The OptimalWork Podcast

#271: In this episode, Kevin and Sharif explore one of the most elegant parallels in psychiatry — the deep connection between anxiety and depression. Kevin explains how panic disorder can be seen as a phobia of adrenaline, while depression mirrors it as a phobia of adenosine, the brain’s “tiredness” signal. Together, they explore how unwillingness to feel these sensations fuels both disorders, and why willingness—even love—toward the very sensations we resist becomes the key to healing. With striking clarity, Kevin shows how practices like focused work, rhythmic rest, and embracing “good tired” can reverse the spiral of depression and restore energy, meaning, and joy.Find more at https://OptimalWork.com

#270: In this episode, Kevin and Sharif explore a bold new way to understand depression—not as a simple chemical imbalance, but as what Kevin calls a “phobia of adenosine.” Drawing on neuroscience and behavioral psychology, Kevin explains how our brains rely on a natural rhythm of intensity and rest, and how losing that rhythm leads to burnout, lethargy, and despair. The discussion connects deep biological mechanisms—adenosine, dopamine, cortisol, and dynorphins—to everyday experiences of tiredness, motivation, and meaning. In this episode, the groundwork has been laid for next week’s episode which will explain how to restore vitality through a rediscovery of “good tired”: meaningful effort and healthy rest.Find more at https://OptimalWork.com

#269: Kevin and Sharif dive deep into the true biology and psychology of burnout — not as mere exhaustion, but as “bad tired on steroids.” Kevin explains how chronic threat mode floods the brain with cortisol, amplifying the “type two” tiredness that crushes motivation, focus, and connection. Together, they explore the three engines of vitality — meaning, effort, and attention — showing how burnout arises when these engines fall out of sync. Sharif presses on the dilemma of working hard without seeing results, while Kevin reveals how reconnecting work with love and service can transform fatigue into renewal. It’s a fascinating look at how neuroscience and reframing unite to reignite purpose in daily life.Find more at https://OptimalWork.com

Explore the intriguing distinction between 'good tired' and 'bad tired,' tied to different brain states influenced by adenosine and dopamine. Discover practical strategies to manage energy, like focusing on love-driven motives, structured sprints with breaks, and mindful unit-tasking. Learn how to reset during a workday with effective breaks involving light, movement, and hydration. This insightful conversation offers tools to help you transform fatigue into productive energy, setting the stage for deeper discussions on burnout.

#267: Kevin and Sharif explore how depression connects to “bad tired,” the draining fatigue that comes from poor sleep, chronic stress, or unfinished effort. At the center is one molecule — adenosine — which can make us feel either “good tired” (satisfied, fulfilled) or “bad tired” (blue, demotivated). Kevin unpacks how adenosine builds up in the brain, how sleep and astrocytes clear it, and how simple practices — from morning light, hydration, and exercise to breathing, cold exposure, and creatine — can flip tiredness from despair into satisfaction.Find more at https://OptimalWork.com

#266: Overcoming anxiety occurs in three successive stages. In this first installment of a three episode series, we discuss stage one: confronting the trigger of anxiety head-on, embracing the fear. Over time, the trigger will habituate; as you challenge yourself, the fear you experience will gradually diminish. You can then develop a sense of daring, which is the beginning of the second stage, the topic of next week’s episode.Find more at https://OptimalWork.com

#265: When a child does something wrong, your first instinct may be justice: to punish them. In this episode, we discuss “No-Drama Discipline,” by Daniel Siegal and Tina Bryson, exploring how to discipline children in a way that builds your bond with them and promotes their moral development. By connecting with your child, helping him or her gain insight into what went wrong, and look for ways to repair and reintegrate, discipline becomes a way of actually deepening your bond with them, rather than a source of friction.Find more at https://OptimalWork.com

#264: Difficult situations can feel intolerable. That intolerable feeling is produced by dynorphins and it makes us want to give up and abandon the difficulty we’re facing, whether it’s exercise, a difficult task, time in the sauna, or some small annoyance. But the more we embrace the dynorphin effect — the intolerable feeling — the more we develop a kind of inner strength. And, paradoxically, we end up unleashing a subsequent wave of endorphins, which cause feelings of wellbeing and improved mood. In this episode, we discuss how to harness this effect to grow in ideals and form deeper bonds.Find more at https://OptimalWork.com

#263: What do you do when you feel tired? Go back to sleep? Take a nap? Power through? In this episode, we discuss a number of approaches to overcoming tiredness, from tracking your levels of fatigue (not recommended) to changing up your diet. But the ultimate approach draws on all the principles of OptimalWork and will actually help you harness tiredness for increased energy! Find more at https://OptimalWork.com

#262: Mindfulness lies at the heart of OptimalWork’s approach. Living your highest ideals means being fully present, fully engaged with reality. Cultivating this habit is the work of mindfulness. But mindfulness rests on a set of apparent contradictions. Foremost among them is this: while mindfulness involves accepting reality as it is, it is often used as a way of achieving personal or behavioral change. In this episode, we discuss this apparent paradox and others, shedding light on the true nature of mindfulness and how to practice it most effectively.Find more at https://OptimalWork.com