Brain vs Me™

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 What looks like responsibility isn’t always responsibility. Sometimes it’s avoidance with better language. In this episode, Josh walks through a familiar pattern: delaying action not because of laziness or confusion, but because starting would make something real. Using performance reviews as the entry point, he explores how intelligent, self-aware people get stuck negotiating with discomfort, mistaking preparation, reflection, and insight for progress. This is a quiet look at how avoidance hides behind good intentions — and why nothing actually changes until behavior does. 

You’re listening to the Brain vs Me podcast - A show about the moments your brain gets ahead of you — usually before you’re ready.
Here’s your host, Joshua Ericson.

Thanks for listening to The Brain vs Me Podcast. If you enjoyed this and want to keep up, follow or subscribe to the show. 
You can leave a comment, ask a question, or share the episode wherever you’re listening.
If you’d like to support the show, or explore Joshua Ericson’s books and writing, visit brain versus me.com.

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For months, I told myself I wasn’t avoiding the gym.
 I was “preparing.”

Because preparation feels productive. Avoidance feels lazy.

In this episode of Brain vs. Me, I talk about why walking into the gym was harder than the workout itself — and how anxiety turns simple actions into psychological obstacle courses.

This isn’t a fitness episode. It’s a story about uncertainty, visibility, overthinking, and the fear of being new in public. About how our brains demand confidence before action, even though confidence only comes after repetition.

I break down what actually helped: shrinking the mission, normalizing awkwardness, stopping the meaning-making spiral, and letting “normal” be good enough.

If you’ve been emotionally preparing for something way longer than necessary, this episode is for you.

You’re listening to the Brain vs Me podcast - A show about the moments your brain gets ahead of you — usually before you’re ready.
Here’s your host, Joshua Ericson.

Thanks for listening to The Brain vs Me Podcast. If you enjoyed this and want to keep up, follow or subscribe to the show. 
You can leave a comment, ask a question, or share the episode wherever you’re listening.
If you’d like to support the show, or explore Joshua Ericson’s books and writing, visit brain versus me.com.

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For a long time, I thought changing therapists meant something went wrong.
 That I failed. That therapy failed. That I was starting over.

It turns out, it meant I was paying attention.

In this episode of Brain vs. Me, I talk about changing therapists without turning it into a crisis — not quitting therapy, not rejecting the past, but evolving as your needs change.

I break down how DBT helped me survive emotional chaos, why that same structure eventually felt like maintenance instead of growth, and how moving toward CBT wasn’t erasing progress — it was building on it.

This isn’t about abandoning what helped you before.
 It’s about recognizing when survival tools need to become growth tools.

If you’ve ever stayed with something out of loyalty instead of alignment, this episode is for you.

You’re listening to the Brain vs Me podcast - A show about the moments your brain gets ahead of you — usually before you’re ready.
Here’s your host, Joshua Ericson.

Thanks for listening to The Brain vs Me Podcast. If you enjoyed this and want to keep up, follow or subscribe to the show. 
You can leave a comment, ask a question, or share the episode wherever you’re listening.
If you’d like to support the show, or explore Joshua Ericson’s books and writing, visit brain versus me.com.

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Depression doesn’t always look like sadness.
 Sometimes it looks like numbness, exhaustion, self-doubt, and quietly pulling away from your own life.

In this episode of Brain vs. Me, Joshua Erickson talks about the quiet version of depression — the kind that doesn’t announce itself, doesn’t feel dramatic, and often goes unnoticed until it’s already settled in.

This isn’t a clinical breakdown or a motivational speech. It’s a personal, honest look at how depression actually shows up: the inner critic that sounds reasonable, the slow erosion of care, the emotional flatness that feels “normal” from the inside.

This episode isn’t about fixing yourself.
 It’s about recognizing when something has shifted — and responding before the whisper gets louder.

If you’ve ever thought, “I’m fine… just tired… just off lately,” this one’s for you.

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 For a long time, Josh believed that being different meant something was wrong with him. Being too sensitive, thinking too much, reacting differently — all of it got framed as damage instead of wiring. In this episode, he explores how easily difference gets labeled as broken, how diagnoses and assumptions turn into identities, and the cost of trying to be “normal.” This isn’t about fixing yourself. It’s about understanding how your brain works, letting go of the mask, and building a life that fits who you actually are. 

You’re listening to the Brain vs Me podcast - A show about the moments your brain gets ahead of you — usually before you’re ready.
Here’s your host, Joshua Ericson.

Thanks for listening to The Brain vs Me Podcast. If you enjoyed this and want to keep up, follow or subscribe to the show. 
You can leave a comment, ask a question, or share the episode wherever you’re listening.
If you’d like to support the show, or explore Joshua Ericson’s books and writing, visit brain versus me.com.

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 Burnout isn’t about being tired — it’s about erosion. In this episode, Josh breaks down what burnout actually feels like once you’re past exhaustion and into numbness. Drawing from years of overwork, content creation, and ignoring his own warning signs, he talks about how burnout hides behind productivity, how passion can mask depletion, and why pushing harder only accelerates the crash. This isn’t a motivational talk about grit or rest — it’s an honest look at what happens when you stop listening to yourself and what changed when he finally did. 

You’re listening to the Brain vs Me podcast - A show about the moments your brain gets ahead of you — usually before you’re ready.
Here’s your host, Joshua Ericson.

Thanks for listening to The Brain vs Me Podcast. If you enjoyed this and want to keep up, follow or subscribe to the show. 
You can leave a comment, ask a question, or share the episode wherever you’re listening.
If you’d like to support the show, or explore Joshua Ericson’s books and writing, visit brain versus me.com.

Support the show

Send a text

You’re listening to the Brain vs Me podcast - A show about the moments your brain gets ahead of you — usually before you’re ready.
Here’s your host, Joshua Ericson.

Thanks for listening to The Brain vs Me Podcast. If you enjoyed this and want to keep up, follow or subscribe to the show. 
You can leave a comment, ask a question, or share the episode wherever you’re listening.
If you’d like to support the show, or explore Joshua Ericson’s books and writing, visit brain versus me.com.

Support the show

Send a text

 Being “on” all the time isn’t confidence — it’s performance. In this episode, Josh talks about the exhaustion that comes from constantly masking, performing, and showing up as a version of yourself you think other people want. From work to relationships to content creation, he explores how wearing masks drains your social battery, distorts identity, and quietly erodes mental health. This isn’t about abandoning professionalism — it’s about recognizing when performing stops being useful and starts becoming harmful. 

You’re listening to the Brain vs Me podcast - A show about the moments your brain gets ahead of you — usually before you’re ready.
Here’s your host, Joshua Ericson.

Thanks for listening to The Brain vs Me Podcast. If you enjoyed this and want to keep up, follow or subscribe to the show. 
You can leave a comment, ask a question, or share the episode wherever you’re listening.
If you’d like to support the show, or explore Joshua Ericson’s books and writing, visit brain versus me.com.

Support the show

Send a text

 At some point, being dependable stopped being a choice and started becoming an expectation. In this episode, Josh talks about the hidden cost of being “the reliable one” — the person who holds it together, absorbs stress, and never asks for anything back. He explores how reliability turns into a role, how strength becomes a contract, and why people who support everyone else often end up carrying everything alone. This isn’t about resentment or blame — it’s about recognizing what reliability costs when no one ever checks on the person doing the holding. 

You’re listening to the Brain vs Me podcast - A show about the moments your brain gets ahead of you — usually before you’re ready.
Here’s your host, Joshua Ericson.

Thanks for listening to The Brain vs Me Podcast. If you enjoyed this and want to keep up, follow or subscribe to the show. 
You can leave a comment, ask a question, or share the episode wherever you’re listening.
If you’d like to support the show, or explore Joshua Ericson’s books and writing, visit brain versus me.com.

Support the show

Send a text

 It didn’t start as jealousy. It started as measurement. In this episode, Josh unpacks a subtle but familiar moment: when someone impressive enters the room and curiosity quietly turns into threat assessment. Using an interview as the entry point, he explores how insecurity shows up before behavior ever does, why the brain mistakes competence for competition, and how leadership can shift from presence to defense without us realizing it. This isn’t about being cruel or arrogant — it’s about catching the instinct to protect status before it hijacks judgment. 

You’re listening to the Brain vs Me podcast - A show about the moments your brain gets ahead of you — usually before you’re ready.
Here’s your host, Joshua Ericson.

Thanks for listening to The Brain vs Me Podcast. If you enjoyed this and want to keep up, follow or subscribe to the show. 
You can leave a comment, ask a question, or share the episode wherever you’re listening.
If you’d like to support the show, or explore Joshua Ericson’s books and writing, visit brain versus me.com.

Support the show