#096 - Brian Sachetta - Engineer Your Calm: Debugging Mental Loops

Aug 11, 2025

Brian Sachetta, a former software engineer and author of 'Get Out of Your Head', shares his innovative approach to mental wellness. He discusses how to 'debug' anxious thoughts like rogue software, revealing his IRA framework: Interrupt, Reframe, Anchor. Brian's personal anecdotes highlight the complexities of anxiety and the power of positive self-talk. He emphasizes mindfulness and practical coping strategies, encouraging listeners to transform stress into motivation. Explore actionable steps to overcome imposter syndrome and foster resilience.

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INSIGHT

Anxiety As Recursive Software Loops

Anxiety behaves like a recursive function that keeps calling itself and spiraling.
Recognize the loop to create breakout conditions that stop the recursion.

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ANECDOTE

Panic Attack On A Teen Date

Brian recounts having a panic attack on a date at 17–18 which stuck with him.
That panic shaped his later anxiety patterns and motivated learning coping tools.

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ADVICE

Use The IRA Framework

Use the IRA sequence: Interrupt, Reframe, Anchor to halt anxiety spirals.
Apply one tactic from each step to regain control during panic.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

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Navigating Mental Health: Community and Personal Growth

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MindHack's Latest Code Drop: We unpack a groundbreaking approach to mental wellness with former software engineer and author, Brian Sachetta. Brian reveals how to 'debug' your mind, treating anxious thought loops and mental overwhelm like 'rogue software' that can be systematically reprogrammed.

Discover his powerful IRA framework: Interrupt, Reframe, Anchor, a concrete algorithm to halt anxiety spirals and transform stress into 'rocket fuel' for enhanced performance. Learn actionable strategies to optimize your mental operating system, tackle imposter syndrome, and cultivate profound resilience.

Tune in to engineer your calm and unlock a sharper, more focused mindset.

ℹ️ About the Guest

Brian Sachetta, the visionary former software engineer and founder of Get Out Of Your Head. Brian uniquely applies tech-inspired solutions to mental wellness, helping us debug our minds. His powerful books, including 'Get Out of Your Head: A Toolkit for Living with and Overcoming Anxiety' and 'Navigating the Abyss of Depression,' offer concrete strategies to reprogram anxious thought loops and cultivate profound resilience.

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👨‍💻 People & Other Mentions

Bessel van der Kolk - The Body Keeps Score
Gabor Maté - In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts, The Myth of Normal
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi - Flow
Tim Ferriss - Tools of Titans
Martin E.P. Seligman - Learned Helplessness, Learned Optimism, Flourish
Leo Tolstoy - War and Peace, Anna Karenina, A Confession
Robert Frost - "The Road Not Taken"
Jefferson Frisbee - University of West Virginia Research
Andrew Huberman - Vagus Nerve Research

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