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The Death of Old Habits: A Season of Release
The Death of Old Habits: A Season of Release
Every fall, nature models something that most humans resist—release.
Trees don’t cling to their leaves out of fear. They let go because survival depends on it. This episode explores how that same wisdom applies to mental, emotional, and behavioral patterns that have run their course.
Dr. Julia unpacks the neuroscience and emotional mechanics of letting go—why it feels hard, why it’s essential, and how to make peace with the mess that comes with it. Blending science, story, and hypnotherapy, this conversation invites a deeper kind of transformation: one that honors the human need to pause, crumble, and reset without guilt or apology.
In This Episode
The biology of release and why the fall season is a model for transformation.
How the Zeigarnik Effect keeps unfinished emotions looping in the nervous system—and how naming them brings closure.
The paradox of “Permission to Fall Apart” and why breakdowns often precede breakthroughs.
The role of grace during intense stress and its measurable impact on physical and emotional recovery.
Two hypnotherapy techniques for rewiring the mind toward calm and safety:
The Release Breath – Using visualization to communicate safety to the subconscious.
Compassionate Self-Suggestion – Installing self-trust and emotional regulation through repetition.
The 15-minute timer reset: a structured space to honor emotion without becoming consumed by it.
The restorative effect of binaural beats and how rhythmic frequencies calm an overstimulated mind.
Episode Worksheet Download
Title: Design vs Default: Confidence Clarity Worksheet
https://www.juliabowlinmd.com/Design-Verses-Default-Worksheet
Design Your Life—Don’t Default It
Stop running on autopilot. Grab the companion worksheet to my Mindset Medicine Show episode, “What If You’ve Been Building a Future You Never Meant to Choose?” and start redesigning your next 90 days—on purpose.
Top References
Baumeister, R.F., & Tierney, J. (2011). Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength. Penguin Press.
Zeigarnik, B. (1938). On Finished and Unfinished Tasks. In W.D. Ellis (Ed.), A Source Book of Gestalt Psychology.
Porges, S.W. (2011). The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-Regulation. W.W. Norton.
Rossi, E.L. (2002). The Psychobiology of Gene Expression: Neuroscience and Neurogenesis in Hypnosis and the Healing Arts. W.W. Norton.
Gruzelier, J.H. (2009). “A theory of alpha/theta neurofeedback, creative performance enhancement, long distance functional connectivity and psychological integration.” Cognitive Processing, 10(Suppl 1), 101–109.
Siegel, D.J. (2020). The Developing Mind: How Relationships and the Brain Interact to Shape Who We Are. Guilford Press.
Kabat-Zinn, J. (2013). Full Catastrophe Living. Bantam Books.
Cozolino, L. (2014). The Neuroscience of Human Relationships: Attachment and the Developing Social Brain. W.W. Norton.
Amen, D.G. (2017). Change Your Brain, Change Your Life. Harmony Books.
Shapiro, S.L. & Carlson, L.E. (2017). The Art and Science of Mindfulness: Integrating Mindfulness into Psychology and the Helping Professions. American Psychological Association.
Connect with Dr. Julia
LinkTree
Website: www.JuliaBowlinMD.com
Tagline:
Be Happy. Be Healthy. Be Fulfilled.
View all episodes
By Julia A Bowlin, M.D.The Death of Old Habits: A Season of Release
Every fall, nature models something that most humans resist—release.
Trees don’t cling to their leaves out of fear. They let go because survival depends on it. This episode explores how that same wisdom applies to mental, emotional, and behavioral patterns that have run their course.
Dr. Julia unpacks the neuroscience and emotional mechanics of letting go—why it feels hard, why it’s essential, and how to make peace with the mess that comes with it. Blending science, story, and hypnotherapy, this conversation invites a deeper kind of transformation: one that honors the human need to pause, crumble, and reset without guilt or apology.
In This Episode
The biology of release and why the fall season is a model for transformation.
How the Zeigarnik Effect keeps unfinished emotions looping in the nervous system—and how naming them brings closure.
The paradox of “Permission to Fall Apart” and why breakdowns often precede breakthroughs.
The role of grace during intense stress and its measurable impact on physical and emotional recovery.
Two hypnotherapy techniques for rewiring the mind toward calm and safety:
The Release Breath – Using visualization to communicate safety to the subconscious.
Compassionate Self-Suggestion – Installing self-trust and emotional regulation through repetition.
The 15-minute timer reset: a structured space to honor emotion without becoming consumed by it.
The restorative effect of binaural beats and how rhythmic frequencies calm an overstimulated mind.
Episode Worksheet Download
Title: Design vs Default: Confidence Clarity Worksheet
https://www.juliabowlinmd.com/Design-Verses-Default-Worksheet
Design Your Life—Don’t Default It
Stop running on autopilot. Grab the companion worksheet to my Mindset Medicine Show episode, “What If You’ve Been Building a Future You Never Meant to Choose?” and start redesigning your next 90 days—on purpose.
Top References
Baumeister, R.F., & Tierney, J. (2011). Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength. Penguin Press.
Zeigarnik, B. (1938). On Finished and Unfinished Tasks. In W.D. Ellis (Ed.), A Source Book of Gestalt Psychology.
Porges, S.W. (2011). The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-Regulation. W.W. Norton.
Rossi, E.L. (2002). The Psychobiology of Gene Expression: Neuroscience and Neurogenesis in Hypnosis and the Healing Arts. W.W. Norton.
Gruzelier, J.H. (2009). “A theory of alpha/theta neurofeedback, creative performance enhancement, long distance functional connectivity and psychological integration.” Cognitive Processing, 10(Suppl 1), 101–109.
Siegel, D.J. (2020). The Developing Mind: How Relationships and the Brain Interact to Shape Who We Are. Guilford Press.
Kabat-Zinn, J. (2013). Full Catastrophe Living. Bantam Books.
Cozolino, L. (2014). The Neuroscience of Human Relationships: Attachment and the Developing Social Brain. W.W. Norton.
Amen, D.G. (2017). Change Your Brain, Change Your Life. Harmony Books.
Shapiro, S.L. & Carlson, L.E. (2017). The Art and Science of Mindfulness: Integrating Mindfulness into Psychology and the Helping Professions. American Psychological Association.
Connect with Dr. Julia
LinkTree
Website: www.JuliaBowlinMD.com
Tagline:
Be Happy. Be Healthy. Be Fulfilled.