wellness for nerds

david masterton and dr rebecca chabot
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Science-backed wellness for high performers. No woo, no wellness-washing. Dr Rebecca Chabot (PhD scientist and TEDx speaker) and David Masterton (AI consultant and recovering corporate high-achiever) translate real research on stress, busyness, habits and performance into tools you can actually use. Expect honest stories, the occasional dad joke, and zero guru-speak. For business owners, knowledge workers, scientists, parents, and anyone who rolls their eyes at "wellness" but knows something has to change. Recorded in Tasmania. New video episodes weekly.

Episodes

  1. 6d ago

    Why You're Always "Busy" (and How to Stop) | E3

    "Busy" has become a handshake: a badge of honour that hides what we actually feel. Problem is, your brain is listening every time you say it. This week we pick apart the busyness script: why "how are you?" "busy!" is really a social dance, why Rebecca made a conscious decision years ago to never answer with "busy", and what the research says about language literally programming your brain (spoiler: "fake it till you make it" gets it backwards; you're not faking, you're programming). Plus a 10-second grounding practice from Eckhart Tolle you can do in any meeting, and David's favourite pattern-interrupt: asking people what made them smile. Try it this week: next time someone asks how you are, don't say busy. Tell us what you said instead. Resources: Brené Brown: Atlas of the Heart(00:00) The busy epidemic (03:24) Why Rebecca never says "busy" (07:24) Successful ≠ busy (10:28) The hands-and-feet grounding practice (12:51) Interrupting the busy script (21:37) You can't lie to your brain Dr Rebecca Chabot: https://drrebeccachabot.com https://purewellnesstasmania.com David Masterton: https://158lab.com.au Wellness for Nerds shares general information and personal experience. It is not individual medical or mental-health advice.

  2. Jul 31

    What Chronic Stress Does to Your Brain | E2

    Chronic stress takes your brain's decision-maker offline, turns everything into a crisis, and fogs your memory. This week we get into what's actually happening in your head, and the trainable skill that reverses it. Rebecca breaks down the difference between acute and chronic stress and what an always-on nervous system does to the prefrontal cortex (decisions), amygdala (reactivity) and hippocampus (memory). David shares how he fixed his road rage: not with breathing hacks in the car, but with journaling, meditation and getting honest about what was underneath. Plus: the carpenter-and-sawdust test for whether you're productive or just busy, and the "Mississippi technique" for putting a gap between stimulus and response. Your challenge this week: when something pushes your buttons, count your Mississippis before you respond. Tell us how many you needed. (00:00) Peace & Performance (03:04) Busy is not high performance (08:36) Acute vs chronic stress (09:40) What chronic stress does to your brain (21:42) David's road rage story (25:58) The stimulus-response gap (29:07) The Mississippi technique Dr Rebecca Chabot: https://drrebeccachabot.com | https://purewellnesstasmania.com David Masterton: https://158lab.com.au Wellness for Nerds shares general information and personal experience. It is not individual medical or mental-health advice.

  3. Jul 30

    Science-Backed Wellness, No Woo Required | E1

    A PhD scientist and a recovering corporate high performer walk into a podcast. Welcome to Wellness for Nerds: real science, honest stories, zero woo. In episode one we introduce ourselves properly: how a panel about performing at a high level without losing your peace turned into this show; Rebecca's path from biochemistry to a PhD in ecology to translating science for the rest of us; David's 4.5 years of conscious healing after realising he was financially full but emotionally empty; why we called it Wellness for Nerds; and the story of teaching the science of happiness to a room of cancer survivors. If you're a high performer who rolls their eyes at the word "wellness" — this show is for you. New episodes weekly, in video on Spotify and YouTube. Dr Rebecca Chabot: https://drrebeccachabot.com | https://purewellnesstasmania.com David Masterton: https://158lab.com.au Wellness for Nerds shares general information and personal experience — it's not individual medical or mental-health advice..

  • 3 Episodes

About

Science-backed wellness for high performers. No woo, no wellness-washing. Dr Rebecca Chabot (PhD scientist and TEDx speaker) and David Masterton (AI consultant and recovering corporate high-achiever) translate real research on stress, busyness, habits and performance into tools you can actually use. Expect honest stories, the occasional dad joke, and zero guru-speak. For business owners, knowledge workers, scientists, parents, and anyone who rolls their eyes at "wellness" but knows something has to change. Recorded in Tasmania. New video episodes weekly.

Information

  • Creator
    david masterton and dr rebecca chabot
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    3
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © david masterton and dr rebecca chabot
  • Show Website
    wellness for nerds