Adjusting Podcast

Most of us aren't just afraid of bad things happening, we're afraid of not knowing. In this episode we explore what it actually means to live in the grey, why certainty feels so necessary and what it costs us when we demand it, and how black and white thinking keeps us stuck in our relationships, our creative work, and our healing journey.

We talk about how to expand your tolerance for uncertainty, what the body does when ambiguity feels like a threat, the connection between trust and the unknown, and the spiritual roots of certainty-seeking including what faith actually says about living without all the answers. Plus five things to consider as you start making peace with the in-between.

If you've been waiting for everything to feel certain before you move forward, this episode is going to meet you right where you are.

Let’s Connect! 

Website: www.adjustingpod.com

Social Media: @adjustingpod on Instagram | Facebook | Youtube | TikTok

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/adjusting-podcast/id1748188929

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Lyu594jw5luH1rujNcTZZ?si=386a7e7728f5461b

Amazon Music/Audible: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7863b34c-b85c-4f67-8044-10dd08cfb660/adjusting-podcast

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AdjustingPodcast

Substack Channel: https://justingnelson.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chips

Guest/Topic submissions: [email protected]

Disclaimer: Adjusting Podcast is NOT a substitute for professional diagnosis or treatment.

How do you know when your anxiety is lying to you and when your gut is actually telling you the truth? In this episode we kick off the second phase of Season 3 with the series, From Fear to Freedom: What If It All Works Out?. We begin by exploring one of the most important distinctions in your healing journey: the difference between fear and intuition.

We talk about what it means to live from scarcity vs abundance, why so many of us learned fear-based thinking as children, how fear and intuition feel different in the body, and the spiritual roots of fear-based living including what scripture says about abundance and overflow. Plus five things to consider as you start making decisions from freedom instead of fear.

If you've been waiting for the part where the healing actually starts to feel like freedom, WHOOP there it is!

Let’s Connect! 

Website: www.adjustingpod.com

Social Media: @adjustingpod on Instagram | Facebook | Youtube | TikTok

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/adjusting-podcast/id1748188929

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Lyu594jw5luH1rujNcTZZ?si=386a7e7728f5461b

Amazon Music/Audible: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7863b34c-b85c-4f67-8044-10dd08cfb660/adjusting-podcast

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AdjustingPodcast

Substack Channel: https://justingnelson.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chips

Guest/Topic submissions: [email protected]

Disclaimer: Adjusting Podcast is NOT a substitute for professional diagnosis or treatment.

We're closing out the season with the one that started it all — the quiet rulebook most of us have been living by without realizing it. Should/Must Statements are the cognitive distortion underneath almost every other pattern we've covered this season, and today we're getting into all of it: why getting back to a routine after a gap feels so hard, the guilt spiral that follows every canceled plan, how hustle culture weaponizes your own standards against you, and why boundaries feel impossible when your whole mindset is built around "I must." If you've been trying to rebuild — your health, your business, your sense of self — this one is for you. We're addressing where this pattern lives, adjusting with actual grace (not the platitude version), and applying real tools you can use starting today.

Topics covered: cognitive distortions, Should/Must Statements, rebuilding routines, entrepreneur burnout, guilt and shame cycles, boundaries, unspoken expectations, healing with grace.

Let’s Connect! 

Website: www.adjustingpod.com

Social Media: @adjustingpod on Instagram | Facebook | Youtube | TikTok

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/adjusting-podcast/id1748188929

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Lyu594jw5luH1rujNcTZZ?si=386a7e7728f5461b

Amazon Music/Audible: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7863b34c-b85c-4f67-8044-10dd08cfb660/adjusting-podcast

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AdjustingPodcast

Substack Channel: https://justingnelson.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chips

Guest/Topic submissions: [email protected]

Disclaimer: Adjusting Podcast is NOT a substitute for professional diagnosis or treatment.

Have you ever walked into a room and immediately decided something was off — and that you were the reason? That is personalization. It is one of the quietest cognitive distortions there is, and one of the most exhausting — because it puts you at the center of things you were never actually responsible for. In this episode, we are breaking down what personalization really is, where it comes from, how it shows up in your friendships, your creative work, your faith, and your sense of self — and what it actually looks like to start putting it down. We also get into code switching, sexual shame, deconstruction, and what it means to flip the script — from making yourself the reason everything goes wrong, to owning the gifts and purpose that are uniquely yours.

Let’s Connect! 

Website: www.adjustingpod.com

Social Media: @adjustingpod on Instagram | Facebook | Youtube | TikTok

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/adjusting-podcast/id1748188929

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Lyu594jw5luH1rujNcTZZ?si=386a7e7728f5461b

Amazon Music/Audible: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7863b34c-b85c-4f67-8044-10dd08cfb660/adjusting-podcast

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AdjustingPodcast

Substack Channel: https://justingnelson.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chips

Guest/Topic submissions: [email protected]

Disclaimer: Adjusting Podcast is NOT a substitute for professional diagnosis or treatment.

Have you ever convinced yourself something was wrong — with a friendship, your work, your worth — not because of anything that actually happened, but because it just felt that way? That's emotional reasoning, and it might be the sneakiest cognitive distortion of them all. In this episode, we're breaking down why your brain treats feelings like facts, where that pattern started, and what it's quietly costing you.

We talk about how emotional reasoning shows up in your creative work, your relationships, your faith life, and your daily goals — and why it's so hard to catch in the moment. We also dig into the deep connection between emotional reasoning, shame, imposter syndrome, and childhood experiences that taught you to trust the feeling over the evidence.

This episode covers:

• What emotional reasoning is and how CBT defines it
• How it shows up differently in friendships, creative spaces, healing journeys, and goal setting
• The trauma and anxiety connection — and why this is a nervous system pattern, not a character flaw
• Why imposter syndrome is emotional reasoning with credentials
• The shame and self-worth layer that keeps this pattern in place
• Five practical tools to start separating feelings from facts
• What to do when the tools don't reach in the moment
• Reflection questions to help you identify where this pattern lives in your life

If you've ever let a feeling write a story your life didn't actually confirm — this one's for you.

Keywords/Tags: emotional reasoning, cognitive distortion, CBT, mental health podcast, anxiety and trauma, imposter syndrome, shame and self-worth, healing journey, cognitive behavioral therapy, emotional intelligence, mental wellness, faith and mental health, creative burnout, self-worth, inner critic, nervous system healing, therapy tools, personal growth podcast, mental health for creatives, overgeneralization

Let’s Connect! 

Website: www.adjustingpod.com

Social Media: @adjustingpod on Instagram | Facebook | Youtube | TikTok

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/adjusting-podcast/id1748188929

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Lyu594jw5luH1rujNcTZZ?si=386a7e7728f5461b

Amazon Music/Audible: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7863b34c-b85c-4f67-8044-10dd08cfb660/adjusting-podcast

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AdjustingPodcast

Substack Channel: https://justingnelson.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chips

Guest/Topic submissions: [email protected]

Disclaimer: Adjusting Podcast is NOT a substitute for professional diagnosis or treatment.

Have you ever had one hard week and convinced yourself it was proof of a permanent pattern? That's overgeneralization and it might be the most quietly devastating thought distortion you've never heard named. In this episode, we're breaking down exactly how overgeneralization works, where it started (hint: usually not in adulthood), and why so many high-achieving, deeply self-aware people are living with something called achievement dysmorphia: the inability to accurately see or internalize what they've actually built, even when the evidence is right in front of them.

We cover how this pattern shows up in your creative work, your friendships, your faith journey, and your goals and we go deep on the childhood roots, the anxiety and trauma connection, and the inner critic that's been running the "always" and "never" narrative for way too long. Plus, five real tools you can use this week to start interrupting the pattern and finally let your wins actually count.

If you've ever said "I never follow through," "people always leave," or "I'm just not someone who does hard things", this episode is for you.

Topics covered: overgeneralization, achievement dysmorphia, cognitive distortions, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), inner critic, childhood trauma, anxiety, depression, imposter syndrome, self-worth, healing, faith deconstruction, creative confidence, mental health for creatives

Let’s Connect! 

Website: www.adjustingpod.com

Social Media: @adjustingpod on Instagram | Facebook | Youtube | TikTok

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/adjusting-podcast/id1748188929

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Lyu594jw5luH1rujNcTZZ?si=386a7e7728f5461b

Amazon Music/Audible: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7863b34c-b85c-4f67-8044-10dd08cfb660/adjusting-podcast

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AdjustingPodcast

Substack Channel: https://justingnelson.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chips

Guest/Topic submissions: [email protected]

Disclaimer: Adjusting Podcast is NOT a substitute for professional diagnosis or treatment.

Have you ever crushed something and still found a way to convince yourself it didn't count? Or made one small mistake and felt like your whole world was caving in? That's Magnification and Minimization — and it might be the sneakiest cognitive distortion of them all, because it doesn't feel like a distortion. It just feels like being honest with yourself.

In this episode, we're getting into all of it. We're talking about what these patterns actually are, why so many of us developed them (hint: it usually starts way before adulthood), and how they quietly show up in your relationships, your creative work, your career, your faith, and your goals — keeping you stuck, playing small, and exhausted from an internal measuring system that was never calibrated fairly to begin with.

We're also talking about Imposter Syndrome, the inner critic, what it actually means to know your worth, and why the harshest voice in the room is not your most reliable coach.

If you've ever minimized a win before you even let yourself feel it, or spiraled over something small like it was proof of everything — this episode is for you.

Let’s Connect! 

Website: www.adjustingpod.com

Social Media: @adjustingpod on Instagram | Facebook | Youtube | TikTok

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/adjusting-podcast/id1748188929

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Lyu594jw5luH1rujNcTZZ?si=386a7e7728f5461b

Amazon Music/Audible: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7863b34c-b85c-4f67-8044-10dd08cfb660/adjusting-podcast

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AdjustingPodcast

Substack Channel: https://justingnelson.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chips

Guest/Topic submissions: [email protected]

Disclaimer: Adjusting Podcast is NOT a substitute for professional diagnosis or treatment.

You messed something up and before you could even process what happened, your brain handed you a verdict: I'm such a failure. I'm so lazy. I'm too much. That move — taking one moment and turning it into a permanent identity — is called Labeling, and it might be the most quietly destructive cognitive distortion there is. Because it doesn't just tell you that you did something wrong. It tells you that you are wrong.

In this episode, we're breaking down exactly what Labeling is, where it comes from (spoiler: most of it wasn't yours to begin with), and how it shows up in your relationships, your creative work, your career, and the way you talk to yourself every single day. We're also getting into Imposter Syndrome — because that's Labeling wearing a blazer — and the deeper work of knowing your worth when your sense of self was built on shaky ground.

This one is for the creatives, the high-achievers, the people-pleasers, and anyone who has ever turned a hard moment into a life sentence about who they are.

In this episode:

• What Labeling is and how it differs from other cognitive distortions
• Who develops this pattern and why — including the trauma and anxiety connection
• How it shows up in relationships, creative work, your career, and daily life
• The link between Labeling, Imposter Syndrome, and not knowing your worth
• Practical tools for catching labels in real time and rewriting them
• Book recommendations and reflection questions to take the work deeper

Let’s Connect! 

Website: www.adjustingpod.com

Social Media: @adjustingpod on Instagram | Facebook | Youtube | TikTok

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/adjusting-podcast/id1748188929

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Lyu594jw5luH1rujNcTZZ?si=386a7e7728f5461b

Amazon Music/Audible: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7863b34c-b85c-4f67-8044-10dd08cfb660/adjusting-podcast

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AdjustingPodcast

Substack Channel: https://justingnelson.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chips

Guest/Topic submissions: [email protected]

Disclaimer: Adjusting Podcast is NOT a substitute for professional diagnosis or treatment.

Do you ever assume you know exactly what someone's thinking—and it's always something bad? Your partner's quiet, so obviously they're pulling away. Your friend doesn't text back, so clearly they don't want to hang out. Your boss sends a short email, so you must be getting fired. If this sounds familiar, you're not alone. You're mind reading—and it's one of the most exhausting cognitive distortions out there.

In this episode, we're diving deep into what mind reading actually is, who's most prone to it, and why our brains do this in the first place. We'll explore the trauma roots of this pattern—how growing up in unpredictable or emotionally volatile environments can wire us to constantly scan for danger in other people's thoughts. We'll talk about the neuroscience behind it, the toll it takes on your body and nervous system, and why you're always filling in the blanks with the worst possible interpretation.

But here's the good news: once you can see the pattern, you can start to shift it. I'll walk you through practical tools to catch yourself mid-mind-read, reality-test your assumptions, and build the courage to ask instead of assume. Because the truth is, you're not actually psychic—and you don't need to be.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• What mind reading is and how it shows up in relationships, work, and daily life
• The childhood trauma and attachment wounds that create this pattern
• Why your nervous system treats imagined threats like real ones
• How to recognize when you're making up stories vs. reading real cues
• Practical techniques to challenge your assumptions and communicate directly
• How to build long-term awareness and break the cycle

If you're tired of living in your head, creating problems that don't exist, and missing out on real connection because you're too busy defending yourself against imaginary criticism—this episode is for you.

Let's stop shadow boxing with the stories we made up and start showing up for what's actually real.

Let’s Connect! 

Website: www.adjustingpod.com

Social Media: @adjustingpod on Instagram | Facebook | Youtube | TikTok

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/adjusting-podcast/id1748188929

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Lyu594jw5luH1rujNcTZZ?si=386a7e7728f5461b

Amazon Music/Audible: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7863b34c-b85c-4f67-8044-10dd08cfb660/adjusting-podcast

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AdjustingPodcast

Substack Channel: https://justingnelson.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chips

Guest/Topic submissions: [email protected]

Disclaimer: Adjusting Podcast is NOT a substitute for professional diagnosis or treatment.

Ever convinced yourself you're going to fail before you've even tried? Predict every conversation will be a disaster? Decide the relationship is doomed before it's even had a chance? You're not psychic—you're fortune telling, and it's a cognitive distortion that's keeping you stuck in imaginary futures that don't exist yet.

In this episode, we're breaking down the pattern of fortune telling: why your brain only predicts bad things, how it shows up in relationships, creative work, career decisions, and daily life, and what to do when you're living in constant dread of outcomes that haven't happened.

We'll cover:

• What fortune telling actually is and why it's so destructive
• How it manifests in auditions, job interviews, relationships, and everyday situations
• Why we do this (spoiler: it's often rooted in past trauma and the illusion of control)
• How to catch yourself mid-prediction and reality-test your thoughts
• Practical tools to stay in the present instead of spiraling about imagined disasters
• How to build tolerance for uncertainty and stop writing tragedy scripts for your own life

If you're tired of robbing yourself of opportunities because you've already decided they won't work out, this episode is for you. Let's stop predicting the future and start showing up for what's actually happening.

Let’s Connect! 

Website: www.adjustingpod.com

Social Media: @adjustingpod on Instagram | Facebook | Youtube | TikTok

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/adjusting-podcast/id1748188929

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Lyu594jw5luH1rujNcTZZ?si=386a7e7728f5461b

Amazon Music/Audible: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7863b34c-b85c-4f67-8044-10dd08cfb660/adjusting-podcast

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AdjustingPodcast

Substack Channel: https://justingnelson.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chips

Guest/Topic submissions: [email protected]

Disclaimer: Adjusting Podcast is NOT a substitute for professional diagnosis or treatment.