The OptimalWork Podcast

• 274. Engines of Enthusiasm II: Effort and the Striatum

  #274: In this follow-up to their discussion on meaning and the septum, Sharif and Kevin turn to the striatum—the brain’s engine of effort and challenge. Kevin explains how our willingness to act depends on dopamine, and how love, purpose, and embracing discomfort transform drudgery into freedom and flow. They contrast this neuroscience-based approach with Stoicism, showing how the key to persistence isn’t suppressing emotion but letting meaningful motivation drive every action.Find more at https://OptimalWork.com

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• 273. Engines of Enthusiasm I: Motivation and the Septum

  #273: In this conversation, Sharif Younes and Dr. Kevin Majeres explore the brain’s septum—the hidden center where love, meaning, and motivation converge. Kevin explains how “septal resonance” connects our sense of purpose to our relationships, and how practices like sincerity, gratitude, and loving-kindness can reawaken zeal in our daily work. Together, they unpack how reframing and genuine affection can shift us from threat mode into vitality mode, bringing new depth to both work and spiritual life.Find more at https://OptimalWork.com

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• 272. Understanding Depression VI: Ancient Wisdom and Modern Science

  #272: In this episode, Sharif and Kevin continue their exploration of depression, burnout, and low energy—this time uncovering a remarkable bridge between neuroscience and classical wisdom. Kevin reveals how adenosine’s “good tired” and “bad tired” states map directly onto Aquinas’ ideas of tristitia and acedia, showing that what medieval thinkers called “weariness of soul” may be the same state modern science calls burnout or depression. Together, they unpack Aquinas’ five treatments for sadness—pleasure, friends, contemplation, sleep, and tears—and show how each one perfectly targets a modern neurobiological pathway of vitality, meaning, effort, and attention.Find more at https://OptimalWork.com

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• 271. Understanding Depression V: Good Tired and Good Energy

  #271: In this episode, Kevin and Sharif explore one of the most elegant parallels in psychiatry — the deep connection between anxiety and depression. Kevin explains how panic disorder can be seen as a phobia of adrenaline, while depression mirrors it as a phobia of adenosine, the brain’s “tiredness” signal. Together, they explore how unwillingness to feel these sensations fuels both disorders, and why willingness—even love—toward the very sensations we resist becomes the key to healing. With striking clarity, Kevin shows how practices like focused work, rhythmic rest, and embracing “good tired” can reverse the spiral of depression and restore energy, meaning, and joy.Find more at https://OptimalWork.com

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• 270. Understanding Depression IV: The Root Cause

  #270: In this episode, Kevin and Sharif explore a bold new way to understand depression—not as a simple chemical imbalance, but as what Kevin calls a “phobia of adenosine.” Drawing on neuroscience and behavioral psychology, Kevin explains how our brains rely on a natural rhythm of intensity and rest, and how losing that rhythm leads to burnout, lethargy, and despair. The discussion connects deep biological mechanisms—adenosine, dopamine, cortisol, and dynorphins—to everyday experiences of tiredness, motivation, and meaning. In this episode, the groundwork has been laid for next week’s episode which will explain how to restore vitality through a rediscovery of “good tired”: meaningful effort and healthy rest.Find more at https://OptimalWork.com

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