The Anxious Achiever

Farnoosh Torabi, a veteran journalist and personal finance expert, discusses fear, money, and career success with host Morra Aarons-Mele. They explore facing and overcoming fears, navigating the fear of uncertainty, overcoming rejection, and embracing fear to make high stakes choices.

Discover strategies for speaking up more strategically and managing mental health in the workplace. Explore the challenges of expressing opinions on social media and how to address uncomfortable topics. Learn how to navigate attacks by responding with empathy. Gain insights into repairing work relationships and speaking up effectively in meetings. Understand the importance of getting in touch with your feelings and speaking up for yourself and others.

Dr. Chris Bittinger, an executive coach, discusses burnout and breakdowns at the leadership level. He explores the distinctions between coaching and therapy, the causes of burnout, and the transformative experience of coaching. The importance of seeking coaching for better leadership and concerns about workload equity are also discussed.

Psychologist Kimberley Wilson, author of How to Build a Healthy Brain, discusses the deep connection between mental health and food. Topics include bidirectional connection between food and anxiety, nutrition's role in depression, brain-gut health relationship, whole body approach to psychology, impact of valence on mood, and dietary recommendations for mental health.

The podcast explores managing grief and work during the Israel-Hamas conflict, discussing concepts of 'Veltschmarts' and the challenges of staying focused. It also highlights expressing personal grief in the workplace and the evolution of mental health support in corporate America. Practical advice is given on supporting colleagues through grief and reintegrating into work while grieving.

Anthony Sartori, founder of nonprofit Evolving Minds, talks about improving mental health for grocery and retail workers. They discuss the lack of support for mental health in academic institutions, building community in a fast-paced retail environment, and integrating mindfulness into the workplace. They highlight the impact of dedicating 20 minutes per week to culture building and disrupting workplace inequality to improve mental health.

Cynthia Kane, certified meditation and mindfulness instructor, explains the impact of focus on interpersonal relationships and shares strategies for improving communication. They discuss mindfulness techniques, recognizing passive-aggressive behavior, challenging default reactions, and the influence of upbringing on communication. They emphasize prioritizing body awareness for effective self-expression and explore the reasons behind passive-aggressive behavior. They also share a helpful meditation exercise for breaking these habits.

Gabe Howard, diagnosed with bipolar disorder, shares his journey from a successful tech career to becoming a speaker and activist. He discusses the stigma and consequences of bipolar disorder, the challenges of obtaining affordable health insurance, and the underrepresentation of bipolar disorder. Howard also explores his career journey, including fundraising for a mental health charity and pursuing side hustles. Lastly, he discusses the possibility of individuals with bipolar disorder succeeding in the corporate world and the importance of inclusivity and reasonable accommodations.

In this podcast, Mita Mallick, Head of Inclusion, Equity and Impact at Carta and host of the LinkedIn podcast Brown Table Talk, discusses breaking down stigma around mental health challenges at work. Topics covered include becoming a public figure, changing toxic workplace culture, anxiety around achievement, advantages of virtual meetings and remote work, debunking leadership and inclusion myths, the impact of toxic leaders, power dynamics, challenging workplace myths about women, and gender-based pay discrepancies.

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