership tool. ✅ Creating Belonging in Corporate Spaces: Through her career in recruiting and DEIB leadership, Chéla discovered the importance of recognizing and honoring people’s whole stories, not just their resumes, to create true inclusion. Timestamps: 07:09 Hypervigilance as a Superpower 12:59 Transforming Pain into Purpose 18:40 The Role of Anxiety: A Double-Edged Sword 24:14 Inclusion and Belonging 29:51 The Impact of Personal Stories 34:50 Empowering the Foster Community

What happens when a late ADHD diagnosis meets the powerful potential of AI? Writer, strategist, and sleep coach Lindsay Scola joins Morra to share how she uses AI as a personal productivity partner to manage ADHD challenges, perfectionism, and executive dysfunction—while preserving creativity and rest. Diagnosed with ADHD at 41, Lindsay discovered that AI could act as an accountability buddy, thought partner, and creativity booster. From using AI to overcome the dread of the blank page to automating follow-up emails, Lindsay shares practical ways she leverages AI without losing her humanity. Buy Lindsay’s book here: https://www.amazon.com/AI-ADHD-Practical-Starting-Finishing-ebook/dp/B0F5T9QKMH Listen to our interview about the stimulant shortage, narcolepsy and ADHD: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ritalin-and-adderall-shortage-and-how-it-impacts-work/id1480904163?i=1000611595946 Key Themes: AI as an ADHD Copilot: Lindsay explains how AI helps her manage executive dysfunction, tackle writing tasks, and avoid the overwhelm of perfectionism while maintaining her unique voice. Reducing Shame and Preserving Brain Space: Using AI for small but stressful tasks frees up cognitive space, letting her focus on big ideas and creative work without getting stuck in spirals of self-criticism. Permission to Play: Lindsay urges people with ADHD to experiment with AI and other tools to find what actually works for their brains instead of following rigid systems that suppress creativity. Scheduling for Neurodivergent Brains: From building “dopamine deadlines” to respecting personal circadian rhythms, Lindsay shares how she structures her week to maximize focus while honoring energy dips. AI for Burnout and Loneliness: We discuss how AI can help solo workers feel less isolated and provide accountability without judgment, acting like a team member who says, “let’s keep going.” Timestamps: 03:28 ADHD, Midlife, and AI Solutions 08:13 Balancing Perfection and Completion 11:07 Childhood Injustice and Self-Awareness 18:30 Optimize Productivity by Time Awareness 19:37 Embrace Napping for Productivity 25:40 AI-Assisted Writing for Quick Posts 29:06 Podcasting Inspiration for Writing Newsletter 32:32 Flexible Time Management Strategy 35:50 Improvised Charging Solution

Everyday Better with Leah Smart is a show that helps listeners level up - in their careers and their lives. In this episode, Leah speaks with Anxious Achiever host Morra Aarons-Mele about her research and work around having a understanding your own unique brain and embracing a big career, from introversion, mental health, and neurodivergence. Morra explains what she’s learned about leadership and organizations through the lens of studying these topics. Check out Everyday Better: On Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3G8zjY1 On Spotify: https://bit.ly/3HRpNsQ

It might not be that easy to talk to your boss about mental health. But having close friends at work - on your team or elsewhere - where you can have open, honest dialogues can go a long way. In this episode, host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with three work friends about how they started talking mental health, how it helped them in their jobs, and what they hope managers can better understand in the future.

We all have hang ups when it comes to money - but do you know where yours come from? In a time when many people feel economically insecure, Morra speaks with personal finance expert Shannah Game about the root of money issues and how we can recognize and grow from our trauma around money. Your money history doesn’t have to be your financial future! Shannah is the author of the book Unraveling Your Relationship with Money: Ditch Your Money Trauma So You Can Live an Abundant Life. Check out her book here: https://www.amazon.com/Unraveling-Your-Relationship-Money-Abundant/dp/1394299850 Shannah’s podcast: https://everyonestalkinmoney.com/episodes/

Do you really live by your core values - or do you even need help defining what they are? Many of us might have a vague notion of what is important to us in life, but our daily decisions and actions don’t always align with those values. The more precision with which we define our values, the more resilience we have to thrive in tough times, and lead through anxiety. Suzy Welch is the author of a number of books including most recently Becoming You: The Proven Method for Crafting Your Authentic Life and Career. And she explains how she approaches values, why they are different than virtues, and how better understanding what really matters to you can guide a more focused and productive work life. Suzy’s book: https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-You-Proven-Crafting-Authentic/dp/0063418606Suzy’s podcast: https://www.suzywelch.com/podcasts/

Perfectionism can help us succeed, but it can also be a detriment to our mental health and our lives. Understanding it is the first step to better management. In this episode, psychologist Thomas Greenspon shares research about perfectionism, where it comes from, how it can impact us - and how we can try to cope with it to move forward.

Do you feel like a rubber band about to snap- low on capacity, time, and space to think? Are you constantly stuck in a mode of “doing” - trapped by your own productivity? Researcher and author Megan Reitz says that shifting into “spacious mode” could do wonders for your mental health, your relationships, and your work. She speaks with Morra about how our obsession with productivity might be crowding out creativity, insight, and connection. Plus, she’ll share practical ways to slow down, get present, and pay attention.

What does it really mean to be emotionally strong—and why is emotional intelligence the leadership skill of the future? Emily Anhalt, author of the new book Flex Your Feelings: Train Your Brain to Develop the 7 Traits of Emotional Fitness, explains why mental health is an ongoing practice, and how we can get more fit. She breaks down why emotional resilience, self-awareness, and adaptability are essential not just for personal well-being but for building sustainable, high-performing teams. Plus, Anhalt explains why emotional fitness is more like going to the gym than going to the doctor, how to build it through “emotional pushups,” and why soft skills are actually some of the hardest (and most valuable) to build in your career. Check out Emily’s new book here: https://www.amazon.com/Flex-Your-Feelings-Develop-Emotional/dp/0593717619

Five years ago, Dr. Maggie Chery tragically lost both of her parents to the Covid 19 pandemic, just weeks apart. It was a trauma that still affects her today, but it shifted the course of her life’s work as well. Today Maggie is a program manager at Google, and Chief Operating Officer at Not Just a Black Body. Her personal loss has drastically shifted how she works - both in terms of her leadership philosophy, and in terms of how she approaches creating better health equity outcomes around the globe, including those of mental health.

What assumptions do you hold about leadership, ability, and power? In the wake of recent comments from Mark Zuckerberg about the need for more “masculine energy” in the workplace, Jason Rosario returns to the show to talk about changing definitions of masculinity and vulnerability - and what it means for work. Rosario is CEO of the agency The Lives of Men and Chief Impact and Inclusion Office at BBDO Worldwide. Plus, we’re joined by Dom Kelly, CEO of the nonprofit New Disabled South, to talk about disability and leadership.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder isn’t just a cluster of symptoms to manage. Like other mental health challenges, it can come with hidden advantages like the ability to be more creative and empathetic. The key is understanding - whether you have OCD or you work with someone who does. Michael Alcee, author of the book The Upside of OCD: Flip the Script to Reclaim Your Life, explains the misconceptions we have about OCD, what spiraling thoughts really feel like, and how this relates to the ability to achieve. Read Michael’s book: https://www.amazon.com/Upside-OCD-Flip-Script-Reclaim/dp/1538191105

Hypervigilance is a state of being where you constantly are on the lookout for perceived threats. It’s often the result of trauma - but it shows itself in the work world as well. Ironically, many high achievers are rewarded for hypervigilant behavior, but it comes at a cost. Tanvi Gautam, executive coach and managing director of Leadershift Inc., explains how she’s seen hypervigilance show up in her clients, and how she helps them work through it and push forward in their careers. Read more about hypervigilance: https://hbr.org/2024/11/3-ways-to-temper-your-hypervigilance-at-work

Practice makes perfect - except perhaps when it comes to meditation and mindfulness. In this episode we revisit a conversation with mindfulness expert Sharon Salzberg on what led her to the path of meditation, what mindfulness does for anxiety, how she deals with the ups and downs of life, and how mental health is or isn’t present in our work lives today. Plus, she guides us through a short practice - even if it doesn’t turn out perfect.

It’s absolutely crucial in today’s work for leaders and the organizations they run to understand the unique strengths and challenges of neurodivergent workers. In this episode, host Morra Aarons-Mele dives into the complexities around the word “superpower” and the ways workplaces can improve with Ludmila Praslova, a professor at Vanguard University of Southern California and author of the book The Canary Code: A Guide to Neurodiversity, Dignity, and Intersectional Belonging at Work. They speak about the kinds of accommodations companies can be taking, the latest data around neurodiversity and work, and personal stories about being neurodivergent leaders.

Among the most important links between our physical and mental health might just lie in our digestive tract. Dr. Will Bulsiewicz is a gastroenterologist, gut health expert, and the founder of 38TERA. In this episode, he explains his own journey to eating better, how that impacted him mentally, and the most cutting edge research about how anxiety and IBS are linked, why it is especially important for anxious achievers, and more. Learn more about Dr. B: https://theplantfedgut.com/

Dr. James Kustow is a London-based expert in adult ADHD. He shares the latest research around the disorder - which he hesitates to even call a disorder - including how ADHD is linked to emotions and our physical body. Kustow has a truly whole-body understanding of ADHD. We’ll hear some of the science behind ADHD-related behaviors and how they can impact our careers and leadership abilities.

Want to learn more about neurodivergence and navigating career success? Check out Morra’s recent appearance on the We Too Are One podcast, where host Martin Gale aims to celebrate the power of individuals with ADHD and autism - and what it looks like in their work and lives. Check out more about the show here: https://www.wetooareonepodcast.com/about

Author and former Fortune 500 CHRO Susan Schmitt Winchester returns to the show, this time to talk about past toxic bosses, perfectionism, and coming to terms with why we do what we do at work. She talks about uncovering the reasons we are drawn to perfectionism, what it looks like, and actionable ways we can change our behavior to improve our mental health and our careers.

Leadership comes in many forms, and good leadership can be found at all kinds of organizations, from startups to faith communities. In this episode, Morra searches to learn more about how leaders perform and manage their own anxieties, as well as the anxieties of others. We also explore how leaders can most effectively communicate during anxious times. She speaks with Steve Cuss, an author and pastor, as well as Present Voices founder Lee Bonvissuto. Learn more about Steve: https://www.stevecusswords.com/about Learn more about Lee: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leahbonvissuto/

Vlad Gheorghiu is on a mission to make workers happier, healthier, and at the same time, more productive. The ex-McKinsey consultant took his own experience of panic attacks to change his work to something more meaningful. After leading the global mental health and well-being program at the storied consulting firm, he went on to found Kyan Heath, which focuses on a preventive approach to mental health in organizations. He explains why he thinks it can help not just workers, but also the bottom line. Learn more about Kyan Health here: https://www.kyanhealth.com/

Disclosing your mental health struggles to colleagues or a boss (or even friends and family) can be really hard. In this conversation, host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with leadership development expert Elle Clark about the upside of creating a culture of transparency. Clark shares her experience being open about anxiety in the corporate world, how it has changed her leadership, and about her relationship with body image.

Many of us carry shame around every day without even realizing it. It can stop us from developing great relationships, chasing our dreams, or even making the most of the day. David Bedrick is an author, psychological activist, and founder of the Santa Fe Institute for Shame-Based Studies, and he’s spent his life helping people recognize shame and detach from those feelings both physically and mentally. He explains practical ways we can all deal with past trauma and the feelings it creates within us.

We all bring our trauma with us to work every day. But if we build the right culture and relationships, we can also bring vulnerability and healing. If you’ve felt like you have to hide a huge part of yourself at work, this episode is for you. First, Morra speaks with Schroeder Stribling, President and CEO of Mental Health America, about how her trauma from her youth impact the way she works and leads today; and her expertise around addiction and the workplace. Then, we hear from Bobby Hoffman, chief deputy at the Hampden Massachusetts County Sheriff’s Office, who is part of a program bringing therapy dogs to the often macho and not-so-mental health friendly work of policing.

The bias against accents and the perception of how well someone speaks English has huge impacts for individual contributors, leaders, and the business world at large - but it is often ignored. In the wake of a number of DEI related initiatives being cancelled in the federal government, we revisit this conversation with Heather Hansen on what accent bias is, why it matters, and what we can do about it. We also discuss effective business communication in English, a key skill in this global world. Learn more about Heather’s work: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/hansenheather_trumps-war-on-dei-freezes-diversity-work-activity-7288020003105226753-Ymir?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

Have you ever had a boss who just infuriated you? Bosses and leaders often have the ability to make or break our experience at work. In this episode, host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with Columbia Business School professor Adam Galinsky about the attributes that differentiate great leaders from terrible ones, and how leaders can have a outsized effect on others. His research also looks at attention and shows that anxiety and anger have the ability to narrow our viewpoints and hold us back; plus how talking ourselves up when we are insecure can actually backfire. Galinsky’s new book is Inspire: The Universal Path for Leading Yourself and Others. Check out Galinksy’s book here: https://www.amazon.com/Inspire-Universal-Leading-Yourself-Others-ebook/dp/B0D3CCHW45?ref_=ast_author_mpb

From afar, Luvvie Ajayi Jones seems to have it all together; to be thriving as an entrepreneur and author, complete with New York Times best-selling books and a viral Ted Talk. But all careers face downturns, and Jones has shared how one of the hardest years of her life affected her company, her finances, and her mental health. In this conversation with Morra Aarons-Mele, she talks about entrepreneurship, transparency, and making hard choices. Listen to Luvvie’s podcast here: https://luvvie.org/podcast/

Experience is not always seen as an asset in a world that equates innovation and youth – particularly in fast-moving industries like tech and art. How do you convince others that your work still matters…now more than ever? This week, Anne and Frances help digital artist and TED Fellow Julie Freeman break free from her own story about aging and relevance. Together, two of the top leadership coaches in the world, Anne Morriss and Frances Frei, move fast and fix stuff by talking to guest callers about their workplace issues and solving their problems in 30 minutes or less. Both listeners and guests will receive actionable insights to create meaningful change in the workplace — regardless of their position on the company ladder. And they can solve YOUR biggest work problem too! Text or call 234-FIXABLE or email [email protected] to be featured on the show next season.

When you are neurodivergent, it can feel like you are always behind, don’t fit in, or even worse - wreak havoc on the lives of those who love you. But Penn and Kim Holderness faced ADHD as a couple and a family head on. Through five years of research, they figured out ways to harness Penn’s superpower of ADHD and even built a business around it. The former Amazing Race winners share their perspective and tools on how to have a successful family life -- and business--when your brain works differently. Check out their YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@holdernessfamilylaughs Read their book: https://www.amazon.com/ADHD-Awesome-Guide-Mostly-Thriving/dp/1400338611

In the high stakes world of technology companies, a lot of lip service is paid to well-being and mental health. But Meredith Arthur has been researching practical ways to manage anxiety and overthinking since before it was cool. In this episode, Morra speaks with the author and Beautiful Voyager creator about everything from polyvagal theory, clinical somatics, self-regulation and internal safety. They share their favorite routines for managing anxiety and stress. Learn more about Meredith here: https://bevoya.com/about Listen to Meredith’s previous Anxious Achiever episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5B88kIsQfcvPRR3Ut8wynX?si=6jCXb7mLRvKZAIbAcYPRKQ

Ongoing stress can affect not just your emotional and mental health, but also your physical health. The connection between mind and body is often overlooked in the work world, but leadership development expert Jason Miller has spent his career trying to change that. In this episode, host Morra Aarons-Mele hears more about Miller’s experience that landed him in the ER. Plus, Dr. David Barlow, Professor Emeritus at Boston University, shares tips on how to right-size your phobias and better cope.

To succeed in sports and in the corporate world, you might need more than just resilience. Enter the concept of anti-fragility, which focuses on the idea that meaningful resistance and meaningful difficult situations can be approached in a way where you actually come out better on the other side. Dr. Nick Holton is a performance coach for professional athletes and Fortune 500 Executives. Adam Wright is the Director of Mental Performance at the Washington Nationals MLB team. Together they founded The Anti Fragile Academy, and they speak with host Morra Aarons-Mele about how they train corporate leaders to withstand pressure, and improve as a result.

It turns out, a lot of our beliefs about how we are performing at work - and how we choose to label that performance - can negatively impact our jobs and our mental health. Basima Tewfik is an Assistant Professor of Work and Organization Studies at the MIT Sloan School of Management, who looks deeply at our social behaviors and psychology at work. And she’s found that labels like anxious, neurotic, and imposter syndrome can actually be really detrimental to our success. Even impostor feelings, in her research, can lead to positive outcomes at work. Tewfik thinks of each like a double edged sword and explains how her research focuses on the positive side of phenomena like these.

Why do we feel anxious even when threats are only imagined, and why have we evolved to feel anxiety? The connection between mental and physical health is well documented and talked about, but very easy to forget in times of stress. In this episode, we revisit a conversation with Dr. Christine Runyan, a professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and co-founder of Tend Health about the roots of this complex emotion, and learn self care techniques that actually work, and why. Dr. Christine Runyan on On Being: https://onbeing.org/programs/christine-runyan-on-healing-our-distressed-nervous-systems/ More about Tend Health: https://tend.health/meet-tend/meet-founders/

Sanyin Siang is an advisor, coach, and adjunct professor at Duke University where she leads the Fuqua/Coach K Leadership and Ethics Center or COLE. She’s also someone who believes in being your own best friend, and that starts with the self-talk we have going on in our heads all day long. In this episode, she walks host Morra Aarons-Mele through her superpowers framework, her own quest to find her strengths, and how high-achievers can zero in on our gifts instead of what we need to improve. The Superpowers with Sanyin Substack: https://leadershipplaybook.substack.com/

Tim Shriver is a filmmaker, chairman of the Special Olympics, and host of the podcast Need a Lift. He’s also a member of the Kennedy clan, and has spent much of his life’s work helping to increase emotional awareness and improve the discourse around things like mental health, faith, disabilities, and more. He speaks with host Morra Aarons-Mele about the most important conversations we need to be having now, how children and adults alike can improve their mental health and emotional flexibility, and what drives him in his work. Listen to the podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/need-a-lift-with-tim-shriver/id1765227660 The Dignity Index: https://www.dignity.us/

Yowei Shaw was the host of the NPR podcast Invisibilia before layoffs hit the organization. In the aftermath, she struggled with how her identity and sense of self shifted in unexpected ways. Now, she hosts the podcast Proxy with Yowei Shaw. We’ll talk about the process she went through following her layoff, how she’s recovered, and advice she’d share with others in the same situation. Listen to her podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0VkDE8LAXf5COW4tqhhy1B Learn more about Yowei’s layoff story: https://the.ink/p/yowei-shaw-proxy-layoffs-emotions

Check out a new show we love: LinkedIn's Let's Talk Offline. Co-hosted by Gianna Prudente, LinkedIn's early career development editor, and Jamé Jackson, a LinkedIn community manager, this show seeks to answer unfiltered questions about work life, covering topics like: Setting workplace boundaries, building your personal brand, scoring your dream job, and navigating office friendships. The show aims to help Gen Z and young millennial professionals advocate for themselves, stand out, and make positive changes in their work lives - all without sacrificing their values, sanity, or sleep. In this episode, they dive deep into social anxiety.

Envy can drive us - but it can also drive us into a wall. It can motivate us at work, but it can make us - and the teams around us - miserable. And sometimes, envy is trying to tell us we might want a change in our own life. In this episode, we revisit a conversation with executive coach and president of PartnerExec, Nihar Chhaya, about how to recognize and reframe envy before it gets the best of us at work. The Upside of Career Envy: https://hbr.org/2020/06/the-upside-of-career-envy

Laurie Ruettimann is a former human resources leader and current author and speaker on work place culture. She looks at how the overall system of capitalism is hurting us, what is broken about work, and what can be done. She shares her own journey through corporate America, despite her anti-establishment roots; how living a corporate lifestyle led to unhealthy habits and an impulsive and risky weight loss surgery. Plus, what she’s learned in the years since and her advice for workers and leaders of companies going forward. Learn more about Laurie: https://laurieruettimann.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/posts/laurieruettimann_fixwork-selfleadership-wellbeing-activity-7051595498406768640-ieCi/

A lot of us have a basic understanding of how attachment styles - secure, anxious and avoidant - affect human beings in their relationships. But we don’t often think about what they mean for work. In this episode Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with Jack Hinman, who expands the definition and understanding of attachment styles and explains how they can be a superpower. Hinman is Founder and Executive Director of Engage Transitions. Learn more about attachment and Hinman’s work: https://engagelifenow.com/attachment/

When it comes to managing our mental health as AI takes over the workplace, there’s a lot on our plate. But in a world that is also driven by systems, it’s important to think about what organizations can be, should be, and are doing to remember worker mental health in the coming years. To wrap up our month long series on AI, mental health, and work, host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with Susan Quain, an expert in digital employee experience, about the best ways that leaders and companies can help workers adapt and thrive as AI becomes a more frequent collaborator. Learn more: Seven ways digital workplace teams support the rollout of generative AI

When it comes to anxiety, the best thing we can do is figure out what is in our control and shift our energy away from the what ifs and the negative thinking. This applies when it comes to anxiety around GenAI taking our jobs as well. In this episode, Morra Aarons-Mele speaks to two people sharing real tools to navigate today’s work landscape. We hear from author and disruptive leadership expert Charlene Li, who shares the real ways she’s currently using AI, how it can actually make us better workers and leaders, and how to think proactively about this new technology. Then, Morra speaks with Scott Barry Kaufman, psychology professor at Columbia University, about how we can use AI as an opportunity to self-actualize.

Sometimes, you have to look scary change in the eye and approach it with flexibility instead of fear. Dr. Diana Hill is a clinical psychologist and leadership coach who specializes in ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), and we speak to her this week as part of our month-long series on artificial intelligence and work. GenAI and how it is impacting your job might be stirring up all kinds of emotions for you - including anger - and Hill explains techniques you can use to change your frame of mind and improve your relationship with all this change. We discuss the importance of values when navigating uncertainty and anxiety. More about Diana Hill: https://drdianahill.com/about Our episode on AI and work with Nilay Patel: https://morraam.com/blog/9ojwos1lawqrhhgmcxl87f2343km01

Host Morra Aarons-Mele recently spoke with Rufus Griscom on LinkedIn’s The Next Big Idea to talk about leadership. She speaks about how anxiety is an asset, resource and motivator - if you can learn to harness it the right way. And she offers up practical advice - with help from a pen, a banana, and science-baked research - on how exactly you can do that and take your leadership to the next level. The Next Big Idea is a weekly series of in-depth interviews with the world’s leading thinkers. Listen to more of The Next Big Idea here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/anxious-achiever-how-you-can-turn-anxiety-into-a-superpower/id1482067226?i=1000666224026

Like anxiety or depression, AI is now a constant companion for millions of people around the world. We might be benefitting from the use of AI at work, but also truly worried about what it means for our future. For the next few weeks, host Morra Aarons-Mele is exploring what AI means for our work and our mental health, from what tech giants are planning to tactics for managing uncertainty to how the best companies are mentally preparing their work force for a new age. In this episode, she speaks with Editor-in-Chief of The Verge, Nilay Patel, who also hosts The Decoder podcast. Nilay talks about what it is like to run an organization in this time of uncertainty, how the media is or isn’t helping the narrative around AI, what’s going on behind the scenes at tech companies, and what about human creativity truly is at risk in the next few years.