In this episode, Gene, Meghan, and Michelle pull on a thread that shows up in the clinic constantly: work stress that quietly turns into pain, fatigue, and "mystery symptoms." The conversation starts with a deceptively simple question—why do you go to work?—and quickly turns into a bigger truth: most of your life happens on the clock, so your health can't avoid being affected by what happens there.

They unpack how people often confuse stress with anxiety ("I'm not anxious, so I'm not stressed"), why numbness and detachment can be stress signals too, and how chronic workload pressure lowers your threshold until the smallest "final straw" triggers pain. You'll also hear a sharp take on "outlets": when coping strategies become a survival requirement rather than a healthy choice—and why building inlets (journaling, therapy, reflection, regulation practices) is the missing counterpart.

The episode weaves in purpose science, America's relationship with work, the reality of golden handcuffs, and a practical reframing: money can buy freedom, but it can't replace meaning. The goal isn't to quit your job and move to an island (although… coconuts). It's to build awareness, reclaim a little control, and stop letting your workday silently write your health story.

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