Brianna Approved

Dr. Brianna Diorio
  • 5.0 (51)
  • Self-Improvement

Brianna Approved is a podcast dedicated to helping you think better so you can build a life you're obsessed with. Through the lens of integrative psychology, neuroscience, and behavioral science, each episode bridges the gap between research and real life—breaking down how your brain works, why you do what you do, and how to create lasting change through practical tools you can actually apply...delivered with equal parts evidence, directness, and humor. Hosted by Dr. Brianna Diorio, PhD—Integrative Medicine, MS Clinical Nutrition, FDN, Herbal Practitioner, and Life Coach

  1. Jul 29

    Episode 91: The Hidden Cost of Keeping Your Options Open

    In Episode 91, we're diving into Why Maximizers Stay Stuck, Satisficers Move Forward, and the Freedom of Choosing. In this episode, we cover: The psychology of maximizers vs. satisficers and why some people stay stuck while others move forward.Why more options don't always lead to better outcomes...and can actually increase anxiety.The difference between settling and making intentional trade-offs.How the Four Burners Theory can help you prioritize what truly matters.Why certainty is a myth and confidence comes from commitment, not perfect information.Practical tools and journal prompts to help you make decisions with greater clarity and less regret.___ Ready to make real changes, not just think about them?If you want support turning insight into action and breaking patterns that keep repeating, you can explore working together ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠! Coaching is designed to help you build systems, track evidence, and rewire patterns in a way that actually sticks. ___ Be sure to follow my Instagram ⁠⁠⁠@briannadiorio⁠⁠⁠ for all the Brianna Approved educational content! Check out my ⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon Storefront ⁠⁠⁠⁠for all of my favorite Brianna Approved things! You can visit my website ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.briannadiorio.com⁠⁠⁠ to learn more. Production Manager and Graphics ⁠⁠⁠@kylediorio

  2. Apr 23

    Episode 90: The Certainty Trap—Your Brain Wants Certainty, Your Life Requires Uncertainty

    If you’ve ever felt stuck, indecisive, or like you’re waiting for clarity before making a big life decision, this episode is for you! In this episode, we will cover: Why you feel stuck: your brain prioritizes certainty over happinessPredictive processing: your brain runs mostly on internal predictions—not realityWhy you choose what’s familiar (even when it’s wrong for you)How loss aversion + dopamine keep you looping and overthinkingNerd Alert: Predictive Brain Mode Practice What You Podcast: Manually close the loop: Replace catastrophic thoughts with grounded uncertaintyUncertainty Exposure Training: Small, controlled risks to retrain your brainName the pattern: Identify where you’re choosing familiar over alignedThe 70% Rule: If it’s 70% aligned, take actionTrack evidence: Build proof that uncertainty doesn’t equal dangerFlip loss aversion: Ask “What is it costing me to stay the same?”___ Ready to make real changes, not just think about them?If you want support turning insight into action and breaking patterns that keep repeating, you can explore working together ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠! Coaching is designed to help you build systems, track evidence, and rewire patterns in a way that actually sticks. ___ Be sure to follow my Instagram ⁠⁠@briannadiorio⁠⁠ for all the Brianna Approved educational content! Check out my ⁠⁠⁠Amazon Storefront ⁠⁠⁠for all of my favorite Brianna Approved things! You can visit my website ⁠⁠⁠www.briannadiorio.com⁠⁠ to learn more. Production Manager and Graphics ⁠⁠@kylediorio

  3. Mar 12

    Episode 89: The Neuroscience of Grief — How to Navigate Loss, Sadness, and Heartbreak

    In episode 89 of the podcast, we discuss why grief isn’t just emotional….it’s neurological. In this episode, we discuss: Why grief can feel physically painful and what’s happening in the brain when we experience loss in any form (Nerd Alert Segment) Why grief tends to come in waves rather than a predictable timeline Why the traditional stages of grief are often misunderstood 4 types of unexpected grief that many people experience How grief can show up as anxiety, numbness, rumination, or emotional flooding Practice What You Podcast At the end of the episode, during the Practice What You Podcast section, we shift into practical application and explore how the nervous system processes grief and what actually helps when it hits hardest. You’ll learn: What actually helps in the moment when grief suddenly intensifies Tools to regulate the nervous system during waves of sadness or overwhelm How to coexist with grief (and even befriend it) instead of trying to outrun it or letting it take over How to track progress in grief beyond simply “feeling better” Practical tools that help alongside time…not just “give it time” advice. ____ Ready to make real changes, not just think about them?If you want support turning insight into action and breaking patterns that keep repeating, you can explore working together ⁠⁠here⁠⁠! Coaching is designed to help you build systems, track evidence, and rewire patterns in a way that actually sticks. ___ Be sure to follow my Instagram ⁠@briannadiorio⁠ for all the Brianna Approved educational content! Check out my ⁠⁠Amazon Storefront ⁠⁠for all of my favorite Brianna Approved things! You can visit my website ⁠⁠www.briannadiorio.com⁠ to learn more. Production Manager and Graphics ⁠@kylediorio

  4. Jan 29

    Episode 88 - Evidence Over Emotion: How to Stop Letting Feelings Run the Show

    In Episode 88, we’re talking about how to stop letting feelings hijack your choices, and how to start using evidence — not impulse — as your compass. In this episode, we break down: Why emotional intensity is not the same thing as truthNerd Alert: The brain systems behind emotions vs feelingsThe difference between emotions, feelings, and evidence (and why it matters)How two people can experience the same event and walk away with opposite conclusionsPractice What You Podcast: A simple, evidence-based framework to stop repeating the same patterns___ Ready to make real changes, not just think about them?If you want support turning insight into action and breaking patterns that keep repeating, you can explore working together ⁠here⁠! Coaching is designed to help you build systems, track evidence, and rewire patterns in a way that actually sticks. ___ Be sure to follow my Instagram @briannadiorio for all the Brianna Approved educational content! Check out my ⁠Amazon Storefront ⁠for all of my favorite Brianna Approved things! You can visit my website ⁠www.briannadiorio.com to learn more. Production Manager and Graphics @kylediorio

  5. 12/30/2025

    Episode 87 - Why Your Brain Loves Bad Habits (and How to Rewire Them for Good)

    In episode 87, we are going over all things habits! Bad habits aren’t a willpower issue — they’re a brain wiring issue. In this episode, we break down why your brain automates patterns that don’t serve you, why trying harder doesn’t work, and how to actually rewire habits using neuroscience (not motivation). In this episode, we cover: Why your brain runs so much of your day on autopilot Where habits actually live in the brain (and why logic can’t stop them) The 4-step habit loop: cue → craving → response → reward (via James Clears Atomic Habits) Why you don’t crave the habit — you crave the state change How stress makes bad habits stronger How to break habits by changing cues, friction, and rewards Why identity beats motivation when it comes to lasting change If you’re stuck in a start-stop cycle, this episode will help you stop blaming yourself and start working with your brain instead of against it. ___ Ready to make real changes, not just think about them?If you want support turning insight into action and breaking patterns that keep repeating, you can explore working together here! Coaching is designed to help you build systems, track evidence, and rewire patterns in a way that actually sticks. ___ Check out my ⁠⁠Amazon Storefront ⁠⁠for all of my favorite Brianna Approved things! You can visit my website ⁠⁠www.briannadiorio.com⁠ to learn more. Production Manager and Graphics ⁠@kylediorio⁠

  6. 11/23/2025

    Episode 86 — The Neuroscience of Anxiety: Dopamine, Procrastination & the Sunday Scaries Explained

    In this episode, we break down the real neuroscience behind anxiety, avoidance, procrastination, and the Sunday Scaries — and give you practical tools to interrupt the patterns your brain keeps running on autopilot. You’ll finally understand what your brain is doing, why it’s doing it, and how to retrain it. By the end of this episode, you’ll walk away knowing: Why your brain predicts the worst How dopamine actually drives avoidance Why Sundays hit so hard How the threat circuit, DMN, and executive network shape procrastination Why your brain is doing this and how to use these tools to retrain it.___ Work With Me If you want to go deeper into this work — the patterns, the tools, the rewiring — and you want support and accountability tailored to your brain, you can work with me 1:1. This is where we take the science and apply it directly to your life so you can create real, lasting change. ___ Be sure to follow my Instagram @briannadiorio for all the Brianna Approved educational content! Check out my ⁠Amazon Storefront ⁠for all of my favorite Brianna Approved things! You can visit my website ⁠www.briannadiorio.com to learn more. Production Manager and Graphics @kylediorio ___

  7. 10/21/2025

    Episode 85: Friendship Breakups: The Silent Heartache We Don’t Talk About

    We talk about dating breakups all the time — but almost no one talks about the heartbreak of losing a friend. In this episode, we unpacks the hidden grief of friendship endings, the roles we unconsciously play, and how to know when a friendship has simply expired. You’ll learn: • Why friendship breakups can feel more painful than romantic ones • The hidden “roles” we play — fixer, caretaker, hype-friend, etc. • How to move from legacy friendships to aligned connections • How to heal without becoming guarded or cold • Practical ways to make new, aligned friendships as an adult Join the live workshop — “From Self-Doubt to Self-Trust” on Oct 29:Learn how to rebuild self-trust, set clean boundaries, and make aligned decisions. → Register here! ___ Be sure to follow my Instagram ⁠@briannadiorio⁠ for all the Brianna Approved educational content! You can visit my website ⁠⁠www.briannadiorio.com⁠ to learn more. Production Manager and Graphics ⁠@kylediorio⁠

  8. 09/18/2025

    Episode 84: Why You Can’t Let Go: The Psychology & Neuroscience of Holding Onto What Hurts You

    Have you ever known something was bad for you—a relationship, a job, a habit—but kept going back anyway? In this episode, we unpack the hidden psychology and brain science that keep you stuck in cycles you know aren’t serving you. By the end, you’ll not only understand why you cling to what hurts—you’ll leave with practical tools to start loosening that grip. In this episode, we explore: The Psychology of Holding On Sunk Cost Fallacy — why leaving feels like failure instead of freedom Cognitive Dissonance — the mind’s tricks to justify staying stuck Region Beta Paradox — why “not bad enough” situations keep you trapped Intermittent Reinforcement — the most addictive reward schedule in the brain Nerd Alert- The Neuroscience of Addiction to Pain Dopamine, prediction error, and why unpredictability feels so intoxicating Brain regions like the ACC, VTA, and nucleus accumbens that wire you to chase what hurts ___ The Inner Work Room Intensive – Enrollment Open You don’t need more information—you need implementation. This 5-week container takes the neuroscience, psychology, and mindset tools from the podcast and puts them into practice with guided exercises and accountability. We start October 6th, and spots are limited. If you’re ready for momentum, structure, and real tools to rewire your patterns—this is for you. Join HERE - your future self will thank you for the work you're doing! ___ Be sure to follow my Instagram @briannadiorio for all the Brianna Approved educational content! You can visit my website ⁠www.briannadiorio.com to learn more. Production Manager and Graphics @kylediorio

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About

Brianna Approved is a podcast dedicated to helping you think better so you can build a life you're obsessed with. Through the lens of integrative psychology, neuroscience, and behavioral science, each episode bridges the gap between research and real life—breaking down how your brain works, why you do what you do, and how to create lasting change through practical tools you can actually apply...delivered with equal parts evidence, directness, and humor. Hosted by Dr. Brianna Diorio, PhD—Integrative Medicine, MS Clinical Nutrition, FDN, Herbal Practitioner, and Life Coach

Information

  • Creator
    Dr. Brianna Diorio
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    93
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Dr. Brianna Diorio
  • Show Website
    Brianna Approved

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