Doing Well: The Wellbeing Science Insights Podcast · Life Management Science Labs

Joy Hou: Harnessing Curiosity to Overcome Anxiety | Doing Well #85

·1 hr 3 min·4 clips

Joy Hao says job loss can be a bridge to different opportunities, if you stay open to trying new things.

Lu Mo opens the episode with the show’s familiar welcome and sets up a conversation about curiosity and anxiety. Joy Hao joins from the virtual studio. She is a registered psychologist and founder of Empathy Works Psychological Wellness. Her work centers on the mental and emotional well-being of individuals. She also speaks in schools and corporate organizations and provides counseling services. The discussion starts with the idea that curiosity is a strength worth keeping alive. Joy describes anxiety as something people often feel when they step into new situations. A new workplace is one of the clearest examples, and a new place can stir up the same response. Instead of treating that reaction as a dead end, she suggests asking what might be learned there, who might be met, and how connection might begin. She also points toward social curiosity. The episode brings past experience in as another source of support. Someone who has moved through earlier transitions may already have proof that they can adapt. Joy presents curiosity as a way to ease anxiety by shifting attention outward and upward. Lu Mo notes that this also supports resilience. The two connect that resilience to the ability to keep doing the task in front of you. If fear stays in the foreground, the work gets harder. If curiosity takes a little more space, the day can feel more manageable. The conversation then widens into well-being, treating it as layered rather than single-track. The tone stays warm and conversational throughout. The episode ends with thanks, contact information, and the show’s closing invitation to subscribe and share. The result is a calm, practical discussion that treats curiosity as a habit people can use, not just a nice idea.

As heard by us

A calm, grounded case for curiosity as a way through anxiety.

The conversation treats curiosity as a plain, usable response to anxiety rather than a lofty ideal. It stays close to everyday moments that can set nerves off, like starting a new workplace or moving through unfamiliar spaces, and shows how a few small questions can pull…

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Why you'd press play

You want anxiety advice that starts with questions, not pressure.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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