In this episode, award-winning Harvard-educated journalist and researcher Jenny Wallace is here to discuss “toxic achievement” and the toxic pressure that makes you feel that no matter what you do or what level of success you achieve, it will never be enough.
You feel toxic pressure at work, and you feel toxic pressure at home. Jenny Wallace, who just com ... Show More
Yesterday
How to Protect Your Focus, Motivation, & Mental Health: The $17.1 Billion Wake-Up Call
This is one of the most eye-opening conversations Mel has had on the podcast. Today, Dr. Jonathan Haidt joins Mel to explain what constant quick dopamine is doing to attention, motivation, confidence, and mental health - and why the impact looks very different in boys than it doe ... Show More
59m 10s
Sep 10
Stanford Psychologist: 7 Small Things That Make a Huge Difference in How You Feel
You don’t have to wait for your life to get easier to start enjoying it. Today, Mel sits down with Dr. Kelly McGonigal, a renowned health psychologist, award-winning Stanford University lecturer, and bestselling author whose work focuses on stress, resilience, and joy. She’s here ... Show More
1h 15m
Sep 7
This One Episode Will Motivate You to Change Your Entire Life
This episode is a MUST-listen. If you’ve ever felt behind, scared, stuck, or doubting yourself, you need to hit play. Today, Mel sits down with someone who has been a mentor from afar for more than 12 years. Mel says she would not be where she is today without the person sitting ... Show More
1h 16m
Aug 2023
Ep 255: How Much Should Parents Push?
Jennifer Breheny Wallace, author of Never Enough, shares insight into modern day “achievement culture.” We discuss the hidden consequences of pushing teens too hard, and how to help teens balance achievement and fulfillment.Full Show NotesParenting teenagers in today's world come ... Show More
24m 19s
Aug 2023
Conversation with Jennifer B. Wallace — What to Do About Toxic Achievement Culture
Jennifer Breheny Wallace, an award-winning journalist and author of, “Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic – and What We Can Do About It,” joins Scott to discuss solutions to toxic achievement culture, economic pressures on families, instilling a sense of ‘matteri ... Show More
44m 9s
May 2025
YOU HAVE ENOUGH
In a world that constantly tells you to be more, do more, and have more — this episode is your gentle reminder that you have enough, you are enough, and you've always been enough. We dive deep into the toxic cycle of comparison, the pressure to constantly “level up,” and the beli ... Show More
8m 3s
Oct 2023
Toxic achievement culture
<p>This Isn't Therapy... it's an epi about toxic achievement culture (what!!?!?!)... In this episode, Jake and Simon discuss an emerging therapy therapy theme about the ways that achievement can be toxic, unhealthy, and unproductive. They dive deep into an article about achieveme ... Show More
47m 18s
Feb 2025
63. Why You Never Feel Good Enough – The Trap of High Expectations
Do you ever feel like no matter how much you achieve, it’s never enough? In this episode, we’re talking about the pressure to succeed, the struggle to celebrate wins, and why so many of us feel like our goals are obligations rather than choices.We break down how high expectations ... Show More
31m 24s