Uploaded May 2025 | Updated September 2026, 4 days ago
In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, we’re exploring some of the most common, yet least understood, mental health challenges.
On this episode of Everyday Better, Leah sits down with Dr. Anna Lembke, Stanford psychiatrist and bestselling author of “Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence,” to unpack the hidden drivers behind our everyday habits—especially the ones we don’t realize are hurting us. From doom-scrolling to working late, Anna shares the science of how even “normal” behaviors can tip us into addictive cycles when left unchecked.
“We live in a drugified world where almost all the things that we consume and do—even things that are generally good for us—have been made addictive, more potent, and accessible,” Dr. Lembke says. “This new environment requires us to reconceptualize how to stay in a healthy balance."
Subscribe to the Everyday Better newsletter to get more stories about and strategies for turning a stumble into a fresh start: bit.ly/3D91qoe
00:00 – Introduction
02:12 – How subtle habits shape our mental health
06:08 – Breaking free from addictive behaviors
11:36 – Understanding the role of dopamine in decision making
16:42 – The dark side of overconsumption
21:17 – Harnessing the balance between pleasure and pain
28:04 – Practical strategies to reset your dopamine system
33:49 – Radical honesty as a recovery tool
39:11 – How to foster deeper human connection
42:38 – The future of addiction and recovery research
46:12 – Conclusion
#linkedinnews #everydaybettter #mentalhealth #dopamine
In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, we’re exploring some of the most common, yet least understood, mental health challenges.
On this episode of Everyday Better, Leah sits down with Dr. Anna Lembke, Stanford psychiatrist and bestselling author of “Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence,” to unpack the hidden drivers behind our everyday habits—especially the ones we don’t realize are hurting us. From doom-scrolling to working late, Anna shares the science of how even “normal” behaviors can tip us into addictive cycles when left unchecked.
“We live in a drugified world where almost all the things that we consume and do—even things that are generally good for us—have been made addictive, more potent, and accessible,” Dr. Lembke says. “This new environment requires us to reconceptualize how to stay in a healthy balance."
Subscribe to the Everyday Better newsletter to get more stories about and strategies for turning a stumble into a fresh start: bit.ly/3D91qoe
00:00 – Introduction
02:12 – How subtle habits shape our mental health
06:08 – Breaking free from addictive behaviors
11:36 – Understanding the role of dopamine in decision making
16:42 – The dark side of overconsumption
21:17 – Harnessing the balance between pleasure and pain
28:04 – Practical strategies to reset your dopamine system
33:49 – Radical honesty as a recovery tool
39:11 – How to foster deeper human connection
42:38 – The future of addiction and recovery research
46:12 – Conclusion
#linkedinnews #everydaybettter #mentalhealth #dopamine
