The Anxious Achiever

Are you actually more productive when you work longer hours or just more exhausted? In this episode, I talk with Christopher Barnes, Professor of Management and the Michael G. Foster Endowed Professor at the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington, about the ingrained belief that sacrificing sleep is the price of success and why that belief is costing you more than you think. Chris shares how leaders create “sleep-deprived cultures” through their behavior, from late-night emails to rewarding constant responsiveness. We break down what really happens to your brain when you’re sleep-deprived, the vicious cycle between anxiety and insomnia, and why being tired makes everything feel bigger, harder, and more urgent than it actually is. Tune in to learn how better sleep can make you sharper, calmer, and more effective.

Check out our sponsors:

Shopify - Sign up for a $1 per month trial, just go to ⁠http://shopify.com/anxiousachiever⁠

Notion - Notion is an AI powered, connected workspace for teams. Try custom agents now at ⁠https://notion.com/achiever

In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 Why working more hours doesn’t mean better performance.

02:15 Are leaders unintentionally rewarding sleep deprivation?

08:00 The tradeoff between working more hours vs. doing better work.

11:00 Why anxiety and insomnia reinforce each other.

12:30 Why everything feels more stressful when you’re sleep-deprived.

14:00 The cycle that keeps high achievers stuck in poor sleep habits.

17:00 What can you do when your boss expects you to overwork?

22:00 Ways leaders can encourage healthier sleep habits.

25:30 The long-term performance cost of sleep deprivation.

26:30 How circadian rhythms affect when you do your best work.

27:30 How flexible schedules improve performance.

28:30 The bias against people who don’t start early.

Resources + Links

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube 

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

What if the problem isn’t your focus, your discipline, or your productivity, but the way you’ve been taught to work? In this episode, I talk with Ennis Olson, Global Innovation Lead at Google, about what changes when you truly understand how your brain operates. Ennis shares how his late diagnosis of ADHD and autism helped him make sense of a career built on creativity, curiosity, and constant reinvention and why those same traits can create friction in traditional work environments. We break down how to navigate days when your brain won’t cooperate, how to design your work around your energy, and why self-awareness is one of the most powerful tools you can build. Tune in to learn how to reduce anxiety, work more effectively, and lead in a way that honors how you’re wired.

Check out our sponsors:

Northwest Registered Agent - Protect your privacy, build your brand and get your complete business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes! Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/achieverfree

Shopify - Sign up for a $1 per month trial, just go to http://shopify.com/anxiousachiever

Talkiatry - Head to http://talkiatry.com/achiever and complete the short assessment to get matched with an in network psychiatrist in just a few minutes.

Working Genius - Take the working genius assessment today and get 20% off with code ACHIEVER at working http://workinggenius.com

Brevo - Meet brevo, the all in one marketing and CRM platform built to help you connect with 

customers, boost engagement and grow your business smarter. Go to brevo.com/achiever and use code ACHIEVER50 for 50% off. 

Notion - Notion is an AI powered, connected workspace for teams. Try custom agents now at https://notion.com/achiever

In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 Why understanding your brain changes how you work.

05:15 How “seeing what others don’t” can drive success and anxiety.

12:00 Why great ideas aren’t enough without follow-through.

17:15 Tools for shifting focus when your brain won’t cooperate.

20:00 Why does your brain just not work some days?

28:45 How to advocate for what you need without overexplaining.

31:30 Tips to manage your energy when your schedule isn’t flexible.

34:15 How self-awareness and feedback build emotional flexibility.

37:30 Ways anxiety can become a tool for reflection.

45:45 The impact of a late diagnosis on self-understanding.

52:00 What does “neuroconvergence” mean?

58:45 What happens when you let go of what you’re bad at.

Resources + Links

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube 

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Follow Ennis on LinkedIn: @ennisolson

Is entrepreneurship making your anxiety worse, or is it actually revealing something deeper about how you work and cope? In this episode, I talk with entrepreneur Chris Brogan and writer Ada Calhoun about the complicated relationship between freelancing, mental health, and the illusion of stability. Chris shares what it’s really like to build a career while living with depression, why success and struggle can coexist, and how he’s learned to “negotiate” with his mental health instead of letting it define him. Ada also breaks down the emotional and financial realities of freelance life, and the fears many of us carry about money and security. Tune in to rethink stability, understand your patterns, and build a way of working that supports your life.

Check out our sponsors:

Northwest Registered Agent - Protect your privacy, build your brand and get your complete business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes! Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/achieverfree

Shopify - Sign up for a $1 per month trial, just go to http://shopify.com/anxiousachiever

Talkiatry - Head to http://talkiatry.com/achiever and complete the short assessment to get matched with an in network psychiatrist in just a few minutes.

Working Genius - Take the working genius assessment today and get 20% off with code ACHIEVER at working http://workinggenius.com

Brevo - Meet brevo, the all in one marketing and CRM platform built to help you connect with customers, boost engagement and grow your business smarter. Go to brevo.com/achiever and use code ACHIEVER50 for 50% off. 

In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 Can you be successful while living with depression?

05:00 What it really feels like to work through depression day-to-day.

08:00 Why performance can feel easier than personal connection.

12:00 How to “negotiate” with your inner critic instead of fighting it.

16:45 How depression shows up in everyday work tasks.

18:45 What radical transparency about mental health looks like at work.

23:45 Is freelancing really riskier than having one employer?

26:15 What to do when your income drops or disappears.

30:15 Why freelance success doesn’t eliminate financial anxiety.

34:00 How freelancers manage mental health care.

38:00 How childhood experiences shape your fear around money.

42:45 Why does “enough” never feel like enough?

Resources + Links

Get a copy of Ada Calhoun’s book, Why We Can’t Sleep HERE!

Learn more about Chris Brogan’s work HERE!

Learn more about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) HERE!

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube 

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Follow Chris on LinkedIn: @cbrogan

Follow Ada on Instagram: @adacalhoun

What if happiness isn’t something you feel, but something you learn? In this episode, I talk with Dr. Arthur Brooks about why anxious achievers often struggle with happiness, and how emotions are data we can use to build better lives. Arthur shares how our emotional “profiles” shape leadership, why anxiety is really unfocused fear, and how to turn late-night spirals into something actionable. We also dive into what’s broken about how we live today and why that’s making it harder to find meaning. Get ready to rethink happiness, understand your anxiety, and learn how to build a life that actually feels meaningful.

Check out our sponsors:

Northwest Registered Agent - Protect your privacy, build your brand and get your complete business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes! Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/achieverfree

Shopify - Sign up for a $1 per month trial, just go to http://shopify.com/anxiousachiever

Talkiatry - Head to http://talkiaitry.com/achiever and complete the short assessment to get matched with an in network psychiatrist in just a few minutes.

Working Genius - Take the working genius assessment today and get 20% off with code ACHIEVER at working http://workinggenius.com

Brevo - Meet brevo, the all in one marketing and CRM platform built to help you connect with customers, boost engagement and grow your business smarter. Go to brevo.com/achiever and use code ACHIEVER50 for 50% off. 

In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 Why happiness doesn’t come naturally.

03:15 Why high achievers often choose “being special” over being happy.

06:00 How smartphones quietly drain your attention and fulfillment.

08:00 How the science of happiness supports therapy.

13:30 Why people who feel more negative emotions often have creative advantages.

18:00 The “mad scientist” profile and why many leaders fall into it.

24:00 How different emotional styles shape leadership strengths and blind spots.

28:00 Why struggle is required for satisfaction and confidence.

32:00 What’s the difference between joy and happiness?

34:30 Why most self-help advice doesn’t work.

41:00 What is anxiety?

44:45 A step-by-step tool to calm anxiety and think clearly.

49:15 How to talk about emotions at work without losing credibility.

52:30 The 3-part framework for building a meaningful life.

55:45 Why boredom is essential for meaning and creativity.

58:30 How constant distraction is blocking your ability to find meaning.

Resources + Links

Pre-order a copy of Arthur Brooks’ book, The Meaning of Your Life HERE

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube 

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Follow Arthur on Instagram: @arthurcbrooks

Is your anxiety something you need to eliminate or something you need to understand better? In this episode, I talk with psychologist Alice Boyes about the everyday patterns that can make anxiety worse. Alice shares why trying to control anxiety often backfires and how common traps like perfectionism, rumination, avoidance, and impulsive decision-making keep anxious high achievers stuck. We also break down ways to create distance from anxious thoughts, handle feedback without spiraling, and make better decisions. Tune in to learn how to work with your anxiety instead of constantly fighting it.

Check out our sponsors:

Northwest Registered Agent - Protect your privacy, build your brand and get your complete business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes! Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/achieverfree

Shopify - Sign up for a $1 per month trial, just go to http://shopify.com/anxiousachiever

Talkiatry - Head to http://talkiaitry.com/achiever and complete the short assessment to get matched with an in network psychiatrist in just a few minutes.

Working Genius - Take the working genius assessment today and get 20% off with code ACHIEVER at working http://genius.com

Brevo - Meet brevo, the all in one marketing and CRM platform built to help you connect with customers, boost engagement and grow your business smarter. Go to brevo.com/achiever and use code ACHIEVER50 for 50% off. 

In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 Why does trying to control anxiety make it worse?

03:00 How can overthinking trap you in decision paralysis?

06:45 How anxiety pushes people to rush decisions to escape uncertainty.

12:30 Tips to prevent overpreparing from taking over your life.

16:00 How to make feedback less threatening and more useful.

18:30 Why not all feedback is worth accepting.

21:30 Ways to stop shame spirals after mistakes.

27:00 Why becoming a “self-expert” on your anxiety helps you manage it.

30:15 A strategy for creating distance from anxious thoughts.

34:45 How email and social media can amplify anxiety traps.

39:00 Why you don’t need to be exceptional at everything.

Resources + Links

Get a copy of Alice Boyes’ book, The Anxiety Toolkit HERE

Learn more about Dr. Alice Boyes HERE

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube 

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Follow Alice: on LinkedIn @aliceboyes + Instagram @draliceboyes