David on Burnout, Anxiety, and Finding Humor Five Minutes From a Meltdown

What happens when anxiety, creative pressure, and everyday stress leave you feeling five minutes from completely losing your shit? G-Rex and Dirty Skittles sit down with Author David Meyer for a funny, thoughtful conversation about burnout, overthinking, empathy, self-care, and why making art can remind us that we’re not alone. Awards & Downloads Sh!t That Goes On In Our Heads is a 2024 People’s Choice Podcast Award Winner (Best Health), 2024 Women in Podcasting Award Winner (Best Mental Health Podcast), 2026 Podcast Tonight Award Winner (Best Mental Health Podcast), and 2026 NYC Podcast Award Audience Choice Winner (Best Hosts), with over 4.5 million downloads and listened to in over 160 countries. Feedback We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave us written or voice feedback here: https://castfeedback.com/67521f0bde0b101c7b10442a Mental Health Quote “If it touches one person, make the art.” — David Meyer Episode Description David Meyer knows what it feels like to live five minutes from a meltdown. The author, screenwriter, poet, and cooking-show producer joins G-Rex and Dirty Skittles for a brutally relatable conversation about anxiety, burnout, creative pressure, and the strange little habits that keep us functioning when our brains refuse to calm the hell down. David shares how a collection of hundreds of comedic poems became his book, Five Minutes From a Meltdown , and why humor has always helped him acknowledge emotions that might otherwise stay buried. For David, laughter is more than entertainment. It creates connection, offers relief, and reminds us that someone else has probably felt the exact same messy thing. The conversation also gets real about the basics of mental health care: eating, sleeping, drinking water, exercising, resting, and admitting that the annoying advice often works. David opens up about balancing a demanding creative career with his well-being, managing the fear of disappointing people, and learning to create without waiting for perfect confidence. He also introduces the idea of “sonder”—the realization that every person is living a life as complicated and meaningful as our own. That awareness can be overwhelming, but it can also make us kinder, more patient, and less likely to judge someone based on one difficult moment. This episode is funny, thoughtful, and deeply human. It’s a reminder that nothing has to be perfect to have value—and sometimes the healthiest thing you can do is laugh, make the art, drink some water, and keep going. Keywords: David Meyer, Five Minutes From a Meltdown, anxiety, burnout, mental health, emotional wellness, creative pressure, humor and healing, overthinking, self-care, empathy, resilience, perfectionism, stress management, creative confidence Meet Our Guest — David Meyer David Meyer is the author of Five Minutes From a Meltdown , a candid and funny exploration of stress, resilience, and life near the edge of burnout. A writer and producer based in Los Angeles, David uses poetry, screenwriting, storytelling, and sharp observation to help people find humor, meaning, and connection inside life’s everyday chaos. Website: https://davidmeyerwriter.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cubsdem Email: david@davidmeyerwriter.com Key Takeaways Humor can help us acknowledge difficult emotions without letting them completely take over. Burnout often gets worse when basic needs such as food, sleep, movement, water, and rest are ignored. You don’t need perfect confidence to make something meaningful. Creative work can help people feel seen, understood, and less alone. Remembering that everyone has a full, complicated life can build empathy and reduce judgment. Your work does not need to change the entire world to matter to one person. Actionable Items Before labeling yourself unmotivated or overwhelmed, check the basics: Have you eaten, slept, moved your body, rested, and had enough water? Create something imperfect this week—a poem, journal entry, vo