#107 - A Reflection on Meaning, Why Early 2026 Feels So Strange + What Happens When Your Identity Is Tied to Performance

If you're navigating a rough patch, questioning your relationship with social media, or feeling strangely disconnected at the start of 2026 - this solo episode will help you feel less alone and more grounded.

This one is just me - no guest, no script, no AI polish. An honest check-in on what happens when injury, illness, and lost motivation collide with the pressure to keep performing online and in life. I reflect on leaving my training community, the unexpected hole it left, and what slowly started to fill it again.

In this episode, I get into:

Why illness doesn't just wreck your body - it disrupts your habits, your gut health, and your neural plasticity in ways that take weeks to recover from

How leaving a training community can mirror the same identity loss as giving up alcohol or music - and what that reveals about where your meaning actually lives

Why over 50% of online content is now AI-assisted, and what that means if you're trying to stay authentic in a feed full of polish

The connection between chronic social media use and a state of low-grade physiological tension - and why simply being with people dissolves it almost immediately

How tying your identity to physical performance creates a house of cards - and what I'm doing to rebuild on steadier ground

Why WhatsApp is making human connection worse, not better

A Leonard Cohen detour and a walk with my cousin that reminded me loneliness can't survive connection - and what to do about it today

Disclaimer: This episode contains strong language and personal reflections on mental health, motivation, and wellbeing. It is not professional medical or psychological advice. If you are struggling with your mental health, please reach out to a qualified professional or someone you trust.

If you liked this episode, I’ve curated a list of other episodes you might like here:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMebuClQRf0-6lSq2MXeCL2xZpu4t9uEU&si=-e5YetNYaH7UdjR6

***LINKS***

Newsletter signup: awakenoutofcontext.com

Join the indiip beta:

indiip.com/beta

15% Off Bare Bar (CODE: JASE):

https://bit.ly/barejase

MY STUFF:

awakenoutofcontext.com

Awaken Out Of Context Podcast (YouTube & Podcast Links):

https://bit.ly/3tk8FVv

Follow Me On Instagram (@awakenoutofjason):

https://bit.ly/3RAkKQj

Tämä jakso on lisätty Podme-palveluun avoimen RSS-syötteen kautta eikä se ole Podmen omaa tuotantoa. Siksi jakso saattaa sisältää mainontaa.

Jaksot(125)

#125 - How Many Baskets Is Your Safety Sitting In? (How to Stop Reacting to Emotional Whiplash)

One minute you feel safe, supported and loved. An hour later the ground has shifted and it's fear, dread and unpredictability. That's emotional whiplash, and if you've ever been on that rollercoaster ...

6 Heinä 11min

#124 - Ten Weeks in Bali and I'm Completely Fried

Ten weeks in Bali and I'm fried.I came out here to up my content game, and in some ways I have. But I'm shattered. The agency, the podcast, the YouTube, the vlogs. I hired an editor over a month ago a...

29 Kesä 22min

#123 - Lake District Roadcast - Dr Joey Weber Returns - Positive Psychology, Glimmers and Fish & Chips

I put Dr Joey Weber in the passenger seat, let ChatGPT choose the route, and drove through the Southern Lake District for the first ever guest Roadcast.What started as a rainy drive turned into a conv...

22 Kesä 53min

#122 - Emergency AMA: Dating, AI, and 'You Are Enough'

Yogi (my editor) came down with double vision this week so the vlog couldn't ship. Recorded this AMA in a Canggu cafe before heading to the Gili Islands with Tommy and Mika.I went to Instagram and Fac...

15 Kesä 48min

#121 - Losing My “Self” in Bali - Blue Lagoon Snorkelling & Deep Conversations on The Masks We Wear (4k)

In this special vlog-style episode of the Awaken Out Of Context Podcast, we head to the Blue Lagoon in Bali for more than just snorkeling. What starts as a "Coffee Crawl" turns into a deep dive into t...

8 Kesä 50min

#120 - Life Is a Game (Bali Sunset Ride)

I'd just finished my first CrossFit Murph workout and was buzzing. Late Saturday afternoon, sun heading down, decided last minute to chase the sunset to a random beach on Google Maps. What was meant t...

1 Kesä 30min

#119 - Vegans, Vulnerability and Semen Retention (Bali Roadcast)

Warning! This episode contains adult discussion of porn, masturbation, and related themes (around 20:25 to 24:00).Sometimes the best content comes from not making content. On a morning I was wrestling...

25 Touko 24min

#118 - What I Packed for Bali That I Didn't Need (Leaving Cemagi)

Random one this week. I'm checking out of my place in Cemagi and I've got half an hour to pack the bag. I'm bad at packing and I'm in my head about recording videos, so I figured I'd combine the two a...

18 Touko 22min