Habits and Behavior Change
221 episodes · Page 2 of 10
#5542: Why Parenting Exhaustion Doesn't Reset Overnight
Small tasks, big depletion: why the parental to-do list never clocks out, and how micro-breaks can help when a full day off isn't coming.
#5518: Task-Based Organization: What ER Carts Teach Home Workshops
Daniel's 64-tray parts box mirrors urgent care triage. The medical literature on task-based package organization has real numbers — and real disagr...
#5471: Your News Feed Is Filtering for Failure
40% of people now avoid the news. Here's why the feed distorts reality — and what to read instead.
#5427: Why Atheists Still Knock on Wood
Religion and superstition aren't the same thing — and the data says they might even pull in opposite directions.
#5370: The Spotlight Effect and the Heckler's Playbook
Why a waiting room feels scarier than a stage — and how performers handle hostile crowds without losing the room.
#5360: Ful Medames: Slow Cooker vs Pressure Cooker
Dried fava beans, a slow cooker, and one overnight soak — the idiot-proof path to Egyptian street-style ful medames.
#5304: The Skill of Expecting Less (But Not the Worst)
Realists beat optimists and pessimists on long-term well-being. Here's what the research says about keeping expectations accurate.
#5303: Do Airline Safety Demos Actually Save Lives?
Everyone ignores the safety demo — especially frequent flyers. But when a plane catches fire, does that ritual actually get people out alive?
#5269: Why 4 A.M. Wake-Ups Hit Different
A listener asks why 4 a.m. wake-ups feel so much worse than 1 a.m. — and what the insomnia science actually says to do about it.
#5246: Why Adult ADHD Support Skips the Physical Layer
ADHD support defaults to therapy and coaching — but what if the real friction is sensory and physical? A look at the occupational therapy gap for a...
#5195: When Real Danger Silences Phobias
A year of war and housing crisis erased his cockroach phobia. The science says that's not as strange as it sounds.
#5174: Why Caffeine Can't Push You Through Cognitive Fatigue
What actually happens in your brain when you hit the wall — and why caffeine keeps you awake but can't restore hard thinking.
#5173: Why Actors Keep Auditioning: The Grit Behind the Craft
Most SAG-AFTRA members earn under $26K from acting. So why do they keep auditioning? Research on grit and calling offers surprising answers.
#5155: Why 3 Days Away Feels Like 3 Weeks
Why a weekend away can restore you more than two weeks with relatives — the psychology of novelty, detachment, and time.
#5142: How Parenthood Rewires Your Identity and Purpose
What does becoming a parent actually do to your brain, identity, and sense of purpose? The research — and one father's story — says more than you'd...
#5139: What Non-Internet Phones Reveal About Smartphone Addiction
Do internet-free phones prove the web is the addictive layer? The Haredi community offers a fascinating, if imperfect, natural experiment.
#5115: Do Early Milestones Actually Predict Success?
Early walkers, early talkers, early readers — does timing matter? Research says most milestone differences wash out.
#5086: How to Make Death Reflection Work Without the Terror
Spontaneous death reminders fade fast. Structured reflection changes how you live. Here's the science and the traditions that got it right.
#5083: The Shared Work of Teshuvah: Why Your Failures Aren't Unique
Why the Jewish New Year's framework for self-improvement mirrors psychology's most common regrets—and why shared struggle dissolves shame.
#5076: How Memory Palaces and Key Bowls Actually Work
Why checklists fail at the exact moment you need them—and what works instead.
#5074: Goals, ADHD, and the Art of the Soul Inventory
Why your goal tracking fails—and how to separate time-limited goals from lifelong values without the spreadsheet dread.
#4961: Can You Learn to Be Good at Small Talk?
Why "just be curious" fails anxious people — and what actually works for better conversations.
#4921: The Breakfast Detective and Other Cringe Icebreakers
Why do some icebreakers create connection while others produce cringe? A three-factor model explains it all.
#4917: Goats, Coffins, and Cuddle Corners: 10 Real Conference Gimmicks
From goat yoga keynotes to rent-a-mourner funerals — ten documented conference engagement stunts ranked by weirdness.