#137 Guy Winch: How to Break Free When Work Hijacks Your Life
Dr. Guy Winch is a psychologist, bestselling author, and one of the most trusted voices on emotional health in the world — his TED Talks have racked up over 35 million views, and his books have been translated into 30 languages. His latest, Mind Over Grind: How to Break Free When Work Hijacks Your Life, tackles burnout, rumination, and the invisible ways work bleeds into everything else — our relationships, our health, our sense of self. Guy also co-hosts the Ambie-nominated Dear Therapists podcast and has advised governments and companies like Unilever and Apellis on mental health. In this conversation, we get into what burnout actually feels like from the inside, why "finishing work" has nothing to do with closing your laptop, and the vacation science that changed how Guy himself takes time off, including:
How to recognize it's time to quit your job
The biggest mistake people make when decompressing after work
The dangers of ruminating about work after work
How to test for work culture during the interview process
Why "who" you work for is the most important factor of your success and more
Show Notes
Opening — Guy's brother Gil: Guy discusses his twin brother Gil's honest feedback, their careers as psychologists, and how growing up as identical twins shaped their development differently than typical sibling research suggests.
The research behind the book: Guy shares that most of what he found validated his clinical experience — except the vacation research, which surprised him and changed his own vacation habits.
Defining burnout: What burnout actually feels like (bone-deep exhaustion, cynicism, going through the motions) versus how the term gets misused today.
The people problem at work: Why who you work with matters more than what you do, and how to try to assess team culture during the interview process.
Good stress vs. bad stress: The science of acute stress (like ice baths) versus chronic, unmitigated stress.
"Your workday ends when you stop thinking about work": Deep dive into rumination — what it is, why it's harmful, and how to convert it into productive problem-solving instead.
Procrastination and the "nuisance" reframe: Why we procrastinate on feelings, not tasks, and Guy's trick for tackling dreaded chores.
Self-sabotage at work: Not planning coping mechanisms, not scheduling breaks during the day, doom-scrolling before big meetings.
Recovering after work: The rest vs. recharge distinction, and why veging out doesn't actually restore you.
When to make a career change: Guy's advice on lowering stress first, then reassessing objectively rather than deciding from "the ledge."
How burnout affects relationships: The research on partners "catching" stress and burnout symptoms from each other.
Rapid fire: Best career advice Guy ever received, his brother Gil's book Winning with Underdogs, what he wishes he knew at 40, and his evening wind-down ritual.
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