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 215 episodes available.

Your Next, Best Step episodes:

April 28, 2026 BONUS: The Three-Word Reframe (YNBS 082)
What if the thing you are doing "just for yourself" is actually an act of worship? One small reframe can change whether a habit sticks or fades.
In the full episode, we explore the surprising psychology behind why Lent works so well and why we let those same habits go once the season ends. Spoiler: it has everything to do with how you see yourself.
Ep 082: "Why It Was Easier During Lent (And What That Tells You About Yourself)"
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.
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2min
April 27, 2026Episode 082: Why It Was Easier During Lent (And What That Tells You About Yourself)
Did you keep a beautiful habit during Lent… and watch it quietly fade after Easter? You are not alone.
Many women sustain prayer practices, healthier rhythms, media fasts, and intentional movement during Lent, and then Easter arrives, and those habits dissolve. Why?
In this episode, we explore the surprising psychology behind why Lent works so well and why we let those same habits go once the season ends.
Spoiler: it has everything to do with how you see yourself.
In this episode, you will:
Understand why sacred motivation makes hard things feel doable — and what happens when it disappears
Discover the three psychological needs that made your Lenten practice sustainable - and how to rebuild them outside of a liturgical season
Reframe self-care as an act of worship that does not expire
SCRIPTURE HIGHLIGHT: Romans 12:1 (NIV)
Research note: This episode draws on Pargament and Mahoney’s meta-analysis on sacred goals and psychosocial functioning (Bowling Green State University, 1999–2021) and Deci and Ryan’s self-determination theory (American Psychologist, 2000; Contemporary Educational Psychology, 2020).
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 25, 2026 BONUS: The Creativity Lie Women Over 45 Need to Stop Believing (YNBS 081)
You say you are not creative. Science says otherwise. Research from Drexel University found that making something - anything - lowers stress hormones regardless of skill level. Creativity is not talent. It is action.
Learn more about why your midlife brain might actually be wired for creativity in ways it was not when you were younger in the full episode (081): "Earth Minus Art Is Just 'Eh': Why Creating Anything Is Good for Your Soul"
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 24, 2026 Episode 081: Earth Minus Art Is Just 'Eh': Why Creating Anything Is Good for Your Soul
You used to create things. You used to sing, write, build, arrange, cook without a recipe. Then life got busy, and that part of you got tucked away. What if reclaiming it is one of the simplest things you can do for your health?
In this episode, we walk through the surprising research behind why making something - anything - changes how your body and brain respond to stress. And why your midlife brain might actually be wired for creativity in ways it was not when you were younger.
What you will walk away with:
• A fresh understanding of why creative expression lowers stress hormones — even if you have zero artistic background
• The biblical reason God treats creativity as a spiritual gift, and what that means for you
• A simple prompt that reconnects you with something you used to love
SCRIPTURE HIGHLIGHT: Exodus 35:31-32
Research note: This episode references a 2016 Drexel University study on cortisol reduction following art-making and a 2025 Nature Communications study on creative engagement and brain aging across 13 countries.
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
9min
April 23, 2026 BONUS: Why 10 Minutes Outside Changes Your Stress Levels (YNBS 080)
You do not need an hour-long hike to feel the difference nature makes.
Research shows that just 10 minutes in a natural setting can start lowering your cortisol levels - and the most efficient stress reduction happens between 20 and 30 minutes.
Here is why it works and what to leave behind.
Dive Deeper into learning the surprising connection between stewardship, stress science, and how you treat your own body by checking out the full episode (080): God's First Assignment Was Not What You Think (And It Changes How You Treat Yourself)
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 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

FAQs about Your Next, Best Step:

How many episodes does Your Next, Best Step have?

The podcast currently has 215 episodes available.