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Don't Believe Everything You Think

Burnout with Dax Shepard
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  • Self-Improvement
  • Weekly Series

Are you exhausted from trying to "hack" your life, only to end up more burned out, anxious, and stuck than before? Welcome to your brutal reality check. The Burnout Podcasts is not your average, fluffy self-help show. Hosted by Edith (the no-nonsense strategist) and Alan (the chronically stressed overthinker who represents all of us), this is a masterclass in human psychology, personal growth, and breaking generational cycles of self-sabotage. Every season, we tear apart the world's most iconic books — from Don't Believe Everything You Think and Why We Sleep to Dopamine Nation and Burnout — and put their biggest ideas under the microscope. We don't do boring book reviews; we decode the psychology of success, mental health, and human potential, separate the useful from the overstated, and hand you tools you can actually examine for yourself. Tune in to learn how to: * Defeat Your Ego: Stop letting your inner voice and anxiety control your future. * Quiet the Overthinking: Understand the difference between having a thought and drowning in one. * Master Social Dynamics: Learn the art of communication, setting boundaries, and reading the room. * Think Critically: Engage big, bold ideas with curiosity and a healthy dose of skepticism. Expect high drama, fast banter, mind-blowing realizations, and zero academic fluff. If you are ready to stop romanticizing hustle culture and finally do the deep work, hit play. Take what serves you, leave what doesn't. 🛠️ FIX YOUR LIFE (WORK WITH US): Ready to step out of survival mode? Visit theburnoutpodcasts.com to get the exact tools you need: * Life Alignment Coaching: Private, 1-on-1 mentorship to rebuild your mindset. * The Inner Circle Mastermind: A curated group program to tackle toxic patterns. * Deep Dive Strategy Intensive: A brutal, 2-hour audit of your life. * Premium Unfiltered Audio: Raw, no-holds-barred advice on your anonymous dramas. 🔗 Website: https://theburnoutpodcasts.com

Season 1

  1. S1E1 | The Brutal Truth About Why You're Still Miserable | Don't Believe Everything You Think | Joseph Nguyen

    Episode 1

    S1E1 | The Brutal Truth About Why You're Still Miserable | Don't Believe Everything You Think | Joseph Nguyen

    This is Season 1, Episode 1 of our deep dive into Don't Believe Everything You Think by Joseph Nguyen. In this episode, Edith and Alan introduce the book's distinction between pain and suffering. Important Disclaimer: This podcast series analyzes and draws insights from Don't Believe Everything You Think by Joseph Nguyen for educational and commentary purposes. All rights to the referenced work belong to their respective owners, and no copyright infringement is intended. Purchase the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Believe-Everything-You-Think/dp/B0B39TSMJM Edith lays out the book's central idea using the old parable of the "two arrows": the first arrow is the unavoidable pain of life, and the second arrow is the extra suffering we add through our reaction and rumination. Nguyen argues that while pain is part of being human, much of our prolonged emotional suffering comes from the second arrow — and that, in principle, it can be set down. This echoes a genuinely useful idea found across mindfulness and cognitive therapy. Alan is challenged but also a little wary of the framing. Edith handles it with care: the "second arrow" insight is powerful for everyday rumination, but she's clear that this is not a claim that depression or grief is a "choice" or your fault. Real suffering is real, the book is offering a lens, and serious struggles deserve genuine support — not self-blame. Want to go deeper? Visit https://theburnoutpodcasts.com/: 1. High-Ticket 1:1 "Life Alignment" Coaching — Premium, exclusive 1-on-1 mentorship over 6 to 12 weeks. By application only. 2. The "Inner Circle" Mastermind — A curated 3-to-6-month group program capped at 10 to 15 people. Join the waitlist on our site. 3. The "Deep Dive" Strategy Intensive — A one-time, 2-hour "Life and Relationship Audit." Book directly on our site. 4. Premium "Unfiltered" Audio Subscriptions — Submit your dilemmas anonymously and get the raw advice too edgy for the main feed. Upgrade on our site. FOLLOW US & SUBSCRIBE: Hit subscribe so you never miss an episode. Website: https://theburnoutpodcasts.com/ Note: This book offers a philosophical and spiritual approach to the mind, not clinical psychology. Its core idea that thinking is the source of suffering is a teaching frame, not a medical claim — depression, anxiety, trauma, and grief are real, are not your fault, and deserve real support. Nothing here is medical advice. If you're struggling, please reach out to a qualified professional.

    8 min
  2. S1E2 | Plot Twist: Reality Is More Personal Than You Think | Don't Believe Everything You Think | Joseph Nguyen

    Episode 2

    S1E2 | Plot Twist: Reality Is More Personal Than You Think | Don't Believe Everything You Think | Joseph Nguyen

    This is Season 1, Episode 2 of our deep dive into Don't Believe Everything You Think by Joseph Nguyen. In this episode, Edith and Alan explore how perception shapes experience. Important Disclaimer: This podcast series analyzes and draws insights from Don't Believe Everything You Think by Joseph Nguyen for educational and commentary purposes. All rights to the referenced work belong to their respective owners, and no copyright infringement is intended. Purchase the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Believe-Everything-You-Think/dp/B0B39TSMJM Edith unpacks the book's claim that we don't experience the world directly — we experience our interpretation of it, filtered through our thoughts, moods, and conditioning. The vivid illustration: a hundred people can witness the same event and walk away with a hundred different "realities," because each is responding to their own internal narration. The takeaway is that your felt "truth" about a situation is often a changeable filter, not fixed fact. Alan starts to notice how much his mood colors what he "sees." Edith's grounded framing: this is closer to a well-known point about perception and appraisal than to literal "reality doesn't exist" metaphysics — and the practical upshot is empowering: if your interpretation is doing the work, your interpretation is something you can question and shift. Want to go deeper? Visit https://theburnoutpodcasts.com/: 1. High-Ticket 1:1 "Life Alignment" Coaching — Premium, exclusive 1-on-1 mentorship over 6 to 12 weeks. By application only. 2. The "Inner Circle" Mastermind — A curated 3-to-6-month group program capped at 10 to 15 people. Join the waitlist on our site. 3. The "Deep Dive" Strategy Intensive — A one-time, 2-hour "Life and Relationship Audit." Book directly on our site. 4. Premium "Unfiltered" Audio Subscriptions — Submit your dilemmas anonymously and get the raw advice too edgy for the main feed. Upgrade on our site. FOLLOW US & SUBSCRIBE: Hit subscribe so you never miss an episode. Website: https://theburnoutpodcasts.com/ Note: This book offers a philosophical and spiritual approach to the mind, not clinical psychology. Its core idea that thinking is the source of suffering is a teaching frame, not a medical claim — depression, anxiety, trauma, and grief are real, are not your fault, and deserve real support. Nothing here is medical advice. If you're struggling, please reach out to a qualified professional.

    10 min
  3. S1E3 | Stop Trying to Be Productive: Your Brain Is a Survival Relic | Don't Believe Everything You Think | Joseph Nguyen

    Episode 3 • Subscribers Only

    S1E3 | Stop Trying to Be Productive: Your Brain Is a Survival Relic | Don't Believe Everything You Think | Joseph Nguyen

    This is Season 1, Episode 3 of our deep dive into Don't Believe Everything You Think by Joseph Nguyen. In this episode, Edith and Alan explore why the mind defaults to threat. Important Disclaimer: This podcast series analyzes and draws insights from Don't Believe Everything You Think by Joseph Nguyen for educational and commentary purposes. All rights to the referenced work belong to their respective owners, and no copyright infringement is intended. Purchase the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Believe-Everything-You-Think/dp/B0B39TSMJM Edith explains the book's point that the mind evolved primarily for survival, not happiness — wired to scan relentlessly for danger, because that's what kept our ancestors alive. The trouble is that in a modern world with few literal tigers, that same threat-detection machinery fires at emails, social slights, and imagined futures, keeping us in a low-grade fight-or-flight state. There's a solid, well-supported basis here in how the brain's threat system works. Alan recognizes his constant background hum of anxiety as exactly this. Edith's takeaway: your anxious mind isn't broken or weak — it's doing the (outdated) job it evolved to do. Recognizing that can take some of the sting out of it, and create room to respond rather than react. Want to go deeper? Visit https://theburnoutpodcasts.com/: 1. High-Ticket 1:1 "Life Alignment" Coaching — Premium, exclusive 1-on-1 mentorship over 6 to 12 weeks. By application only. 2. The "Inner Circle" Mastermind — A curated 3-to-6-month group program capped at 10 to 15 people. Join the waitlist on our site. 3. The "Deep Dive" Strategy Intensive — A one-time, 2-hour "Life and Relationship Audit." Book directly on our site. 4. Premium "Unfiltered" Audio Subscriptions — Submit your dilemmas anonymously and get the raw advice too edgy for the main feed. Upgrade on our site. FOLLOW US & SUBSCRIBE: Hit subscribe so you never miss an episode. Website: https://theburnoutpodcasts.com/ Note: This book offers a philosophical and spiritual approach to the mind, not clinical psychology. Its core idea that thinking is the source of suffering is a teaching frame, not a medical claim — depression, anxiety, trauma, and grief are real, are not your fault, and deserve real support. Nothing here is medical advice. If you're struggling, please reach out to a qualified professional.

    11 min
  4. S1E4 | The #1 Reason Your Thoughts Are Safe (But Your Thinking Is Dangerous) | Don't Believe Everything You Think | Joseph Nguyen

    Episode 4 • Subscribers Only

    S1E4 | The #1 Reason Your Thoughts Are Safe (But Your Thinking Is Dangerous) | Don't Believe Everything You Think | Joseph Nguyen

    This is Season 1, Episode 4 of our deep dive into Don't Believe Everything You Think by Joseph Nguyen. In this episode, Edith and Alan explore the book's key distinction between thoughts and thinking. Important Disclaimer: This podcast series analyzes and draws insights from Don't Believe Everything You Think by Joseph Nguyen for educational and commentary purposes. All rights to the referenced work belong to their respective owners, and no copyright infringement is intended. Purchase the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Believe-Everything-You-Think/dp/B0B39TSMJM Edith breaks down what she calls the most important distinction in the book: the difference between a thought (a single, passing piece of mental "raw material" that simply arises) and thinking (the active, effortful process of grabbing a thought and spinning it into stories, scenarios, and rumination). Nguyen's claim is that thoughts themselves are harmless — it's the compulsive thinking about them that manufactures suffering. This maps neatly onto the psychological idea of "cognitive defusion": noticing a thought without fusing with it. Alan, who treats every passing worry as a project to be analyzed, finds this genuinely freeing. Edith's takeaway: you can't stop thoughts from arising, but you can practice not climbing aboard every one of them — and that small shift can quiet a lot of inner noise. Want to go deeper? Visit https://theburnoutpodcasts.com/: 1. High-Ticket 1:1 "Life Alignment" Coaching — Premium, exclusive 1-on-1 mentorship over 6 to 12 weeks. By application only. 2. The "Inner Circle" Mastermind — A curated 3-to-6-month group program capped at 10 to 15 people. Join the waitlist on our site. 3. The "Deep Dive" Strategy Intensive — A one-time, 2-hour "Life and Relationship Audit." Book directly on our site. 4. Premium "Unfiltered" Audio Subscriptions — Submit your dilemmas anonymously and get the raw advice too edgy for the main feed. Upgrade on our site. FOLLOW US & SUBSCRIBE: Hit subscribe so you never miss an episode. Website: https://theburnoutpodcasts.com/ Note: This book offers a philosophical and spiritual approach to the mind, not clinical psychology. Its core idea that thinking is the source of suffering is a teaching frame, not a medical claim — depression, anxiety, trauma, and grief are real, are not your fault, and deserve real support. Nothing here is medical advice. If you're struggling, please reach out to a qualified professional.

    12 min
  5. S1E5 | Why 'Positive Thinking' Can Backfire | Don't Believe Everything You Think | Joseph Nguyen

    Episode 5 • Subscribers Only

    S1E5 | Why 'Positive Thinking' Can Backfire | Don't Believe Everything You Think | Joseph Nguyen

    This is Season 1, Episode 5 of our deep dive into Don't Believe Everything You Think by Joseph Nguyen. In this episode, Edith and Alan question the cult of forced positivity. Important Disclaimer: This podcast series analyzes and draws insights from Don't Believe Everything You Think by Joseph Nguyen for educational and commentary purposes. All rights to the referenced work belong to their respective owners, and no copyright infringement is intended. Purchase the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Believe-Everything-You-Think/dp/B0B39TSMJM Edith presents the book's argument that grinding to force "positive thoughts" over negative ones is like painting over a moldy wall — it adds more effortful thinking on top of the problem rather than addressing the habit of overthinking itself. Nguyen suggests that a calm, clear state is more our natural baseline than we realize, and that piling on mental effort tends to increase stress, not reduce it. Interestingly, this lines up with research showing forced positive affirmations can backfire for some people. Alan, a veteran of failed "just think positive" campaigns, feels seen. Edith's careful framing: this is about easing up on mental force, not about suppressing or denying real feelings — and it is absolutely not a suggestion that anyone with depression can simply think their way out. Letting the mind settle is a skill; clinical struggles still deserve real help. Content note: this episode touches on low mood and depression. If you're struggling, please reach out to a qualified professional. Want to go deeper? Visit https://theburnoutpodcasts.com/: 1. High-Ticket 1:1 "Life Alignment" Coaching — Premium, exclusive 1-on-1 mentorship over 6 to 12 weeks. By application only. 2. The "Inner Circle" Mastermind — A curated 3-to-6-month group program capped at 10 to 15 people. Join the waitlist on our site. 3. The "Deep Dive" Strategy Intensive — A one-time, 2-hour "Life and Relationship Audit." Book directly on our site. 4. Premium "Unfiltered" Audio Subscriptions — Submit your dilemmas anonymously and get the raw advice too edgy for the main feed. Upgrade on our site. FOLLOW US & SUBSCRIBE: Hit subscribe so you never miss an episode. Website: https://theburnoutpodcasts.com/ Note: This book offers a philosophical and spiritual approach to the mind, not clinical psychology. Its core idea that thinking is the source of suffering is a teaching frame, not a medical claim — depression, anxiety, trauma, and grief are real, are not your fault, and deserve real support. Nothing here is medical advice. If you're struggling, please reach out to a qualified professional.

    11 min
  • 5 Episodes

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About

Are you exhausted from trying to "hack" your life, only to end up more burned out, anxious, and stuck than before? Welcome to your brutal reality check. The Burnout Podcasts is not your average, fluffy self-help show. Hosted by Edith (the no-nonsense strategist) and Alan (the chronically stressed overthinker who represents all of us), this is a masterclass in human psychology, personal growth, and breaking generational cycles of self-sabotage. Every season, we tear apart the world's most iconic books — from Don't Believe Everything You Think and Why We Sleep to Dopamine Nation and Burnout — and put their biggest ideas under the microscope. We don't do boring book reviews; we decode the psychology of success, mental health, and human potential, separate the useful from the overstated, and hand you tools you can actually examine for yourself. Tune in to learn how to: * Defeat Your Ego: Stop letting your inner voice and anxiety control your future. * Quiet the Overthinking: Understand the difference between having a thought and drowning in one. * Master Social Dynamics: Learn the art of communication, setting boundaries, and reading the room. * Think Critically: Engage big, bold ideas with curiosity and a healthy dose of skepticism. Expect high drama, fast banter, mind-blowing realizations, and zero academic fluff. If you are ready to stop romanticizing hustle culture and finally do the deep work, hit play. Take what serves you, leave what doesn't. 🛠️ FIX YOUR LIFE (WORK WITH US): Ready to step out of survival mode? Visit theburnoutpodcasts.com to get the exact tools you need: * Life Alignment Coaching: Private, 1-on-1 mentorship to rebuild your mindset. * The Inner Circle Mastermind: A curated group program to tackle toxic patterns. * Deep Dive Strategy Intensive: A brutal, 2-hour audit of your life. * Premium Unfiltered Audio: Raw, no-holds-barred advice on your anonymous dramas. 🔗 Website: https://theburnoutpodcasts.com

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