A Toolkit for a Noisy Mind: How John Green Manages Anxiety, Depression, and Intrusive Thoughts

A Toolkit for a Noisy Mind: How John Green Manages Anxiety, Depression, and Intrusive Thoughts

Plus, how the bestselling author writes his way out of despair.

John Green is the award-winning, #1 bestselling author of books including Looking for Alaska, The Fault in Our Stars, Turtles All the Way Down, and The Anthropocene Reviewed. With his brother, Hank, John has co-created many online video projects, including Vlogbrothers and the educational channel Crash Course. His most recent book is Everything Is Tuberculosis.

In this episode we talk about:

  • John's toolkit for managing thought spirals and dispair
  • Why he wrote a whole book about the thing that terrifies him
  • How he maintains hope in a chaotic and unfair world
  • Finding the "self"
  •  Shame reduction through naming
  • What John learned from his time as a chaplain in a pediatric hospital
  • His current view of God
  • And the question of how much––or how little––we should be sharing about ourselves with other people

Get the 10% with Dan Harris app here

Sign up for Dan's free newsletter here

Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel



Join Dan and Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert at 92NY on May 17th for a live conversation about how mindfulness can deepen connection and combat loneliness, available in person and via streaming. Register here.

Join Dan, Sebene Selassie and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18, 2026. Register here.

This episode is sponsored by:

Paleo Valley — 100% grass-fed beef sticks made without preservatives or additives. Get 15% off at https://www.paleovalley.com/happier or use code HAPPIER at checkout

Square — Business tools with AI, smart reporting, and payments all in one place. Get up to $200 off Square hardware at https://www.square.com/go/happier

Gainbridge — Guaranteed-rate financial products with no hidden fees. Learn more at https://www.gainbridge.com

LinkedIn Ads — Reach the right professionals with precision targeting. Spend $250 and get a $250 credit at http://www.linkedin.com/happier

To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris

Episoder(1032)

Three Buddhist Practices For Getting Your Sh*t Together | Vinny Ferraro

Three Buddhist Practices For Getting Your Sh*t Together | Vinny Ferraro

Practical advice from a straight-talking former criminal and occasionally profane Dharma teacher.  Vinny Ferarro has practiced insight meditation (vipassanā) since the mid-90s. He's the Guiding Teache...

4 Feb 1h 6min

How a Simple Mindset Shift Can Reduce the Risk of Heart Disease and Improve Overall Health | Dr. Tara Narula

How a Simple Mindset Shift Can Reduce the Risk of Heart Disease and Improve Overall Health | Dr. Tara Narula

A smarter way to think about disease prevention. Dr. Tara Narula is a board-certified cardiologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan and Chief Medical Correspondent for ABC News. Her new book is The...

2 Feb 1h

How To Create Micro-Moments of Sanity No Matter What's Happening Today | Jay Michaelson

How To Create Micro-Moments of Sanity No Matter What's Happening Today | Jay Michaelson

A conversation with Jay Michaelson, our Teacher of the Month for February, about his path to meditation, navigating multiple identities, and why he calls himself a "cynical, sarcastic bitch." Jay Mich...

1 Feb 28min

George Saunders On: Getting Un-Stuck, Calming the Inner Critic, and Building Empathy Without Becoming a Chump

George Saunders On: Getting Un-Stuck, Calming the Inner Critic, and Building Empathy Without Becoming a Chump

A conversation with celebrated author George Saunders about his new novel, Vigil, and what fiction can teach us about empathy, self-awareness, and mortality. George Saunders is the bestselling, award-...

30 Jan 1h 6min

How to Regulate Your Emotions and Mental Chatter When Bad Things Happen | Maya Shankar

How to Regulate Your Emotions and Mental Chatter When Bad Things Happen | Maya Shankar

Practical techniques for dealing with all of life's curveballs.   Maya Shankar is a cognitive scientist and creator of the podcast A Slight Change of Plans, previously named "Best Show of the Year" by...

28 Jan 1h 6min

A Counterintuitive Strategy for Sharper Decision-Making, Stronger Performance, and a More Meaningful Life. | Daniel Pink

A Counterintuitive Strategy for Sharper Decision-Making, Stronger Performance, and a More Meaningful Life. | Daniel Pink

How to have fewer regrets (and utilize the ones you already have).   Daniel Pink is the author of seven bestselling nonfiction books on a range of topics, from human motivation to the science of timin...

26 Jan 52min

How To Handle 4 AM Worry Spirals | Bart van Melik

How To Handle 4 AM Worry Spirals | Bart van Melik

A conversation with self-described "worry warrior" Bart van Melik about working skillfully with everyday anxiety. Bart is a guiding teacher at the Community Meditation Center in New York and our Teach...

25 Jan 21min

Tim Ferriss On: Recovering From Anxiety and Compulsive Thinking, Rethinking Self-Optimization, and the Power of Saying "No."

Tim Ferriss On: Recovering From Anxiety and Compulsive Thinking, Rethinking Self-Optimization, and the Power of Saying "No."

Secrets to self-preservation in an age of burnout.   Tim Ferris is the author of five #1 New York Times bestsellers, including The 4-Hour Workweek and Tools of Titans. He's also the host of The Tim ...

23 Jan 1h 11min

Populært innen Helse

fastlegen
rss-gukild-johaug
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
hvordan-har-du-det-mann
psykodrama
relasjonspodden-med-dora-thorhallsdottir-kjersti-idem
leger-om-livet
rss-garne-damer
foreldreradet
bak-fasaden-en-reise-i-livet-med-sykepleier-ine
morten-ramm-lar-kakla-ga-til-du-sovner
rss-lopedrommen
hjernesterk
klimaks
hormonelle-frida
rss-femihelse
rss-skravla-gar
g-punktet
sinnsyn
rss-sunn-okonomi