In this episode, we explore the mental trap of turning behavioural challenges, like procrastination, into character flaws. We discuss the common spiral that occurs when we judge our own emotions against an imagined standard of competence, often adding a layer of shame or frustration on top of our original feelings. By identifying as our emotions when thinking "I am an anxious person" rather than "I am experiencing anxiety", we risk turning temporary states into permanent identity defects.

We then break down the crucial shift from acting as a "Judge" to becoming a "Scientist" of your own nervous system. While a Judge asks what is wrong with you for feeling a certain way, a Scientist views emotions as data, asking simply what the feeling is responding to. Listeners will learn why mere self-awareness is often insufficient for change and how to move from passive acceptance to active experimentation to understand and regulate their triggers.

Read the original essay on ⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠.

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