Zach Braff On: Anxiety, Sobriety, Insomnia, Grief, Social Media, and the Meaning of the Tattoo on His Wrist
This episode features Zach Braff, actor, writer, and director, discussing his new film "A Good Person" and personal struggles with grief, anxiety, depression, and addiction. He shares insights on embracing "Amor Fati," the benefits of sobriety, meditation, and managing social media for mental well-being.
Deep Dive Analysis
15 Topic Outline
Discussion on the movie 'A Good Person' and its themes
Coping with grief and tragedy: 'Why me?' vs. 'Why not me?'
Zach Braff's personal experience with grief and writing the film
Exploring 'Sober Curious' and the benefits of not drinking
The impact of meditation on anxiety and daily life
Childhood OCD and adult manifestations
Tools for managing anxiety and depression
The meaning and significance of 'Amor Fati'
Mindfulness as 'remembering' and the path of personal development
The concept of 'learning to love your likes'
Strategies for dealing with insomnia
Impact of social media and strategies for healthier use
Reflecting on the success of 'Garden State' and authentic filmmaking
The evolving landscape of film distribution and theatrical experiences
The challenging and rewarding process of writing
6 Key Concepts
Sober Curious
A movement for individuals who might not need a formal addiction program but are interested in exploring life without alcohol. It frames abstaining from alcohol as a challenge or experiment to observe potential benefits.
Power of a Streak
The psychological benefit derived from maintaining a consistent practice, like meditation or sobriety, where the continuity itself becomes a motivating factor to continue the habit.
Amor Fati
A Latin phrase meaning 'love your fate,' rooted in Stoic philosophy. It's an ideology of embracing one's fate, finding a way to love what has been given, and recognizing potential positives that might emerge from difficult circumstances.
Mindfulness as Remembering
The original translation of the ancient Indian word 'sati,' which we now translate as mindfulness. It suggests that meditation is a practice of remembering to wake up and cut against ingrained habit patterns that often lead to misery.
Learning to Love Your Likes
An expression that refers to appreciating the small, positive aspects of everyday life that are often overlooked, such as a morning coffee, a walk, or proximity to a favorite restaurant. It encourages gratitude for simple pleasures.
Day Trading Emotions
A metaphor used to describe the act of constantly expressing and reacting to emotions, particularly negative ones, on social media platforms. It implies a performative and often cynical or angry tone that can be detrimental to mental well-being.
8 Questions Answered
The film ruminates on how people move on from tragedy, specifically vehicular manslaughter, and explores themes of grief, hope, and how unexpected connections can lead to mutual salvation.
After experiencing multiple personal losses since 2018, including his sister, father, best friend, and manager, Zach Braff channeled these emotions into the film, aiming to write authentically about grief, standing back up, and hope, without directly telling his own specific stories.
Zach Braff has noticed feeling less tired, less depressed, and less anxious. He feels better, lighter, and healthier, attributing these improvements to his experiment with sobriety, especially when coupled with working out.
Zach Braff uses several tools, including working out, regular meditation, not drinking alcohol, prioritizing sleep, and finding opportunities for laughter and sun exposure.
Amor Fati means 'love your fate' and is a stoic ideology that helps Zach Braff deal with sadness and grief by embracing what he cannot control and finding power in loving what he has been given. He finds it to be an empowering, inspirational phrase to live by.
His strategies include taking hot baths every night, drinking extra mega sleepy time tea, avoiding screens in the bedroom, and reading a book to wind down instead of watching stimulating TV or movies.
He has significantly reduced his use of Twitter and Facebook, finding their tone to be too negative and cynical. While he still uses social media for promoting his projects, he aims to tiptoe back off it when not in promotion mode, only glancing at Instagram for friends and family.
No, he finds writing to be the hardest part of his multi-hyphenate career, dreading the act of getting his 'butt in the chair.' However, he loves the feeling of having written something he's proud of and seeing it come to life.
33 Actionable Insights
1. Practice Amor Fati
Embrace the stoic ideology of “loving your fate” by accepting what you cannot control and finding a way to love what you have been given, as this can be empowering and a helpful coping mechanism for sadness and grief.
2. Meditate Regularly for Calm
Engage in regular meditation, even for short durations, as it noticeably contributes to a greater sense of calm, builds a “well” of tranquility, and can make you feel “more than 10% happier.”
3. Experiment with Alcohol Abstinence
Consider trying life without alcohol, even if not for life, as Zach found it helped with tiredness, depression, and anxiety, making him feel “better and lighter and healthier.”
4. Embrace “Why Not Me?” Mindset
When bad things happen, instead of asking “why me?”, consider “why not me?” and accept it as your turn, which can be a more rational and healthy response to adversity.
5. Cultivate Gratitude Amidst Grief
When dealing with grief or sadness, focus on the positive things and blessings in your life, recognizing that these are part of the same “hand of cards” dealt by fate.
6. Limit Social Media Exposure
Consciously reduce time spent on social media, especially platforms like Twitter, to avoid “doom scrolling” and prevent negativity, cynicism, and anger from setting the tone for your day.
7. Aspire to Learn and Grow
Continuously seek opportunities to learn, grow, and be educated, then strive to make amends for mistakes and spread positive information to your community.
8. Practice Bedtime Gratitude
If you experience insomnia, use the time lying awake to focus on things you are grateful for, both small and large, instead of obsessing about the next day or your to-do list.
9. Exercise for Mental Well-being
Engage in regular workouts, as physical activity “definitely helps” manage anxiety and depression, and is considered a key tool for mental health.
10. Prioritize Quality Sleep
Recognize and prioritize sleep as a “very important” component for maintaining mental health and effectively managing anxiety and depression.
11. Appreciate Small Daily Joys
Remember to “fall in love” with the small, positive things you do or experience every day, such as your morning coffee or living near a favorite restaurant, which are often overlooked.
12. Use Reminders for Growth
Employ physical or mental reminders (like a tattoo or a mantra) to consistently practice personal development principles and cut against ingrained habit patterns that cause misery.
13. Take Hot Baths for Sleep
Incorporated hot baths into your nightly routine, as they can be helpful for winding down the body and promoting better sleep.
14. Avoid Screens in Bedroom
Avoid watching TV or movies in bed, especially on weeknights, because screens can stimulate the brain and hinder the winding down process needed for sleep.
15. Read Books to Wind Down
Read a book in bed with minimal light as a “good wind down” activity, as it can make your eyes and mind tired and help you fall asleep without overstimulating your brain.
16. Drink Sleepy Time Tea
Drink “extra mega sleepy time tea” as part of a bedtime regimen to aid in relaxation and falling asleep.
17. Utilize Walking Meditation
Practice walking meditation, especially before bed, to “get the spielkis out” (ants in the pants) and help calm the mind and body for sleep.
18. Begin Meditation with Short Sessions
Don’t feel pressured to do long meditation sessions; even one minute counts, and starting with five minutes is better than zero, making it more palatable for beginners.
19. Learn from Meditation Lapses
If you fall off your meditation routine, use the lapse as a powerful incentive to get back on track by observing the negative self-talk or increased anxiety that may arise.
20. Challenge Compulsive Thoughts
When experiencing “whispers” of OCD-like thoughts (e.g., needing to straighten something for good luck), consciously tell yourself “oh, shut the fuck up” to resist the compulsion.
21. Seek Sunny Environments
Spend time in sunny environments, as Zach mentally feels healthier when exposed to sun, indicating its positive impact on mood.
22. Incorporate Laughter Daily
Actively seek out laughter as a tool for mental well-being, listing it alongside exercise, meditation, and sleep as helpful for managing anxiety and depression.
23. Undertake a Sober Challenge
Frame a period of alcohol abstinence (e.g., 30 days, 3 months) as a “challenge” to make it easier to stick to and to explain to social circles, as suggested by the “One Year No Beer” movement.
24. Leverage the Power of Streaks
Treat new habits like a game or challenge and focus on maintaining a “streak” to build momentum and motivation, as there is “power and fun of the streak.”
25. Observe Benefits of Not Drinking
Pay attention to how not drinking impacts your mood, energy levels, and overall well-being, as Zach noticed feeling “better and lighter and healthier” after a few months.
26. Channel Grief into Creative Work
When experiencing intense emotions like grief, use writing or other creative outlets to express these feelings authentically, even if not directly telling your specific story, as others may find a way to connect with it.
27. Commit to Consistent Writing
Acknowledge that writing is often hard and requires “getting one’s butt in the chair and just doing it,” even if you dread it, to achieve the rewarding feeling of having written.
28. Use Social Media Purposefully
If using social media, do so strategically (e.g., for promoting work) and be mindful of its addictive nature, stepping back when not in a promotional mode to avoid it being “all consuming.”
29. Avoid New Addictive Platforms
Be aware of and actively avoid new social media platforms (like TikTok for Zach) if you recognize their potential for addiction and time consumption.
30. Avoid Online Emotional Day Trading
Adopt the mindset of “I have no interest in reading people day trade their emotions” to disengage from the negativity and emotional volatility often found on social media.
31. Practice Defensive Pessimism
Expect that anything that could possibly go wrong will go wrong, so that if anything good happens, it’s a “mitzvah” (blessing), as suggested by an old cast director.
32. Provide Podcast Feedback
Hit up Dan Harris on Twitter or send a note through 10% dot com to let him know if you want three episodes a week or if “three is a crowd.”
33. Try New Meditation App
Download the “10% with Dan Harris” app for a 14-day trial to access guided meditations, live Zoom community sessions, and ad-free podcast episodes.
5 Key Quotes
I have no interest in reading people day trade their emotions.
Seth Godin (quoted by Zach Braff)
The original translation of the word that we now translate as mindfulness, the original translation of the word sati, S-A-T-I, the ancient Indian subcontinental word, which we now describe as mindfulness, is remembering.
Dan Harris
I'm not fucking up my streak. I don't care.
Zach Braff
Being a writer is signing up to have a homework for the rest of your life.
Lawrence Kasdan (quoted by Zach Braff)
I don't know that I could ever repeat that success. It was lightning in a bottle, you know.
Zach Braff
1 Protocols
Zach Braff's Insomnia Wind-Down Regimen
Zach Braff- Take a hot bath every night.
- Drink extra mega sleepy time tea.
- Avoid screens (TV/movies) in the bedroom on weeknights.
- Get in bed with only one light on.
- Put the phone down (except possibly for digital backgammon).
- Read a book to drain eyes and mind, aiding sleep.