You were taught to compete before you could spell your own name.
Graded. Ranked. Measured.
And now? You’re chasing gold stars in a race no one actually wins.

This episode pulls apart the lie that being “the best” will make you happy—and shows you why real confidence isn’t built on domination. It’s built on self-trust.
You don’t need to be better than her.
You need to be on your own damn side.

In this episode:

• Why comparison is a thief that wears ambition's clothes

• What Olympic medalists can teach us about joy

• The brain science behind real confidence

• How to opt out of the race and own your path

• You're not behind.
You're not broken.
You're just done playing someone else’s game.

Listen now.

Episode references:

• Bronze medalists display more happiness than silver due to counterfactual thinking. (University of Iowa, summarized in Time & Scientific American)

You’re not exhausted because you’re weak.
You’re exhausted because you’re trying to do it all alone.
This episode calls out the toxic myth of rugged individualism—and shows you how connection isn’t just emotional support. It’s survival.

We’ve glorified independence and turned burnout into a badge of honor. But the truth?
Even the strongest among us need backup.

In this episode:


• Why “doing it all” is a trap, not a flex


• The loneliness epidemic—and how it’s killing us


• How to ask for help without guilt or awkwardness


• What real community looks like (and how to build it)

Stop pretending strength means isolation.
You’re not a machine—you’re a human being.
And you were never meant to do life alone.

Listen now.

Episode references:

• Strong social relationships increase odds of survival by ~50%, similar to quitting smoking (PLOS Medicine)

• The 85-year Harvard Study of Adult Development found close relationships are the #1 predictor of happiness. (Harvard Gazette)

• Approximately 50% of U.S. adults report measurable loneliness, with young adults most affected. (U.S. Surgeon General Advisory on Social Connection, 2023)

• We evolved in bands of ~100–150 people. (National Geographic)

• Simon Sinek & Trevor Noah on Friendship, Loneliness, Vulnerability, and More: https://youtu.be/CNBxIhxHHxM

You’re not wired to hate this many people.
You’re just stuck in a culture that profits when you do.
This episode is about breaking the cycle of outrage—online, at work, in your relationships—and choosing curiosity instead of judgment.

In this episode:


• Why your brain shuts down empathy under threat

• What judgment is really protecting you from
• How curiosity can calm your nervous system
• What real connection sounds like in everyday life

You don’t have to agree with everyone.
But you do have to stop treating everyone you don’t understand like the enemy.

Listen now.

Episode references:

• Judgment shuts down empathy. (UCLA study)

• The 85-year Harvard Study of Adult Development found close relationships are the #1 predictor of happiness. (Harvard Gazette)

Gratitude has been neutered—wrapped in cursive and sold as a vibe. But real gratitude? It’s not fluffy. It’s fierce.
This episode calls BS on scarcity culture and reclaims gratitude as rebellion. The world profits when you stay focused on what’s missing. Gratitude flips the script and anchors you in what’s already working.

In this episode:

• Why gratitude is subversive

• How to use it to rewire your brain for joy and clarity

• What it looks like to actually practice—not just perform—appreciation

• The leadership case for modeling gratitude out loud

This isn’t “good vibes only.”
It’s choosing to stay awake to what’s real.
Listen now.

Episode references:

• Gratitude activates your brain’s reward centers and calms your stress response (Frontiers in Psychology & fMRI)
• Regular gratitude practice improves sleep quality, boosts immunity, and lowers symptoms of depression and anxiety (UCLA Health)
• Gratitude deepens relationships and increases prosocial behavior—making you more emotionally available to others (Vox summary)

You’re not burned out because you’re weak. You’re burned out because you’ve been living inside, online, and out of rhythm with your actual biology. This episode dismantles the lie that nature is a luxury and makes the case that it’s your original operating system.


This isn’t about chasing peace in a silent retreat. It’s about remembering what it feels like to be alive.

In this episode:


• Why modern life is making you anxious and exhausted


• How light, space and movement recalibrate your nervous system


• What happened when one moment in the rain cracked everything open


• Real, doable ways to reconnect with your humanity—starting today

You don’t need more screens. You need sunlight.
Go outside. Reclaim your rhythm. Come back to life.
Listen now.

Episode references:

• Spending ≥ 120 minutes per week in nature is linked to significantly better health and well‑being (White et al., Scientific Reports 2019)

• A 20+ minute “nature pill” reliably reduces cortisol (stress hormone) levels by ~20% per hour (Hunter et al., Frontiers in Psychology 2019)

You’re not tired because you’re doing life wrong. You’re tired because you’re being manipulated. This episode exposes the lie that happiness is something you can buy—and how the system profits when you stay empty, insecure, and endlessly consuming.

We’re done performing success for people we don’t even like.

This isn’t about minimalism. It’s about rebellion.

In this episode:


• Why your dissatisfaction is deliberate


• How marketing hijacks your identity


• What to do instead of chasing the next dopamine hit


• How to build a life that actually feels good to live

Your joy isn’t in your shopping cart. It’s in your choices.
Stop buying sh*t. Start living like you mean it.
Listen now.

Episode references:

• The Day the World Stops Shopping by J.B. MacKinnon explores global overconsumption and ecological consequences.

• Americans spend an average of ~$60,000 a year on consumer goods and services, per U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. (BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2019)

• Total U.S. consumer debt is over $17.7 trillion, and the average credit card balance per household is around $6,730. (New York Fed & Experian Consumer Debt Reports, Q1 2024)

You’re not broken. You’re being sold to.

Welcome to The Unhappy American, a podcast that exposes the real reasons we feel burned out, disconnected and stuck in lives that don’t feel like ours. We’ve been trained to believe happiness is something we earn when we work harder, buy more and finally “make it.”

But what if that’s the lie?

This show isn’t here to fix you. It’s here to free you.

In this trailer, Jessica Lyonford sets the tone for a radically honest season that challenges the myths of success, explores the psychology of happiness and helps high-achieving Americans reconnect to what really matters.

Drawing from behavioral science, Positive Psychology and lived experience, each episode unpacks one cultural lie keeping us stuck and replaces it with a skill you can use to build a life that actually feels good to live.

This is not a self-help podcast full of empty mantras.
It’s a wake-up call.
To your agency.Your attentionYour happiness.Your humanity.

In this series, you’ll learn how to:

• Recognize when your unhappiness is manufactured and profit-driven

• Reclaim attention, energy and purpose in a culture that monetizes burnout

• Break free from comparison, judgment and the pressure to always be “on”

• Practice optimism, authenticity, confidence and connection—without performative positivity

• Build real happiness from the inside out—on your terms, at your pace

  
  

This podcast is for you if:

• You’re exhausted by the grind, but too driven to quit

• You’re successful on paper but wondering why it doesn’t feel better

• You know there’s more to life than hustle, but you’ve never had a name for it

• You want to be a part of something better—for yourself, your team, your community and your country

  
  

Because the truth is, happiness isn’t a luxury. It’s a rebellion.

And you’re not just invited—you’re needed.

🎧 Subscribe now and get ready for Episode 1: Stop Buying Sht*—dropping soon.
Until then, share the trailer and visit theunhappyamerican.com to learn more and get episode updates.