Radio Headspace Rewriting Your Brain’s Stress Instructions, with Dr. Tracey Marks
Dec 21, 2025
Dr. Tracey Marks, a psychiatrist specializing in stress and anxiety, joins for an enlightening discussion on how our early experiences shape our stress responses. She explains how modern life's 'always-on' culture exacerbates anxiety and outlines signs of burnout versus depression. Dr. Marks shares practical tools for resilience, like micro-transitions and sleep rituals, while emphasizing the importance of resetting our nervous systems. With insights on dealing with the aftermath of the pandemic, this conversation is a must-listen for anyone seeking to improve their mental well-being.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Constant Online Onslaught Raises Anxiety
- Modern anxiety is driven less by acute physical threats and more by constant online overstimulation.
- Continuous information flow shortens attention and increases overwhelm, raising baseline anxiety.
Burnout Shows As Mental Exhaustion
- Burnout often presents as mental exhaustion, apathy, and impaired memory rather than only physical tiredness.
- A key test: burnout may improve temporarily on vacation, unlike severe depression.
Stress System Built For Ancient Threats
- We inherit a 'factory' stress system meant for acute physical threats.
- Modern chronic stressors interact with learned operating instructions to shape individual reactions.