Untangle

Today's guest is Amy Leneker, Author of Cheers to Monday, The Surprisingly Simple Method to Lead and Live with Less Stress and More Joy.
Amy is refreshing, joyful —and deeply practical—in this conversation about stress, burnout, and how to stop living your workweek as a countdown to Friday. My favorite quote? Make more space for joy.
Amy shares the wake-up call that changed everything for her, and became her personal turning point.
She takes us through the heart of her approach, the Unstressing Method—which includes See, Sort, and Solve—a simple framework designed to help people identify what’s driving their stress, categorize it into actionable types, and choose a clear next step instead of spiraling into overthinking. Something we all know very well. The conversation also tackles why common workplace “solutions” can backfire and how leaders can create cultures of well-being where people feel safe, connected, and able to grow. This all applies to families, as well as the workplace.
Most importantly, Amy makes a compelling case for putting joy back on the calendar—not as fluff or denial, but as a real resilience tool. If you’ve ever felt stuck in overwork, people-pleasing, or constant urgency, this episode offers concrete tools to help you reset how you work, lead, and live—starting with Monday.
Resource: Amyleneker.com
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In Todays throwback Thursday episode, we have encore guest. Dr. Tobias Esch. He is a primary care physician, pioneer in holistic general medicine, and expert in the neurobiology of happiness. He shaped mind-body medicine and integrative health in Germany and as Visiting Professor at Harvard Medical School. He has published more than 300 scientific works. His background is in primary care, neurobiology, and positive psychology and his work focus has been on promoting good health, patient activation and behavior change. In this interview we dive into his Happiness Model, and what he calls the U Curve of happiness which is both surprising and fascinating. The good news is that happiness can be shaped through practice. Life satisfaction and happiness are both deep feeling states, but he defines them differently. His wisdom is cultivated through a rich blend of neuroscience, medicine, positive psychology, mindfulness, gratitude, stillness, and acceptance. He believes in listening deeply and connecting with his patients to uncover what might be beyond the obvious
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Today’s guest is James Kimmel Jr., a former litigator of 20 years, currently Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Yale school of Medicine and Author of the book we discuss today called The Science of Revenge: Understanding the World’s Deadliest Addiction—and How to Overcome It (2025).
Here’s the question: What if revenge actually works like a drug—lighting up the brain’s reward system and keeping us stuck in cravings for payback? In this episode we talk about the neuroscience of revenge and why it can become compulsive, engaging similar reward pathways to those associated with craving and addiction.
James tells the personal story that launched his life’s work—years of bullying, a devastating loss, and a split-second decision that changed everything. We explore how grievances fuel rumination, how self-control can get hijacked under stress, and what it takes to break the cycle. If you’ve ever replayed an old hurt or struggled to let go, this conversation offers a fresh, brain-based roadmap toward healing—including how forgiveness may just be one of the most underused tools for healing and freedom.
Resource: https://www.jameskimmeljr.com
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Today’s throwback Thursday guest is Dr. Shauna Shapiro. Shauna is a best-selling Author, Professor, Clinical Psychologist, and internationally recognized expert in mindfulness and self-compassion. She has spent two decades studying the benefits of mindfulness and compassion, publishing over 150 papers and three critically acclaimed books. Her TEDx Talk, What You Practice Grows Stronger, has been viewed over 3 million times, and this concept is key to her philosophy. Her book, Good Morning, I love you encompasses the full range of practices that help us to grow both our meditation and compassion practices. I think you’ll find it interesting to learn how she decided to name her book.
Now, onto Shauna.
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Today’s Encore episode is with Judson Brewer, a Psychiatrist, Neuroscientist and Author who specializes in the field of mindfulness and addiction. He is widely recognized for his work on understanding the mechanisms of craving and developing effective strategies to overcome addictive behaviors. One of his notable contributions is his research on the "Hunger Habit." He discussed this in his book, The Hunger Habit: Why We Eat When We're Not Hungry and How to Stop.
The Hunger Habit is a concept that explores the parallels between overeating and other forms of addiction. Brewer's research suggests that the root cause of many addictive behaviors, including overeating, lies in the craving and reward-based learning processes of the brain.
Brewer's approach to breaking the Hunger Habit revolves around mindfulness. He believes that by bringing mindful awareness to our eating behaviors, we can develop a deeper understanding of our cravings and make more conscious choices. Mindfulness allows us to observe our thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations without judgment, enabling us to break the automatic and unconscious patterns of overeating.
Overall, Judson Brewer is known for bridging the fields of mindfulness, neuroscience, and addiction, offering a unique perspective on breaking free from addictive patterns and fostering behavioral change through these mindfulness-based interventions.
Want more from Judson? Go to drjud.com.
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