Your Next, Best Step

By Janet J.

Faith-forward wellness for busy Christian women—science and Scripture in 15 minutes for energy, peace, and follow-through.

Your life is full, and you still want to feel bette

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FAQs about Your Next, Best Step:

How many episodes does Your Next, Best Step have?

The podcast currently has 160 episodes available.

Your Next, Best Step episodes:

April 22, 2026Episode 080: God's First Assignment Was Not What You Think (And It Changes How You Treat Yourself)
What if the most overlooked wellness practice in Scripture was hiding in the very first chapter of your Bible?
Today is Earth Day - and it turns out the Bible has something to say about caring for creation that also changes how you think about caring for yourself. The Hebrew word behind God's first assignment to humanity is the same word used in one of the most beloved blessings in all of Scripture. And it reframes self-care in a way guilt never could.
In this episode, we walk through the surprising connection between stewardship, stress science, and how you treat your own body - plus one small practice backed by research that takes less than ten minutes.
In this episode, you will:
Discover what God's very first assignment to a human being reveals about how He wants you to treat yourself
Understand why even brief time in nature measurably lowers your stress hormones
Walk away with a simple practice that connects caring for the world around you to caring for the one within you
SCRIPTURE HIGHLIGHT: Genesis 2:15 (NIV)
Research note: This episode references White et al. (2019) in Scientific Reports on nature exposure and wellbeing, and Hunter et al. (2019) in Frontiers in Psychology on brief nature experiences and cortisol reduction.
Ready for your next step?
FREE 5-Minute Daily Reset (instant download):
YourNextBestStep.com
Weekly encouragement + practical tips:
YouTube @CoachJanetJ
Instagram: @janetjjaecks
If this episode resonated with you, please follow/subscribe and share with a friend who needs their next step.
One small step. One day at a time.
...more
8min
April 21, 2026 BONUS: Good Enough Is Not Giving Up (YNBS 079)
Let's challenge the idea that "good enough" means settling for mediocrity.
Most of us cringe at the phrase because we mistake it for giving up.
But true "good enough" is actually a statement of clarity.
It’s about knowing the difference between excellence and exhaustion and choosing to invest your energy where it actually matters.
Join us for the full episode where we walk through why perfectionism quietly drains every pillar of your wellness - mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual - and what Scripture says about the surprising wisdom of avoiding extremes.
"When Good Enough Is the Brave Choice" (Ep 079)
Ready for your next step?
FREE 5-Minute Daily Reset (instant download):
YourNextBestStep.com
Weekly encouragement + practical tips:
YouTube @CoachJanetJ
Instagram: @janetjjaecks
If this episode resonated with you, please follow/subscribe and share with a friend who needs their next step.
One small step. One day at a time.
...more
2min
April 20, 2026Episode 079: When Good Enough Is the Brave Choice
You have been beating yourself up for not doing things perfectly. Meanwhile, “good enough” has been quietly holding your whole life together.
If you are the woman who double-checks everything, rewrites the email three times, and still wonders if you should have done more - this episode is for you.
Psychologist Barry Schwartz found that people who chase the “absolute best” in every decision end up less happy and more regretful than people who choose “good enough.” And a meta-analysis of over 47,000 people confirmed it.
In this episode, we walk through why perfectionism quietly drains every pillar of your wellness - mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual - and what Scripture says about the surprising wisdom of avoiding extremes.
What you will walk away with:
A clearer understanding of why chasing “perfect” leaves you less satisfied, not more
A biblical framework for the kind of wisdom that knows when enough is enough
A fresh way to see “good enough” as an act of courage, not a compromise
SCRIPTURE HIGHLIGHT: Ecclesiastes 7:16–18 (NIV)
Research note: This episode references Barry Schwartz’s research on satisficing vs. maximizing (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology) and a 2022 meta-analysis by Belli et al. (Journal of Consumer Psychology).
Ready for your next step?
FREE 5-Minute Daily Reset (instant download):
YourNextBestStep.com
Weekly encouragement + practical tips:
YouTube @CoachJanetJ
Instagram: @janetjjaecks
If this episode resonated with you, please follow/subscribe and share with a friend who needs their next step.
One small step. One day at a time.
...more
10min
April 18, 2026BONUS: The App You Forgot to Close(YNBS 078)
Is your brain running on "low battery"?
Just like a smartphone lagging with 27 apps open in the background, your mind drains energy on every unfinished task you’re "meaning to get to."
In this bonus, we dive into the Zeigarnik Effect - the psychological phenomenon that keeps your brain stuck in a loop of unfinished business.
Join me in the full episode where we dive deeper into:
Why unfinished tasks create real cognitive tension that follows you through your day (and into your sleep)
What nearly a century of psychology research reveals about your brain’s need for completion
How even small completions trigger your brain’s reward system and build genuine momentum
FULL: Why You Feel Lighter After Finishing Something Hard (Ep 078)
Ready for your next step?
FREE 5-Minute Daily Reset (instant download):
YourNextBestStep.com
Weekly encouragement + practical tips:
YouTube @CoachJanetJ
Instagram: @janetjjaecks
If this episode resonated with you, please follow/subscribe and share with a friend who needs their next step.
One small step. One day at a time.
...more
2min
April 17, 2026Episode 078: Why You Feel Lighter After Finishing Something Hard
That thing you have been putting off? It is quietly draining your energy, your focus, and your peace of mind - even when you are not thinking about it.
In this episode, we unpack the science behind why unfinished tasks weigh so much more than we realize, and why completing them creates a relief that is not just emotional - it is neurological.
In this episode, you will discover:
Why unfinished tasks create real cognitive tension that follows you through your day (and into your sleep)
What nearly a century of psychology research reveals about your brain’s need for completion
How even small completions trigger your brain’s reward system and build genuine momentum
SCRIPTURE HIGHLIGHT: "Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken." Psalm 55:22 (NIV)
Research note: Bluma Zeigarnik (1927) on unfinished task tension; Masicampo & Baumeister (2011, JPSP) on goal interference; Teresa Amabile’s Progress Principle (Harvard Business School, 2011).
Ready for your next step?
FREE 5-Minute Daily Reset (instant download):
YourNextBestStep.com
Weekly encouragement + practical tips:
YouTube @CoachJanetJ
Instagram: @janetjjaecks
If this episode resonated with you, please follow/subscribe and share with a friend who needs their next step.
One small step. One day at a time.
...more
11min
April 16, 2026 BONUS: Financial Worry Steals 13 IQ Points - Here's What to Do (YNBS 077)
A landmark study published in Science found that financial worry reduces your cognitive function by the equivalent of 13 IQ points. That is why your brain feels foggy when you sit down with taxes, bills, or bank statements.
The same researchers found the effect reverses when financial stress is removed - same brain, same person, different capacity. Your thinking is not broken. It is occupied.
In the full episode, we walk through what your nervous system is doing during money stress and a 60-second practice that brings your cognitive capacity back online.
Scripture: “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You.” Isaiah 26:3
Ready for your next step?
FREE 5-Minute Daily Reset (instant download):
YourNextBestStep.com
Weekly encouragement + practical tips:
YouTube @CoachJanetJ
Instagram: @janetjjaecks
If this episode resonated with you, please follow/subscribe and share with a friend who needs their next step.
One small step. One day at a time.
...more
2min
April 15, 2026Episode 077: What Your Body Does When You Open a Bill: Money Stress and Your Nervous System
Your brain shuts down before you even look at the number. If you have ever sat down with a tax form, a medical bill, or a bank statement and felt your mind go foggy before you even started - research says that is not a personal failing. It is your brain under a very specific kind of load.
In this episode, we'll explore what financial worry actually does to your cognitive capacity - and why the very act of engaging with money stress makes your brain less equipped to handle the decisions in front of you.
You will walk away understanding:
Why financial stress reduces your thinking capacity by a measurable amount - and what that means for every money decision you make under pressure
What your brain and body are doing in the seconds before you open an envelope or log into your bank account
How to shift out of cognitive shutdown and into steady ground in about sixty seconds
SCRIPTURE HIGHLIGHT: Isaiah 26:3
Research note: This episode references Mani et al. (2013, Science) on cognitive bandwidth and financial stress, and Feng et al. (2022, Human Brain Mapping) on overlapping neural responses to monetary loss and physical pain.
Ready for your next step?
FREE 5-Minute Daily Reset (instant download):
YourNextBestStep.com
Weekly encouragement + practical tips:
YouTube @CoachJanetJ
Instagram: @janetjjaecks
If this episode resonated with you, please follow/subscribe and share with a friend who needs their next step.
One small step. One day at a time.
...more
17min
April 14, 2026 BONUS: God Does Not Forget (YNBS 076)
Hebrews 6:10 says it would be unjust for God to overlook what you have done. And God does not do injustice. For every woman whose labor keeps the world running.
Learn more in the episode "The Invisible Labor That Keeps Everything Running (Including Yours)" about what neuroscience reveals about how your brain processes being seen & being overlooked and how invisible labor touches every pillar of your wellbeing: mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual. (Ep 076)
Ready for your next step?
FREE 5-Minute Daily Reset (instant download):
YourNextBestStep.com
Weekly encouragement + practical tips:
YouTube @CoachJanetJ
Instagram: @janetjjaecks
If this episode resonated with you, please follow/subscribe and share with a friend who needs their next step.
One small step. One day at a time.
...more
1min
April 13, 2026 Episode 076: The Invisible Labor That Keeps Everything Running (Including Yours)
You keep everything running. The appointments, the follow-ups, the emotional temperature checks on people who have no idea you are doing it. And most days, nobody says a word.
This episode is for every woman who has ever felt drained after a day where she did everything and no one noticed. Invisible labor is real, and what it does to your brain and body goes deeper than just being tired.
In this episode, we walk through:
• Why the invisibility of your work may be affecting you more than the work itself
• What neuroscience reveals about how your brain processes being seen — and being overlooked
• How invisible labor touches every pillar of your wellbeing: mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual
SCRIPTURE HIGHLIGHT: "God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people." Hebrews 6:10 (NIV)
Research note: This episode references a 2024 study from Archives of Women’s Mental Health on cognitive labor and wellbeing, and neuroscience research on social reward processing in the brain (Izuma, Saito, & Sadato, Neuron, 2008).
Ready for your next step?
FREE 5-Minute Daily Reset (instant download):
YourNextBestStep.com
Weekly encouragement + practical tips:
YouTube @CoachJanetJ
Instagram: @janetjjaecks
If this episode resonated with you, please follow/subscribe and share with a friend who needs their next step.
One small step. One day at a time.
...more
12min
April 11, 2026 BONUS: The Grocery Aisle Test: Is Your Life on Autopilot? (YNBS 075)
Your grocery cart reveals more about your brain than you think. Neuroscience shows your dopamine system lights up with something new - even something as small as one unfamiliar ingredient.
Dive deeper into what neuroscience reveals about why doing something new feels so hard as we get older and why a surprisingly small amount of courage is all it actually takes in the episode "The 30-Second Courage Window: Doing Something New Without Overthinking It" (Ep 075)
Ready for your next step?
FREE 5-Minute Daily Reset (instant download):
YourNextBestStep.com
Weekly encouragement + practical tips:
YouTube @CoachJanetJ
Instagram: @janetjjaecks
If this episode resonated with you, please follow/subscribe and share with a friend who needs their next step.
One small step. One day at a time.
...more
1min

FAQs about Your Next, Best Step:

How many episodes does Your Next, Best Step have?

The podcast currently has 160 episodes available.