# Less Stress, More Simcha | Mental Health Challenges and Avodat Hashem ft. Dr. Dan Jacobson

From **Shtark Tank with Yaakov Wolff** by Yaakov Wolff.

- **Published:** Mon, 23 Mar 2026 05:10:00 GMT
- **Duration:** 00:48:18
- **Audio:** https://anchor.fm/s/e45c8048/podcast/play/117316344/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-2-22%2F420549925-44100-2-7a74e5bd46e66.mp3
- **Page:** https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yaakov-wolff/episodes/Less-Stress--More-Simcha--Mental-Health-Challenges-and-Avodat-Hashem-ft--Dr--Dan-Jacobson-e3gqn9o
- **TorahApp:** https://torahapp.org/share/p/3P_shtark_tank/e/3550068d-d7c4-44cc-a12f-9d45cd336ddb

<p>What happens when Torah, growth, and mental health start pulling against each other instead of working together?</p><p>In this episode of <strong>Shtark Tank</strong>, Yaakov Wolff speaks with <strong>Dr. Dan Jacobson</strong> — psychologist, musmach, co-author of <em>Flipping Out</em>, and author of <em>Light in the Darkness</em> — about stress, anxiety, yeshiva pressure, and the long-term impact they can have on our Avodat Hashem.</p><p>To recieve a free copy of Light in the Darkness, about kedusha in today&#39;s world, email dan.jacobson.psyd@gmail.com</p><p>They discuss the difference between healthy pressure and unhealthy stress, why anxiety seems to be rising in today’s world, and how formative yeshiva experiences can shape a person’s relationship with learning for years afterward. They also talk about balancing Torah, work, and family life, navigating Pesach pressure in a healthier way, and approaching struggles in kedusha with more honesty and less shame.</p><p>This is a thoughtful and practical conversation about serving Hashem with more clarity, more balance, and more simcha. </p><p><strong>What We Discussed</strong></p><ul><li>Dr. Jacobson’s path into psychology and his interest in the intersection of Torah and mental health</li><li>The difference between stress and anxiety</li><li>Why some pressure is necessary, but too much can become destructive</li><li>How yeshiva culture can sometimes create unhealthy stress around learning and growth</li><li>The long-term effect of yeshiva experiences on a person’s relationship with Torah</li><li>What to do if learning has become tied up with guilt or pressure</li><li>Balancing competing values like learning, marriage, parenting, and responsibility</li><li>How to reduce stress around Pesach prep and focus more on meaning</li><li>OCD, halachic uncertainty, and the importance of clear guidance</li><li>Why so many men struggle silently in areas of kedusha</li><li>What Dr. Jacobson hoped to add with his booklet <em>Light in the Darkness</em> </li></ul><p><strong>Key Takeaways</strong></p><ul><li>Stress and anxiety are not exactly the same thing. Stress is often tied to present pressure, while anxiety is more future-oriented.</li><li>Some pressure is part of growth. The goal is not zero stress, but healthy stress in the right dose.</li><li>Yeshiva can be deeply formative, for good and for bad. If Torah became associated with guilt or pressure, that needs to be rethought.</li><li>A working person should try to build a relationship with learning that includes pleasure, connection, and simcha — not just obligation.</li><li>Many struggles become worse when there is too much doubt, especially for people with OCD tendencies.</li><li>Pesach can become overwhelming when people lose sight of what is halacha and what is chumra, habit, or family expectation.</li><li>In struggles around kedusha, shame and secrecy often make things worse. Honest, psychologically grounded guidance helps. </li></ul><p><strong>Notable Lines / Ideas</strong></p><ul><li>“If the prime emotion that someone has with regard to their learning is a negative emotion, that has to be checked.”</li><li>“You want there to be simcha and pleasure and joy and connection with your learning.”</li><li>“We build our strength and resilience by encountering and learning how to handle some difficulty.”</li><li>“The holiday of freedom can feel enslaving if we lose sight of meaning.”<br></li></ul><p><strong>Chapters</strong><br><strong>00:00</strong> Intro</p><p><strong>05:20</strong> Stress and Anxiety, in Yeshiva and beyond<br><strong>28:12</strong> Balancing learning, marriage, parenting, and other real responsibilities<br><strong>32:15</strong> Pesach pressure: cleaning, OCD, chumros, and staying sane<br><strong>38:52</strong> <em>Light in the Darkness</em>: what Dr. Jacobson wanted to add to the kedusha conversation<br><strong>45:48</strong> Rapid fire</p><p><strong>About the Guest</strong><br><strong>Dr. Dan Jacobson</strong> is a psychologist and musmach who has spent years thinking and writing about the intersection of mental health, yeshiva life, and Avodat Hashem. He is the co-author of <em>Flipping Out</em> and the author of <em>Light in the Darkness</em>, a booklet addressing struggles in kedusha with psychological depth and Torah sensitivity.</p><p><br></p>