“There is no such thing as work-life balance.
Everything worth fighting for unbalances your life.”
Alain de Botton
Do you routinely cut yourself off from feeling?
Do you bristle at the idea of having to perform a “work-friendly” version of yourself?
There are many ways we compartmentalise ourselves and our emotions.
In this episode, Dr. Ash King and I discuss:
The themes of the popular TV series Severance and what they mean for authenticity and emotional truth
Taking a break from the “performance of identity”
Emotional pain avoidance and why it’s not a workable strategy
And the healing power of feeling in concert with others
Show notes
The Center for Contemplative Enrichment hosted the silent meditation retreat Daron describes in this episode. He also wrote about it here.
“Emotions are like children. You don't want them driving the car, but you shouldn't stuff them in the trunk either."
Collective Illusions: Conformity, Complicity and the Science of Why We Make Bad Decisions by Todd Rose
Severance (2022—) created by Dan Erickson, directed by Ben Stiller and others
The Substance (2024) directed by Coralie Fargeat
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) directed by Michel Gondry
The ending we spoiled:
Listen, subscribe, and write a review on your favorite podcast platform.
Follow Daron and Ash on Instagram and be part of the conversation via our channel.
Check out Daron’s speaker bio, online practice schedule, and Ash’s shop, which features mental health and mindfulness goodies, Heavy Mental merch, and upcoming courses or workshops.
Podcast theme music by Nikita Karmen.
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