The Hidden Emotion: Unpacking Envy, Anxiety, and Gratitude in a Tech-Driven World

The HX Podcast with Stacie Baird

Hey everyone, it’s Stacie here with another episode of The HX Podcast. Today, I wanted to take a little pause in our ongoing AI series to reflect on something that’s been really weighing on my heart—the human side of technology, especially how it impacts our emotions, like anxiety and envy. We often hear about anxiety, right? It’s become this catch-all feeling, but what really struck me was this study by Dr. Marc Brackett that I came across. They found that when young people journaled their true feelings, it wasn’t anxiety they were experiencing most—it was envy. That was a gut check for me because envy sneaks up on us in so many ways, especially when we’re scrolling through social media or LinkedIn. We compare ourselves to everyone else’s highlight reel, and it just doesn’t serve us.

So, what’s the antidote? You’ve probably heard me say this before—gratitude. And not just in a “be thankful” kind of way, but truly sitting in gratitude can shift how we feel about ourselves and our lives. I’ve been practicing this myself, especially when I feel like I’m falling into the comparison trap. Whether it’s using a tool like Marc's “How We Feel” app to check in on my emotions or just being mindful of how I curate what I consume, it’s made a world of difference.

So, your assignment this week—start identifying what you’re really feeling, not just the surface stuff, and see how that awareness transforms your experience. I’ll be back next time with more on AI and the human experience, but until then, light and love!

Stacie

More episodes at StacieBaird.com.

Study and other materials for Dr. Marc Brackett can be found here.

The How We Feel App is part of the How We Feel Project and can be found at these links: Apple | Android