Planet Em

Emily McDonald
Planet Em
Latest episode

21 episodes

  • Planet Em

    How To Get Anything Done With an ADHD Brain

    23/03/2026 | 27 mins.
    In this episode of Planet Em, Emily breaks down how to get anything done using the neuroscience of the ADHD brain. She shares how she wrote an entire book while managing ADHD, working for seven hours straight without medication, and the exact systems she used to make that possible.

    Emily explains a concept called effort discounting, which is what happens when the brain perceives the effort of a task as greater than the reward at the end. She walks through three practical ways to overcome it. The first is making the hill smaller by lowering the barrier to entry and starting with just ten minutes. The second is making the task more fun by adding body doubling, aesthetic setups, music, or anything that creates a more enjoyable environment. The third is making the reward at the top bigger and more compelling so the brain has a reason to climb.

    She also covers why focus is not just a productivity skill but a nervous system state, why dopamine does not arrive before you start, and how to stack these three strategies together to stop avoiding the thing that keeps getting pushed to tomorrow.

    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1KV6h0wWN1Jh9t6qUPYIuQ
    Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/planet-em/id1852168666
  • Planet Em

    Don’t React, Regulate: How to Stop Overthinking While You Wait

    16/03/2026 | 30 mins.
    In this episode of Planet Em, Emily speaks to anyone in a waiting season who feels anxious, overwhelmed, or tempted to spiral. She shares a story about a friend who was anxious while dating someone new, even though nothing was going wrong, and connects it to her own experience in the early stages of her relationship with her fiancé.

    Emily explains why waiting can activate fight or flight, making the brain scan for potential threats and pull up past experiences as evidence. She breaks down why perception is not accurate in a stressed state and why decisions made from a reactive place often repeat old programming. Her core practice is simple: do not react, regulate, then respond.

    The episode also covers trust and surrender, detachment from how and when, and how to become so grounded and self loving that the outcome does not control someone’s peace. Emily closes by sharing how to calm the nervous system, return to what fills the cup, and move forward as the best self rather than a reactive version.

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/planetempodcast?igsh=NDYwZmtrZzRveHQz
    TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@planetempod
  • Planet Em

    How to Get on Go Mode: Start Small, Take the Next Right Step

    09/03/2026 | 25 mins.
    In this episode of Planet Em, Emily shares real tools to help listeners get on go mode and start moving toward a dream, goal, or higher version of themselves. She breaks down the “mountain goal” idea, which is choosing a meaningful direction without needing to know the full path, then focusing on the next right step instead of getting overwhelmed by the whole climb.

    Emily explains how she used this method while building her career, including writing out every possible next step on a whiteboard, then choosing the option that excited her most. She emphasizes that trying to pick the “best” option can keep people stuck, and that momentum comes from choosing something, running it long enough to learn, and making adjustments from experience.

    The episode closes with a reminder to trust the process, detach from how and when it will happen, and keep the barrier to entry small so progress becomes inevitable.
  • Planet Em

    Net Worth Is Linked to Self Worth, The First Step to Rewiring for Wealth

    02/03/2026 | 39 mins.
    In this Q and A episode of Planet Em, Emily answers the questions she gets most often across the podcast and her content. She shares how the podcast went from feeling hard and vulnerable to becoming easier than making other types of content, and she breaks down what was actually behind the resistance, identity mismatch, fear of being seen, and procrastination.

    Emily also answers questions about guilt, wanting more, and money. She explains why money is a tool, why wanting more does not make someone selfish, and how abundance can be expressed through love, joy, gratitude, and freedom. She then explains the first step in rewiring the brain for wealth, connecting self worth to net worth and how higher self worth changes what people will ask for, accept, and pursue.

    The episode also covers when venting helps and when it becomes counterproductive, plus how to close the loop by extracting a lesson or reappraising the situation. Emily shares a practical take on discipline, self trust, and cheap dopamine, along with why starting smaller builds momentum. She closes with her why and the mission that drives her, plus a reminder to submit questions for future Q and A episodes.

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/planetempodcast?igsh=NDYwZmtrZzRveHQz
    TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@planetempod
    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1KV6h0wWN1Jh9t6qUPYIuQ
    Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/planet-em/id1852168666
  • Planet Em

    Authenticity Is Magnetic: The Neuroscience of Being a Pattern Interrupt

    23/02/2026 | 45 mins.
    In this episode of Planet Em, Emily breaks down the neuroscience of being magnetic — and why the most magnetic thing you can be is authentic. She explains the idea of being a “pattern interrupt”: when you stand out, break the mold, or disrupt someone’s expectations, your brain’s attention systems have to notice.

    Em shares a real story that sparked the episode: a stranger told her to get off the phone in public, and instead of spiraling, she used it as a cue to ask what the situation was trying to teach her. That reflection led to a bigger realization: when you stand out, you attract attention — sometimes positive, sometimes negative — and the key is learning to stop feeling guilty for disrupting other people’s “model” of how the world should be.

    She then explains the brain science behind why novelty grabs attention (dorsal vs ventral attention networks), why being polarizing is part of being unforgettable, and how to give yourself permission to be your most “alien,” unapologetic self — online and in real life.

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/planetempodcast?igsh=NDYwZmtrZzRveHQz
    TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@planetempod
    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1KV6h0wWN1Jh9t6qUPYIuQ
    Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/planet-em/id1852168666

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About Planet Em

Planet Em is where science meets spirit. Hosted by neuroscientist-turned-mindset coach Emily McDonald (Em on the Brain), each episode explores how your brain, body, and beliefs shape the reality you live in. Through simple, research-backed tools, Emily helps you understand your mind, regulate your emotions, and rewire the subconscious patterns that keep you stuck—so you can manifest from awareness, not autopilot.
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