The Dr. Leaf Show

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Sunday Scaries? How to Stop Overthinking the Week Ahead Oct 18, 2026

Show notes

Sunday scaries creeping in? This bonus episode is for the night before the week starts, when your mind keeps replaying last week and rehearsing the next one.

I'm bringing back one of our most-requested episodes so you can learn how to stop overthinking before Monday arrives. I walk you through the difference between overthinking and deep thinking, plus simple tools from Chapter 4 of my book Help in a Hurry that you can use the moment the replay starts. I also share what happened when I caught myself running the same painful scenario 17 times in 10 minutes, walking through an airport on my way to speak at a conference.

🔬 What you'll learn:

How to catch overthinking early, from the replaying to the worst-case scenarios to the panic that keeps building
Why going over and over the plan for a meeting or a busy week keeps you stuck
Overthinking vs deep thinking, and why deep thinking gets you to a resolution you can act on
The four questions I use to break a thought loop in the moment
A 10-second breathing reset you can do anywhere, and how to give your mind something new to think about

📚 Resources mentioned: Help in a Hurry, Chapter 4 Neurocycle app, courses and certification: https://drleaf.com

💛 If you're having thoughts of suicide, please reach out for support. In the US, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Outside the US, find a helpline near you at https://findahelpline.com

🔗 1:1 Coaching with Dr. Leaf: https://drleaf.com/coaching-1-1

New episodes every Wednesday.

#DrCarolineLeaf #SundayScaries #HowToStopOverthinking #Overthinking #MentalHealth

If this conversation supported you, tap follow and subscribe so you stay connected to each new episode. Share this with someone who wants to build a stronger, more adaptable mind.

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://instagram.com/drcarolineleaf

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrCarolineLeaf

Website: https://drleaf.com

How to Stop Caring What People Think: 7 Steps From a Neuroscientist Oct 18, 2026

Show notes

People pleasing and peacekeeping can look identical from the outside. One comes from fear. The other comes from strength. Which one are you running on?

We're re-airing this episode because so many of you told us it changed how you see yourself in your relationships. In it, I pull apart the fear of judgment underneath both, explain why disapproval can hurt like physical pain, and walk you through a 7-step process to stop caring what people think by understanding your mind well enough that outside opinions lose their grip.

🔬 What you'll learn:

How to tell the two apart, and why it matters for your relationships and self-worth
Why rejection and physical pain share overlapping pathways in the brain
How to spot the approval loop that makes you edit yourself around certain people
Why separating your identity from your performance takes the sting out of criticism
A simple "danger or data?" question to ask the next time you feel judged
A real-time technique for holding your ground when the old fear spikes

💛 THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

📝 Granola: Try the AI notepad for meetings free at https://granola.ai/drleaf

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💪 Momentous: Get up to 35% off your first order of Signature Spec Creatine at https://livemomentous.com with code DRLEAF

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

📚 Resources mentioned:

Neurocycle app: https://drleaf.com/neurocycle-app

🔗 1:1 Coaching with Dr. Leaf: https://drleaf.com/coaching-1-1

New episodes every Wednesday.

#DrCarolineLeaf #PeoplePleasing #Neuroscience #MentalHealth #BrainScience

If this conversation supported you, tap follow and subscribe so you stay connected to each new episode. Share this with someone who wants to build a stronger, more adaptable mind.

Connect with me:

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Facebook: https://facebook.com/drleaf

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrCarolineLeaf

Website: https://drleaf.com

Is AI Making You Forget How to Think? A Neuroscientist Explains Oct 16, 2026

Show notes

AI and your brain: what happens to your memory, focus, and judgment when a machine does the hard thinking for you? We first aired this last year. It's worth a second listen.

In the year since, AI has moved into almost every part of daily life: work email, homework, health questions, even the late-night conversations people used to have with a friend. In this episode, I walk through what cognitive offloading does to your mind and brain, why confident-sounding AI is so easy to believe, and how to use these tools while keeping your own voice and judgment.

🔬 What you'll learn:

Why you remember less when you know you can look it up later (the Google Effect)
How automation bias makes AI feel right even when it gets the facts wrong
Why AI emotional support can't replace another person in the room
Three practical ways to let your mind manage AI, so you keep your memory, voice, and discernment
What's at stake for kids growing up with chatbots before they learn to trust themselves

💛 Thank you to our sponsors:

Hans: https://hansfordogs.com/leaf (code LEAF for $30 off your first month)
Shopify: https://shopify.com/leaf
Primal Queen: https://primalqueen.com/leaf
Granola: https://granola.ai/drleaf
ElevenLabs: see a demo of Eleven Agents at https://elevenlabs.io/leaf
Ritual: 25% off your first month of Magnesium+ at https://ritual.com/leaf
Betterhelp: Sign up and get 10% off at BetterHelp.com/drleaf

📚 Resources mentioned: Sparrow, Liu & Wegner (2011), Google Effects on Memory, Science Help in a Hurry: https://helpinahurrybook.com

🔗 1:1 Coaching with Dr. Leaf: https://drleaf.com/coaching-1-1

New episodes every Wednesday.

#DrCarolineLeaf #AIandYourBrain #CognitiveOffloading #Neuroscience #MentalHealth #BrainScience

If this conversation supported you, tap follow and subscribe so you stay connected to each new episode. Share this with someone who wants to build a stronger, more adaptable mind.

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://instagram.com/drcarolineleaf

TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@drcarolineleaf

Facebook: https://facebook.com/drleaf

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrCarolineLeaf

Website: https://drleaf.com

When Life Feels Like Too Much: A Neuroscientist's 63-Second Reset Sep 30, 2026

Show notes

When life feels like too much, you need something you can do right now. Here's what I do in the first 63 seconds, before the stress takes over.

In this episode, my daughter Dominique and I get practical about the weight of too much: the moment everything piles up at once and you're about to snap, shut down or walk away. Dominique shares a real moment when a small comment set off a reaction far bigger than the comment, and I walk you through what to do right then and afterward.

🔬 What you'll learn:

• The 3-7 breathing pattern I use to get my body back under control in about a minute

• Why breathing alone won't fix it, and the statement that gives you your power back

• How fight, flight, freeze and fawn responses are signals you can use, and how fight can become assertiveness

• Why a small comment can trigger a reaction way out of proportion, and what's been piling up underneath

• How to run a fast Neurocycle in the moment, then deal with the pattern over 63 days

📚 Resources mentioned:

Help in a Hurry (Chapter 18, "Help, Everything's Going Wrong," including Visualize Your Tunnel) : https://a.co/d/08P2TyDu

Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess (the 63-day Neurocycle process): https://a.co/d/0eQrqSsM

Neurocycle app, now with Neurocycle Prescriptions: https://neurocycleapp.com (https://neurocycleapp.com/)

Books, research and resources: https://drleaf.com (https://drleaf.com/)

💛 Thank you to this episode's sponsors:

ElevenLabs: see a demo of Eleven Agents at https://elevenlabs.io/leaf

Hans: $30 off your first month at https://hansfordogs.com/leaf

Shopify: start your free trial at https://shopify.com/leaf

Ritual: 25% off your first month of Magnesium+ at https://ritual.com/leaf

🔗 1:1 Coaching with Dr. Leaf: https://drleaf.com/coaching-1-1

New episodes every Wednesday.

#DrCarolineLeaf #Neurocycle #MentalHealth #Neuroscience #StressManagement

If this conversation supported you, tap follow and subscribe so you stay connected to each new episode. Share this with someone who wants to build a stronger, more adaptable mind.

Try the 21-Day Brain Detox Challenge: https://drleaf.com (https://drleaf.com/)

Connect with me:

Instagram: https://instagram.com/drcarolineleaf

TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@drcarolineleaf

Facebook: https://facebook.com/drleaf

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrCarolineLeaf

Website: https://drleaf.com (https://drleaf.com/)

YouTube Tag String

when life feels like too much,what to do when everything is too much,Neurocycle,how to deal with stress in the moment,how to stop overreacting,why do I snap at my husband,mental health podcast,Dr Leaf,how to stop panicking,3 7 breathing,fight flight freeze fawn,emotional regulation,stress vs anxiety,mind vs brain,stress for moms,overthinking,Help in a Hurry,Dr Caroline Leaf,triggered,disproportionate reaction,mental load,burnout,anxiety attack,overstimulated

A Neuroscientist's Near Death Experience: What I Saw When I Died Sep 24, 2026

Show notes

A neuroscientist's near death experience: six years ago, after a long surgery, my heart stopped for three to five minutes. Here's what I saw, and what the science says.

I flatlined in the ICU, left my body, and watched my husband Mac bang on the door shouting that something was wrong. In this episode, my daughter Dominique and I talk through that experience, a shared death experience I had years later, and why so many researchers now say a dying, oxygen-starved brain can't explain what people report.

🔬 What you'll learn:

• What happens when you die, from someone who came back and studies consciousness for a living

• Why the oxygen deprivation and hallucination theories don't match what experiencers describe

• How nearly dying can take away the fear of death for good

• What a shared death experience is, and why the reports are so consistent

• How your mind drives your brain, and why that gives you more power than you realize

💛 THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

🛍️ Shopify: Start your free trial at https://shopify.com/leaf

🎧 ElevenLabs: See how Eleven Agents can handle customer support. Book a demo at https://elevenlabs.io/leaf

🐶 Hans: Get $30 off your first month of the canine longevity chew at https://hansfordogs.com/leaf (90-day money-back guarantee)

🌙 Ritual: Save 25% on your first month of Magnesium+ at https://ritual.com/leaf *These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Betterhelp: Sign up and get 10% off at BetterHelp.com/drleaf

📚 Research mentioned:

Dr. Raymond Moody, Life After Life

Dr. Bruce Greyson, After

Dr. Michael Egnor, The Immortal Mind

Dr. Eben Alexander, Proof of Heaven Dr. Sam Parnia, AWARE-II study (Resuscitation, 2023)

🔗 1:1 Coaching with Dr. Leaf: https://drleaf.com/coaching-1-1 🧠 Neurocycle app, books, certification and more: https://drleaf.com (https://drleaf.com/)

New episodes every Wednesday.

#DrCarolineLeaf #NearDeathExperience #Consciousness #Neuroscience #MentalHealth

How to Stop Fearing Other People's Disappointment Sep 16, 2026

Show notes

Do you say yes when you mean no? My daughter Dominique and I open up about the fear of disappointing people, and why it runs so many of our decisions without you even noticing.

In this episode, I break down where the fear of disappointing people actually comes from, why it feels so physical in the moment, and how to start telling the difference between genuine kindness and people pleasing driven by fear.

🔬 What you'll learn:

• Why saying yes when you want to say no leaves you grieving a part of your identity

• The difference between being kind and being afraid of someone's disappointment

• How to spot your own pattern before guilt and resentment take over

• A simple in-the-moment test for deciding when to say no

• The 5-step Neurocycle process for working through the fear of disappointing people, step by step

📚 Resources mentioned:

The Neurocycle app, for the full step-by-step walkthrough of the process discussed in this episode: https://drleaf.com/neurocycle-app

🔗 1:1 Coaching with Dr. Leaf: https://drleaf.com/coaching-1-1

Sponsors making this epsiode possible:

Momentous: Try Momentous Signature Spec Creatine — pharmaceutical-grade, third-party tested, 10x fewer impurities. Get up to 35% off your first order at livemomentous.com with code DRLEAF.

Granola: Granola turns your meeting notes into clean, organized summaries automatically — no bots, no new tools to learn. Try it free at granola.ai/DRLEAF.

Shopify: Start your business with Shopify — the platform I use to run my own store, checkout and all. Start your free trial at shopify.com/leaf.

ElevenLabs (ElevenAgents): ElevenAgents is the AI voice and chat platform helping businesses fix broken customer service. See how it fits your workflow — get a demo at elevenlabs.io/leaf.

Betterhelp: Sign up and get 10% off at BetterHelp.com/drleaf

HANS: Go to HANSforDogs.com/Leaf to get $30 off your first month. Plus, every order is backed by a 90-day money-back guarantee, so you can try HANS completely risk-free. HANS™. Tested on humans, perfected for dogs.

New episodes every Wednesday.

#DrCarolineLeaf #FearOfDisappointingPeople #PeoplePleasing #Neuroscience #MentalHealth #BrainScience

How to Hit Any Goal When You Have Zero Motivation Sep 09, 2026

Show notes

Up to 92% of long-term goals never stick, and it has nothing to do with willpower. A neuroscientist breaks down the real, brain-based reason and the exact steps to fix it.
What you'll learn:

Why up to 92% of long-term goals never stick, and why it's not a discipline problem
How your non-conscious mind treats an oversized goal as a threat
The single trick for shrinking any goal until your brain says yes
How to update the identity story that keeps predicting you'll quit
Why a vague first step kills follow-through, and how to make it visible
The two-minute daily habit that locks a new pattern into your brain
What the Neurocycle is and how it gets to the root of the pattern

Resources:
Dr. Leaf's Website: https://drleaf.com
1:1 Coaching with Dr. Leaf: https://drleaf.com/coaching-1-1
Neurocycle App: https://neurocycle.app
Support the sponsors:

Momentous: Try Momentous Signature Spec Creatine — pharmaceutical-grade, third-party tested, 10x fewer impurities. Get up to 35% off your first order at livemomentous.com with code DRLEAF.

Granola turns your meeting notes into clean, organized summaries automatically — no bots, no new tools to learn. Try it free at granola.ai/DRLEAF.

Start your business with Shopify — the platform I use to run my own store, checkout and all. Start your free trial at shopify.com/leaf.

ElevenAgents is the AI voice and chat platform helping businesses fix broken customer service. See how it fits your workflow — get a demo at elevenlabs.io/leaf.

Betterhelp: Sign up and get 10% off at BetterHelp.com/drleaf

Subscribe so you don't miss the next one. New episodes every Wednesday.
Which of the 5 steps do you think you're skipping? Tell me in the comments.

I Had an Eating Disorder. So Did My Daughter. Here's How We Found Healing. Sep 02, 2026

Show notes

Cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Caroline Leaf and her daughter Dominique Leaf sit down to talk about something neither has discussed this openly before: their own eating disorders, and how one was handed to the other.
Caroline counted calories at university, down to 500 a day, until her sister picked up an apple and asked whether she was working out the number in her head. Dominique was diagnosed with anorexia at 13, spent over a year in therapy, and says plainly that she blamed her mother and grandmother for years. What follows is how that pattern moves through a family, what broke it in both cases, and the two exercises Dominique's therapist gave her that still work when the old thinking comes back.
They also get into whether we should ever comment on another person's body, what GLP-1s have done to the culture around thinness, and why "she was trying to protect me" changed how Dominique understood her grandmother.
Content Note: This episode discusses eating disorders and related topics. Listener discretion is advised. If you or someone you know is struggling, support is available:
• National Alliance for Eating Disorders Helpline: 1-866-662-1235
• Crisis Text Line: Text “NEDA” to 741741
• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (US): call or text 988
• International Association for Eating Disorders Professionals (iaedp): iaedp.com for provider directories
• Outside the US: findahelpline.com has country-specific listings
Dr. Leaf is not an eating disorder specialist and says so up front. She is a clinical and research neuroscientist, and what she offers here is the mind side: spotting the trigger, questioning the thinking underneath it, and building a new pattern over 63 days with the Neurocycle. If you are struggling, please also speak to a qualified eating disorder professional.
Special guest: Dominique Leaf
What you'll learn:
• Why the calorie number takes up so much mental space that nothing else fits
• The difference between an eating disorder and disordered eating
• How a pattern passes through a family, and what epigenetics actually means
• The eulogy exercise, and what it tells you about what you actually value
• Why "I am struggling with anorexia" beats "I am anorexic"
• When to say something about someone's body, and how to do it with kindness
• Where GLP-1s help, and where the real risk sits

Resources:
Dr. Leaf's Website: https://drleaf.com
Neurocycle Certification (opens September): https://drleaf.com
1:1 Coaching with Dr. Leaf: https://drleaf.com/coaching-1-1
Neurocycle App: https://drleaf.com/neurocycle-app

Momentous
Try Momentous Signature Spec Creatine — pharmaceutical-grade, third-party tested, 10x fewer impurities. Get up to 35% off your first order at livemomentous.com with code DRLEAF.

Granola
Granola turns your meeting notes into clean, organized summaries automatically — no bots, no new tools to learn. Try it free at granola.ai/DRLEAF.

Shopify
Start your business with Shopify — the platform I use to run my own store, checkout and all. Start your free trial at shopify.com/leaf.

ElevenLabs (ElevenAgents)
ElevenAgents is the AI voice and chat platform helping businesses fix broken customer service. See how it fits your workflow — get a demo at elevenlabs.io/leaf.

Betterhelp: Sign up and get 10% off at BetterHelp.com/drleaf

Subscribe so you don't miss the next one. New episodes every Wednesday.
Have you ever had someone ask you the question that made you see it? Tell me in the comments.

Is Your Apple Watch Making You Anxious? A Neuroscientist (and Her Daughter) Explain Aug 26, 2026

Show notes

Is your Apple Watch making you anxious? Cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Caroline Leaf is joined by special guest Dominique Leaf, her daughter and the show's producer, to ask whether we are over-tracking and over-optimizing our health to the point where health anxiety is rising.
Dominique wore an Apple Watch for years and took it off. She talks openly about how the numbers fed her eating disorder struggles, and how tracking pulled her away from how she actually felt in her body. Dr. Leaf explains what happens in the mind and brain when a number on a screen hijacks your nervous state, and why the fix is never the device. One phrase runs through the whole conversation: observe, do not merge.
What you'll learn:
• Whether a fitness tracker causes health anxiety or reveals anxiety that was already there
• Why anxiety is data and a signal, not a disorder to be eliminated
• The four warning signals to read before you reach for a device
• What merging with a tracker does to your brain on a physical level
• Why your mind is 99 percent of who you are and your brain and body are 1 percent
• The seven-day exercise that shows you how often you really check
• Three questions that reveal whether tracking has turned compulsive

Support the sponsors:
Quince: free shipping and 365-day returns at https://quince.com/leaf
Ritual: 25% off your first month at https://ritual.com/leaf
Shopify: free trial at https://shopify.com/leaf
Veracity: up to 65% off with code DRLEAF at https://veracityhealth.co
Resources:
Dr. Leaf's Website: https://drleaf.com
Neurocycle Certification (opens September): https://drleaf.com

1:1 Coaching with Dr. Leaf: https://drleaf.com/coaching-1-1
Neurocycle App: https://drleaf.com/neurocycle-app
Subscribe so you don't miss the next one. New episodes every Wednesday.
Do you track your health, and does the data leave you calmer or more worried? Tell me in the comments.

The Girlboss Trap: Why Ambition Became Burnout Aug 19, 2026

Show notes

Girlbossing is making us mean, exhausted, and unhappy. A neuroscientist and her daughter on what hustle-culture ambition did to us, and what healthy ambition looks like.
Dr. Caroline Leaf and her daughter Dominique take apart the girlboss era: how ambition turned into a glorified way of running from ourselves, why the self-care backlash is just as performative as the hustle, and how the companies built on "boss babe" branding collapsed. Then they get practical, walking the Neurocycle through identity and self-worth so ambition comes from self-trust instead of fear.
What you'll learn:
• Why chasing ambition can quietly become burnout and resentment
• How the girlboss era sold individual grind as the fix for a system problem
• Why "self-care" often just performs wellness instead of doing it
• The identity work underneath ambition, and why copying others backfires
• How to tell healthy ambition from fear-driven ambition
• What it looks like to build a life you don't need to escape from

Support the sponsors:
Quince: free shipping and 365-day returns at quince.com/leaf
Ritual: 25% off your first month at ritual.com/leaf
Shopify: free trial at shopify.com/leaf
Veracity: up to 65% off with code DRLEAF at veracityhealth.co
Resources:
Dr. Leaf's Website: https://drleaf.com
Neurocycle Certification (opens September): https://drleaf.com
1:1 Coaching with Dr. Leaf: https://drleaf.com/coaching-1-1
Neurocycle App: https://drleaf.com/neurocycle-app
Subscribe so you don't miss the next one. New episodes every Wednesday.
Where has ambition cost you more than it gave you? Tell me in the comments.
#Girlboss #Ambition #DrCarolineLeaf #HustleCulture #Neuroscience

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