When does everyday distress become part of who we are? Nick Haslam is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Melbourne whose research explores concept creep: how ideas such as trauma, bullying and addiction expand over time. We discuss when mental health labels help us understand ourselves, when they can limit us, and why self-awareness does not always need a diagnosis attached to it.

I bring my own experiences into the conversation as we talk about autism, neurodivergence, therapy and taking responsibility for what happens next. We also get into community, social media, the changing use of narcissism, and Nick’s research on dehumanisation. There’s a detour into Psychology in the Bathroom, including shy bladder, public urinals and what our bodies reveal when we’re trying to look confident.

If this one’s got you thinking about goals, I built something for exactly that.
The Chapter System: https://bit.ly/4gw6m6x

CHAPTERS
00:00 Self-awareness without a diagnosis
00:18 When distress becomes identity
03:57 When trauma labels help or hinder
09:24 Big-T trauma and concept creep
12:52 Bullying, addiction and expanding definitions
16:25 Autism, Asperger’s and the spectrum
22:35 The rise of neurodivergence language
26:57 Are there different kinds of depression?
28:35 Do we need more psychologists?
31:36 Self-focus, loneliness and community
35:57 Mid-roll
36:24 Bali, belonging and social media
42:09 What can concept-creep research change?
44:17 Why Nick chose psychology
46:11 Psychology in the Bathroom
47:51 Shy bladder and public urinals
55:41 What does dehumanisation mean?
57:54 Tracking mental health language on Reddit
1:03:53 Narcissism as a label
1:08:17 Where to find Nick’s work
1:09:00 Closing message

MY STUFF
The Chapter System (the PDF): https://bit.ly/4gw6m6x
All my other stuff: https://awakenoutofcontext.com

NICK HASLAM
University of Melbourne profile
https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/individuals/professor-nick-haslam
Nick’s writing at Inside Story
https://insidestory.org.au/authors/nick-haslam/
Nick on ResearchGate
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Nick-Haslam
Psychology in the Bathroom
https://link.springer.com/book/10.1057/9780230367555
Related research: ADHD and autism language on Reddit (2025)
https://www.jmir.org/2025/1/e70914

Why do we keep failing to do the things we genuinely want to do? Martin Hagger is a Distinguished Professor of Health Psychology at UC Merced whose research explores motivation, self-control and behaviour change. In this conversation, we look at the gap between setting a goal and following through, why changing your environment can help or derail you, and what conscientiousness actually tells us about how we behave.

We also discuss AI and the importance of questioning its answers, Martin’s research on mindfulness skills and Headspace, and how to recognise the situations that pull us back into old habits. I bring my own experiences into the conversation as we explore identity, drinking culture, social pressure and what it takes to make a change stick.

If this one’s got you thinking about goals, I built something for exactly that.

The Chapter System: https://bit.ly/4gw6m6x

Chapters:

00:00 Opening: when one does hurt

00:29 The intention–behaviour gap

03:45 Free will, self-control and conscientiousness

07:09 How environment shapes our habits

13:29 Personality is not destiny

16:56 AI, motivation and questioning the answers

25:45 Mid-roll

26:13 Headspace and learning mindfulness skills

28:35 Meditation and Martin’s own practice

33:40 What mindfulness changed for me

35:05 Working out what you actually want

37:07 Recognising triggers and planning for them

42:17 When moderation does not work for you

45:01 When an old habit stops fitting your identity

51:30 Drinking culture and social pressure

53:58 Social media and being watched

57:08 Alcohol advertising and conflicting messages

1:02:06 Moderation, polarisation and the attention economy

1:05:34 Martin’s next behaviour-change research

1:08:25 Where to find Martin’s work

1:09:43 Closing message

🎙️ MY STUFF

The Chapter System (the PDF): https://bit.ly/4gw6m6x

All my other stuff: https://awakenoutofcontext.com

Martin Hagger:

Martin Hagger’s university profile: https://psychology.ucmerced.edu/content/martin-hagger

Martin’s research and SHARPP Lab: https://sites.ucmerced.edu/martinhagger/people/martin-hagger

Martin on ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Martin-Hagger

The Handbook of Behavior Change: https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/handbook-of-behavior-change/BD76D0E53DB1BC2EE8C53C1603D45E6A

Headspace mindfulness-skills study discussed: https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.70215

Robb Wolf is a co-founder of LMNT, a former research biochemist and the author of The Paleo Solution and Wired to Eat. In this conversation, we talk about sodium, electrolytes and the questions that come up when you train hard while eating a low-carb diet. I ask him about my own experience with HYROX, the tension between feeling healthy and performing well, and how an ancestral approach to food fits the demands of modern sport. We also get into blood pressure, the paleo movement and how Robb eats today.

We then talk about building LMNT, why the company shares its electrolyte recipe, and Robb’s account of the maltodextrin controversy. From there, we get into online criticism, his changing views on fasting and what being fired from CrossFit’s nutrition-certification teaching role taught him about friendship and community. We finish with training, recovery, family and work, including how LMNT builds periods of rest into its schedule and why Robb thinks a few hours of focused work can be enough.

If this one's got you thinking about goals, I built something for exactly that.

The Chapter System: https://bit.ly/4gw6m6x

Chapters:

00:00:00 Opening: LMNT and the sodium question

00:00:36 Robb’s current chapter and the growth of LMNT

00:04:25 POTS and Robb’s account of sodium’s role

00:06:36 Low-carb training and the origins of LMNT

00:11:13 Carbohydrates, heat and electrolyte needs

00:12:54 Sodium, retail pushback and who LMNT is for

00:17:09 Blood pressure, blood tests and individual context

00:22:38 Ancestral diets and modern athletic demands

00:27:37 What remains of the paleo movement

00:30:42 How Robb eats today

00:35:24 HYROX, low-carb diets and performance

00:43:17 The trade-off between health and competition

00:45:08 LMNT’s electrolyte ratio and DIY recipe

00:48:16 How LMNT became a business

00:53:11 Mid-roll

00:53:38 Robb’s account of the maltodextrin controversy

01:00:20 Transparency, criticism and online incentives

01:07:05 Why Robb changed his mind about fasting

01:13:45 Being fired by CrossFit and losing a community

01:17:51 Training, periodisation and recovery

01:21:52 Technique under fatigue

01:23:30 Work, health and family

01:29:56 LMNT’s work-and-recovery cycle

01:33:58 Deep work and judging output

01:36:49 Where to find Robb

01:37:32 Closing message

🎙️ MY STUFF

The Chapter System (the PDF):

https://bit.ly/4gw6m6x

All my other stuff: https://awakenoutofcontext.com

Robb Wolf:

Substack: https://robbwolf.substack.com/

Website and books: https://robbwolf.com/

LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/

The Healthy Rebellion: https://join.thehealthyrebellion.com/

Mentioned in this episode:

LMNT’s DIY electrolyte recipe:

https://science.drinklmnt.com/electrolytes/best-homemade-electrolyte-drink-for-dehydration

LMNT’s Toxicology in Context series, including links to the other articles:

https://science.drinklmnt.com/did-you-know/toxins-vs-toxicology-why-dose-matters