650. The Doctor Won't See You Now
Stephen Dubner examines the growing shortage of physicians in the United States, exploring both demand-side pressures like an aging population and supply-side constraints in medical education and training. Former CDC director and infectious disease physician Rochelle Walensky outlines workforce data, training bottlenecks, burnout, debt, and rural access problems, while economic historian Karen Clay explains how the early 20th-century Flexner Report raised medical standards but also sharply reduced the number of medical schools and doctors, with complex long-term consequences. Throughout, practicing and former physicians describe how bureaucracy, insurance rules, changing public attitudes, and alternative career options are reshaping the medical profession.
If You're Feeling Overwhelmed, You Need to Hear This
Mel Robbins explains the crucial difference between stress and overwhelm and why confusing the two can contribute to burnout. Drawing on insights from psychiatrist Dr. K and physician Dr. Aditi Noorakar, she outlines a four-step, science-based process: label whether you're stressed or overwhelmed, use a specific breathing technique to reset your nervous system, perform a "brain dump" to offload mental load, and deliberately add a small, chosen challenge to restore a sense of control. The episode emphasizes that stress and overwhelm are biological states, not personal failings, and shows how simple practices can help listeners feel clearer and more in control.
#617 - Aziz Ansari
Theo Von talks with Aziz Ansari about his new film "Good Fortune," the challenges of writing, directing, and acting in a feature, and how movie production differs from stand-up comedy. Aziz shares personal stories from growing up as the only Indian kid in a small South Carolina town, including the death of his younger sister and the kindness of the women who helped raise him. They also discuss burnout, avoiding ego, living abroad in London, and the importance of early gatekeepers and mentors in their stand-up careers.
Love 2.0: How to Fix Your Marriage, Part 2
Host Shankar Vedantam talks with psychologist James Cordova about how blame and efforts to change our partners often trap couples in years-long conflicts, and how practices like genuine acceptance, "eating the blame," and lowering pride can restore intimacy. In the second part of the episode, public health researcher Victor Strecker discusses the science of purpose, how a clear sense of purpose supports health and resilience, and answers listener questions about burnout, caregiving, loss, empty nesting, and finding meaning at different life stages.
Pressbox and Tide Cleaners: Vijen Patel. The $1.99 Gamble That Built a National Brand
Host Guy Raz interviews entrepreneur Vijan Patel about founding Pressbox, a dry cleaning and laundry startup built around 24/7 locker access in residential buildings. Patel explains how he and co-founder Drew McKenna bootstrapped the company, focused relentlessly on unit economics and quality, and expanded across multiple U.S. cities before being acquired by Procter & Gamble and folded into Tide Cleaners. He also describes the burnout of running a 24/7 service business, the competitive battles with venture-backed rivals and P&G itself, and his current focus on investing in "boring" but essential, asset-heavy businesses through his fund, the 81 Collection.
Try It for 1 Week: 6 Small Ways to Bring Back the Happiness, Energy, and Fun
Mel Robbins talks about the growing sense that life is less fun, more curated, and weighed down by stress, and argues that fun is not a luxury but a necessity for mental and physical health. Drawing on research and personal stories, she explains how micro moments of joy and playfulness build resilience and combat burnout, anxiety, and numbness. She then offers six practical ways listeners can deliberately bring more happiness, energy, and fun back into their daily lives.
Exhausted From Being a People Pleaser? Use THIS 0-10 Rule to Say "No" Without Guilt
In this live conversation, Jay Shetty shares his journey from speaking to empty college rooms to building a leading wellness platform, emphasizing his mission of making wisdom go viral. He explains frameworks for reframing adversity, protecting energy while being of service, and setting boundaries using a personal 0-10 scale for what truly matters. The discussion also explores why audio feels uniquely intimate, how to use AI without losing human soul, what he learned from three years as a monk, and how marketers and creators can rekindle childlike creativity.
3 simple ways to build stronger relationships at work | Alyssa Birnbaum
Organizational psychologist Alyssa Birnbaum explains how high-quality connections at work significantly influence engagement, burnout, and well-being, especially in remote and hybrid environments. Drawing on her research and personal experiences, she shows that even a single high-quality interaction can boost engagement and that video conversations can foster connection similarly to in-person meetings. She then offers three concrete practices-expanding dialogue, finding overlap, and showing genuine care-and emphasizes the responsibility of leaders to intentionally create space for meaningful connection at work.
EMMA WATSON EXCLUSIVE: The Story She Has Not Shared Until Now
Emma Watson joins Jay Shetty to have a long-form, personal conversation about stepping back from acting, disentangling her public persona from her private self, and learning to live more truthfully. She talks about growing up between two households, using acting as an escape, the emotional costs of fame and Hollywood, and the health and nervous-system burnout that forced her to pause her career. Emma also explores love and relationships, creative writing as therapy, friendship and interdependence, and how she holds nuanced positions on activism, including disagreements with J.K. Rowling and speaking about Palestine and Israel.
Passion vs. Paycheck
Host Shankar Vedantam speaks with organizational scholar Jennifer Tostekaris about the idea of work as a "calling" and how this concept has evolved from its religious roots to a modern secular ideal. They explore compelling examples like Paul Gauguin, Marie Curie, and Oprah Winfrey to illustrate how callings can inspire extraordinary dedication, creativity, and impact. The conversation also examines the psychological and economic downsides of callings, including distorted self-assessment, vulnerability to exploitation, burnout, and the collateral damage to families and other life domains, and concludes with a more tempered view of meaningful work that does not require everyone to have a grand vocation.
8 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Turned 30
Jay Shetty shares eight psychological and life lessons he wishes he had understood before turning 30, aimed at saving time, energy, and emotional stress. Drawing on research in psychology and human behavior, he explains concepts like the spotlight effect, the effort heuristic, socio-emotional selectivity, decision fatigue, social contagion, burnout, and affective forecasting. He then turns these ideas into practical guidance on how to think about other people's opinions, productivity, friendships, discipline, fear, community, meaningful work, and the unpredictability of future happiness and pain.