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On Purpose with Jay Shetty

Constantly Overthinking or Doubting Yourself? (Do THIS 5-Minute Reset to Break Your Negative Spiral!)

Published October 24, 2025
View Show Notes

About This Episode

Jay Shetty delivers a solo episode about how to interrupt negative self-talk and the inner critic that sabotages progress. He explains why self-criticism feels like control but actually undermines performance, how shame differs from guilt, why our brains focus on mistakes, and why progress and healing are non-linear. Through research references, practical reframes, and examples, he offers seven mindset shifts to replace self-beating with self-compassion, accountability, gratitude, and strategic rest.

Topics Covered

Mental health Personal Development Confidence Relationships Resilience Habits Gratitude Stress management Growth mindset Perspective shift

Disclaimer: We provide independent summaries of podcasts and are not affiliated with or endorsed in any way by any podcast or creator. All podcast names and content are the property of their respective owners. The views and opinions expressed within the podcasts belong solely to the original hosts and guests and do not reflect the views or positions of Summapod.

Quick Takeaways

  • Self-criticism often masquerades as control and motivation but actually sabotages focus, performance, and growth.
  • Talking to yourself the way you would talk to a close friend leads to more honest assessment and better outcomes than extreme self-praise or self-hate.
  • Shame ("I am bad") keeps people stuck and hiding, while guilt ("I did something bad") supports accountability and change.
  • The brain's negativity bias makes mistakes and slights loom larger than successes, so you must deliberately notice and share positive moments to rewire your focus.
  • Progress and healing are non-linear; slipping up is part of change, and beating yourself up after a bad day is what turns it into a bad week or month.
  • Planned rest and sleep are strategic tools for better performance and creativity, not signs of laziness.
  • Self-kindness and constructive self-talk build resilience under pressure far more effectively than harsh internal criticism.

Podcast Notes

Introduction: The inner critic as the real obstacle

Jay welcomes listeners and introduces himself

Jay identifies himself and his work[3:02]
• He says, "Hey everyone, welcome back to On Purpose. I'm Jay Shetty, the author of New York Times bestselling books, Think Like a Monk and Eight Rules of Love."
States why he is glad listeners are here[3:08]
• He says he is glad the audience is here because many are dealing with an internal challenge.

Framing the main problem: the voice in your head

The biggest challenge is not external voices but the inner voice[3:15]
• Jay contrasts the voice of friends and family with the more powerful "voice inside your head."
Description of the inner critic[3:24]
• He describes a critic sitting in your head 24/7 that overanalyzes, criticizes, and complains about every move, thought, and decision.
How the inner critic blocks potential and action[3:47]
• Jay says this critical voice can block you from living your best life, unleashing your potential, and making ideas happen.
• He gives examples: wanting to start a podcast but hearing "don't do it"; wanting to impact the world but hearing "you're not good enough"; wanting to build a business but hearing "it's a stupid idea."
Recognizing self-beating patterns[4:29]
• Jay notes that we all go through moments where we keep beating ourselves up.

Who this episode is for

For people who want to silence the inner critic[4:17]
• He says if you want to silence the critic in your head, the episode is for you.
For people stuck in negative mental spirals[4:25]
• He repeats that if you want to break through the negative spiral in your mind, this episode is for you.
For people who want to lift themselves up[4:40]
• He adds that if you want to stop beating yourself up and start lifting yourself up, the episode is for you.

Point 1: Self-criticism feels like control but is actually sabotage

Misconception: self-criticism as control and motivation

Self-criticism gives an illusion of control[4:41]
• Jay says self-criticism feels like control because we think we know everything and are correcting ourselves.
Reality: self-criticism sabotages instead of helping[4:41]
• He emphasizes that in reality, self-criticism is sabotaging us.

Tennis player example: focusing on missed shots

Top player berating themselves after misses[4:59]
• He asks listeners to imagine a top tennis player who keeps berating themselves after every missed shot.
Effect of self-criticism on performance[5:13]
• Instead of focusing, the player just beats themselves up about the last point, which destroys their rhythm.

Roger Federer's approach to mistakes

Reference to Roger Federer's Dartmouth speech[5:22]
• Jay cites an "incredible" speech by Roger Federer at Dartmouth University.
Federer's perspective on lost points[5:31]
• Federer said he missed and lost many points in his career but his biggest skill was not focusing on the last point he missed.
• Federer noted that if he focused on the last missed point or on a future point he might miss, he would miss the present shot and present moment.

How past and future self-judgment waste the present

Beating yourself up about the past[5:50]
• Jay says many people are beating themselves up for the past.
Beating yourself up about the future you expected[5:56]
• He adds that many beat themselves up for not having the future they thought they were going to have.
Cost of self-criticism on the present[6:06]
• He explains that this makes the present lose time, money, and energy.

Research on self-compassion and procrastination

Kristin Neff's 2005 study on self-compassion[6:13]
• Jay cites Kristin Neff's research on self-compassion from 2005.
Effect of forgiving oneself vs harsh criticism[6:25]
• He says the study shows that students who forgave themselves for procrastinating studied more effectively for the next exam.
• In contrast, harsh self-critics repeated the same procrastination cycle.
Forgiveness increases focus; resentment holds you back[6:38]
• Jay concludes that forgiving yourself makes you more focused and allows you to move forward.
• He contrasts that resenting yourself holds you back and criticizing yourself demotivates you.

Personal and relational examples of demotivating criticism

Golf lesson example showing constant criticism[6:55]
• Jay recalls taking a golf lesson with a coach who criticized him every quarter of a swing, even before he hit the ball.
• He says each time he was about to hit the ball, the coach had another criticism, which demotivated him.
How friends' constant criticism demotivates[7:19]
• He asks listeners to think about sharing an idea with a friend who always pulls it apart, even if they are well-intentioned, and notes that this is demotivating.
Example of calling yourself stupid at work[7:21]
• Jay asks how many have called themselves "stupid" after making a mistake at work.
• Instead of fixing it quickly, people often spiral into self-doubt, which leads to more errors.

Extending self-criticism into relationships and self-forgiveness

Beating yourself up for relationship choices[7:45]
• Jay shifts to relationships, noting people may beat themselves up for staying in a relationship too long, letting someone walk all over them, or allowing mistreatment.
Why self-blame after being mistreated worsens things[8:18]
• He says that when you beat yourself up for someone already treating you badly, it only gets worse.
Statements of self-forgiveness in relationships[8:06]
• Jay advises: forgive yourself for confusing attention with love.
• He adds: forgive yourself for ignoring red flags because you wanted it to work.
• He continues: forgive yourself for chasing validation instead of connection.
• He also says: forgive yourself for being loyal to people who weren't loyal to you.
Forgiving yourself as a path to healing and growth[8:52]
• Jay emphasizes forgiving yourself so that you can move on, arguing that without self-forgiveness, we don't heal.
• He says healing is not just forgiving others but also saying, "That mistake I made? That's all I knew then. That's all the information I had then."
• He adds that maybe you even knew better, but now you are learning and applying the lesson, which frees you from blocking your own growth.

Point 2: Talk to yourself as you would talk to a friend

Contrast between how we talk to friends vs ourselves

Job interview example with a best friend[9:03]
• Jay asks listeners to imagine their best friend failed a job interview and whether they would say, "You're useless. You should have prepared better. You'll never get hired now."
• He asserts you would never say that to a friend, yet that's how many talk to themselves.
We talk to ourselves like an enemy, not a friend[9:19]
• Jay says we talk to ourselves like our worst enemy, like someone we hate or don't believe in.

Avoiding false positivity and seeking honest assessment

Not about empty self-praise[9:33]
• He clarifies he is not saying we should falsely cheer ourselves up or simply say, "No, I'm amazing and they were wrong."
Both extremes "I'm the best" and "I'm the worst" are untrue[9:44]
• Jay notes that saying "you're the best" isn't true and saying "you're the worst" isn't true either.

Bhagavad Gita teaching on attachment and aversion

Ego's role in extreme self-views[9:33]
• Jay references the Bhagavad Gita, a book he studied as a monk, which says attachment and aversion are two sides of the same coin.
• He says the feelings "I'm the best" or "I'm the worst" are two sides of the same coin and are just the ego playing games.
Consequences of ego-driven self-views[10:31]
• When the ego makes you believe you're the best, you become complacent and feel infallible.
• When the ego makes you believe you're the worst, it doesn't help you grow.

Value of honest introspection and constructive self-talk

Honest introspection as the needed middle ground[10:15]
• Jay says that honest introspection and honest assessment are what we need.
Reframing interview feedback[10:20]
• He suggests saying, "This is what I got right in the interview. But I didn't really nail these three things," thus assessing the interview as something you took part in, not as your entire identity.

Research on self-talk and athletic performance

Positive instructional self-talk improves performance[10:35]
• Jay references research on self-talk showing that athletes who used positive, instructional self-talk improved performance.
Negative self-talk causes choking[10:41]
• He contrasts that negative self-talk led to choking under pressure.
Everyone has self-talk; content matters[10:48]
• Jay notes that we all have self-talk and can't stop it, but constructive, positive, forward-focused self-talk makes a difference.

Dating example and self-fulfilling prophecy

Negative pre-date self-statements[11:29]
• He gives an example: before a date, telling yourself "I'm boring" or "I'm not sure they're going to like me."
How mindset shapes behavior on the date[11:29]
• He explains that this leads you to walk in nervous and awkward, helping fulfill the prophecy.
• He notes you then end up being or feeling more boring.
Balanced self-view before a date[11:29]
• Jay clarifies he isn't suggesting you think you're the most interesting person on the planet, but that you recognize you have a couple of interesting and important things to talk about.

Self-encouragement and self-validation when no one else does

Encouraging and validating yourself[11:47]
• Jay urges: encourage yourself when no one else is, validate yourself when no one else is noticing.
Challenge and forgive yourself appropriately[11:38]
• He adds: challenge yourself when no one else is pushing, and forgive yourself when no one else understands.
Believe in yourself before others do[11:43]
• He says: believe in yourself before anyone else does; push yourself without punishing yourself, or you'll always be waiting for someone else.

Doing the hard things when no one is watching

Strong people act in private before public success[12:08]
• Jay says strong people did the difficult, challenging, and hardest things when no one was watching, clapping, or noticing.
Practice in private leads to public performance[12:12]
• He encourages doing the hard and right thing when no one is there so you can do it brilliantly when everyone is watching on the screen.

Point 3: Beating yourself up creates shame, not accountability

Why trying to "beat" yourself or others into improvement backfires

We think harshness builds accountability[12:39]
• Jay says beating yourself up doesn't build accountability; it builds shame.
We also use harshness on others[12:45]
• He notes that we sometimes criticize others harshly, hoping it will help them improve, but it just beats them down.
You can't beat someone down and lift them up simultaneously[12:50]
• Jay states you cannot beat someone down and lift them up at the same time, yet that's effectively what we are trying to do with ourselves.

Teen cheating example and shame cycle

Teenager caught cheating feels shame[13:02]
• He gives the example of a teenager caught cheating on an exam, who feels so much shame and thinks, "I'm a terrible person."
Shame leads to secrecy, not change[13:26]
• Instead of changing, the teen hides their mistakes and cheats again.

Brené Brown's distinction between guilt and shame

Definitions of guilt vs shame[13:26]
• Jay references Brené Brown's work, explaining guilt as "I did something bad" and shame as "I am bad."
Different outcomes of guilt and shame[13:26]
• He says guilt drives corrective action, while shame fuels secrecy and withdrawal.

Language shapes identity: "I did" vs "I am"

Impact of saying "I am" with negative labels[13:37]
• Jay warns that every time you say "I am" followed by a negative word, you start believing that is your identity.
"I did something bad" preserves changeability[13:55]
• He contrasts that saying "I did something bad" lets you see it as a habit or pattern you can change.
Harder to believe you can change your whole self[14:16]
• He observes it's harder to feel you can change yourself than to change something you did.

Relationship example: snapping at your partner

Shame after snapping leads to avoidance[14:36]
• Jay gives an example of snapping at a partner, then thinking "I'm a horrible partner."
• Because of shame, instead of apologizing, you avoid the partner, which only makes things worse.
Comfort in darkness vs exposure in light[14:50]
• He likens prolonged shame to getting comfortable in the dark; the light exposes you, so you move away from it.

Metaphor of light revealing reality (Las Vegas example)

Vegas at night vs in the morning[14:50]
• Jay recalls going to Las Vegas: at night there was glitz and glam, but in the morning, with lights on, he saw people glued to slot machines and messes on the floor.
• He describes seeing vomit or drinks and popcorn on the floor and people passed out, showing a very different scene.
Light shows what is actually there[15:06]
• He says light shows what's actually there, which can be uncomfortable, making people move away from it.

Shifting from shame and blame to compassion and accountability

Compassion instead of shame[15:25]
• Jay exhorts: don't shame yourself-it won't change you; compassion will.
Accountability instead of blame[15:30]
• He says blame won't change you; accountability will.
Action and challenges instead of criticism and self-beating[16:06]
• He adds: don't criticize yourself; it won't change you-action will.
• He continues: don't beat yourself up; it won't change you-challenges will.
Guilt slows you down rather than grows you[15:47]
• Jay concludes that you don't grow because of guilt; it just slows you down.

Point 4: Your brain is wired to focus on mistakes (negativity bias)

Tendency to over-focus on errors and slights

Good performances are quickly forgotten, mistakes linger[20:24]
• Jay notes that if you're great in a work meeting, you'll forget about it by the next meeting, but a sloppy comment or mistake can stick in your mind for the rest of the day or week.
Musician example: fixating on one unhappy person[20:51]
• He gives an example of a musician finishing a concert with hundreds or thousands clapping, but focusing on one frowning person or one negative social media post.
Group chat and birthday examples[21:16]
• Jay says on social media or in group chats, you may fixate on the one friend who doesn't respond instead of the ten who do.
• He also describes a birthday where seven desired guests show up and three don't, and the mind focuses on the three absentees.

Study on negativity bias

Negative events weigh heavier than positive ones[21:34]
• Jay cites a study showing negative events weigh three to five times more heavily in our minds than positive ones, calling this the negativity bias.

We go deeper into hard emotions than happy ones

Remembering bad times more than good times[21:48]
• He explains we remember bad times more because when things go well, we celebrate for a night, but when things go badly, we cry for a month.

Point 4 (continued): Rewiring your focus with gratitude and sharing positives

Training your mind to notice positive experiences

Sharing good things as a mental exercise[21:48]
• Jay advises that when something good happens or someone does something good for you, you should share and talk about it to train your mind to spot positive change.
Balancing awareness of problems with appreciation[21:45]
• He says it's valuable to know what needs to change in your life, but if that's all you notice, you will just create more of it.
• He illustrates by saying he can look around a room and see mistakes in furniture placement (important) but can also see how beautiful it is (also important).

Frequency illusion and heightened awareness

Seeing things more once you focus on them[21:56]
• Jay describes the frequency illusion: noticing a color or clothing item or car you like, then seeing it everywhere.
• He notes there aren't necessarily more of those items; you just have heightened awareness.

Why gratitude practices work

Gratitude shifts what you notice[23:18]
• Jay says this is why gratitude works: when you're grateful for something, you notice more things to be grateful for.
We are currently trained to spot negative things[23:30]
• He states that right now, most brains are wired to spot negative things, so you see more negatives, not because there are more of them, but because you're trained to notice them.

Wayne Dyer quote about perception

You see the world as you are[23:36]
• Jay quotes Wayne Dyer: "You don't see things as they are. You see things as you are."
Positive focus vs pretending negatives don't exist[22:25]
• He clarifies that focusing on the positive doesn't mean ignoring negatives (which he labels "positive thinking"); instead, it's tuning yourself to higher vibration and frequency while still acknowledging real problems.

Point 5: Progress is not linear

Examples of non-linear progress and persistence

Thomas Edison's many attempts before success[24:15]
• Jay notes that Thomas Edison tested over 1,000 prototypes before the light bulb worked and would have quit if he treated early setbacks as failure.
Stages of change model and relapse[24:30]
• He references the stages of change model, saying relapse (like slipping back into smoking) isn't failure but part of lasting behavior change.

Common pattern: one missed goal leads to quitting

Running three times a week example[24:43]
• Jay describes committing to run three times a week but only managing once one week, then often quitting entirely the next week.
Diet example: one crash leads to abandoning efforts[24:35]
• He mentions eating really healthy and then crashing one night, which people may treat as grounds to give up.

Understanding healing and growth as stepwise and uneven

Breakup healing isn't linear[25:12]
• Jay says after a breakup you might feel healed in a month, but seven months later you may still find yourself thinking about your ex.
Patterns of forward and backward steps[25:12]
• He describes healing as three steps forward, two steps back; four forward, three back; sometimes one forward and four back.
Accepting this pattern frees you to heal[25:26]
• He says that when you realize that's what healing looks like, you're actually free to heal.

Avoid turning a single bad day into a longer downturn

Beating yourself up is why you fall back into bad habits[25:53]
• Jay claims it's not laziness that drives falling back into bad habits but beating yourself up when you have a bad day.
Keep the bad day as just a bad day[25:50]
• He urges: don't turn a bad day into a bad week, a bad week into a bad month, or a bad month into a bad year.
• He says it's okay to have a bad day, but tomorrow pick yourself up and make it a great one.
Grace after setbacks helps you get back on track[26:43]
• Jay concludes that giving yourself grace when you fall off a goal or habit helps you get back on track much quicker.

Point 6: Rest is part of progress, not the opposite

Going inward to move forward

Monk teacher's teaching on depth and forward movement[27:01]
• Jay quotes his monk teacher: "If you want to move three steps forward, you have to go three steps deep."
Asking if you've gone inward[27:12]
• He says if you're struggling to move forward, ask yourself if you've gone inward already.

Elite athletes' planned recovery

Recovery days are scheduled strictly[27:19]
• Jay notes that elite athletes schedule recovery days as strictly as training days.
Serena Williams naps before matches[27:22]
• He mentions that Serena Williams even naps before matches.
Rest is strategy, not laziness[27:25]
• He says rest is strategy, not laziness.

Difference between planned rest and collapse from exhaustion

Most people only rest when exhausted[27:34]
• Jay points out that most people don't plan rest; they rest only when exhausted.
Exhaustion-based rest is survival, not true rest[28:25]
• He argues that resting when exhausted isn't rest but survival and recovery, which is why it feels stressful.
Highest performers have scheduled rest[27:43]
• He says the highest performers in the world have scheduled rest that helps them perform at their best in other times.

Matthew Walker's research on sleep

Deep sleep consolidates learning and memory[28:04]
• Jay references interviewing Matthew Walker and his book "Why We Sleep" (2017), saying deep sleep consolidates learning and strengthens memory.
Without sleep, performance and creativity drop[28:07]
• He notes that without deep sleep, performance and creativity decline.

Dangerous mindset of postponing sleep and rest

Myths like "I'll sleep when I'm dead"[28:11]
• Jay mentions people who say "I'll sleep when I'm dead" or "I'll sleep when I'm tired."
Sleep enables productivity and proactivity[29:07]
• He insists sleep is the reason you can be productive, proactive, and effective.
Stop beating yourself up for wanting rest and personal time[28:25]
• Jay says not to beat yourself up for wanting to rest, take a break, slow down, or have your own time.

Example of overworking leading to sloppy mistakes

Working late every night backfires[28:51]
• He gives an example of working late every night to get ahead but ending up burned out and making sloppy mistakes.
A rested version of you is more effective[28:58]
• Jay notes a rested version of you would finish faster with fewer errors.
Working more isn't always achieving more[29:03]
• He says working more, losing sleep, and trying to do everything do not necessarily achieve more.
• Sometimes you achieve more through more rest, stillness, and calm.

Point 7: Self-kindness builds resilience more than self-criticism

Navy SEALs, Hell Week, and self-talk

Encouraging self-talk helps completion of Hell Week[29:31]
• Jay says Navy SEALs in training who used encouraging self-talk were far more likely to complete Hell Week than those who tore themselves down.
Description of Hell Week's intensity[29:44]
• He describes Hell Week as a five-and-a-half-day period during first-phase SEAL training, with candidates averaging about four hours of sleep for the entire week, less than an hour per night.
• He notes they are constantly exposed to cold water, mud, sand, physical drills, team challenges, and day-and-night activities such as running in formation, carrying boats and logs, swimming in the Pacific, and obstacle courses.
Purpose of Hell Week: testing mind and spirit[30:27]
• Jay states the goal is not just pushing the body but testing the mind and spirit under exhaustion.
• Instructors want to see who breaks under stress, who stays calm when freezing, exhausted, and in pain, and who can lead and support teammates when everyone is suffering.
High dropout rate and mental resilience[30:53]
• Jay shares that about 70 to 80 percent of candidates quit during Hell Week.
• He notes that survivors don't necessarily have the strongest bodies but the strongest mental resilience, supported by their self-talk.

Self-compassion meditation study

Neff and Germer 2013 findings[31:07]
• Jay cites Nef and Germa (2013), saying people who practiced self-compassion meditation increased resilience and life satisfaction and reduced anxiety.

Reframing failure as a single event, not identity

Presentation example[31:17]
• He suggests that after bombing a presentation, you could tell yourself, "It's one talk, not my whole career. Next time I'll be sharper."
Kindness to self sustains forward motion[31:32]
• Jay says that such a mindset keeps you moving forward instead of giving up.
You get stronger by giving yourself kindness[31:32]
• He concludes that you don't get stronger by beating yourself down, but by giving yourself the same kindness you'd give to anyone you love.

Conclusion: Rewriting mental scripts and quieting the critic

Inner critic won't disappear, but can be balanced

Goal is not removing the inner critic entirely[31:43]
• Jay says the inner critic isn't going anywhere and isn't going away; the goal isn't to get rid of it.
Installing new scripts of positive self-talk[31:54]
• He emphasizes making sure you have new scripts in your mind with positive self-talk that focus on gratitude and opportunities.
• He says these new scripts should look for systems and solutions when they see problems, not default to criticism and shame.

Jay's closing thanks and encouragement

Invitation to share and discuss the episode[32:13]
• Jay thanks listeners for listening, says he hopes they'll share the episode with a friend who struggles with the same issues, and discuss it with them.
Affirmation of support for listeners[32:21]
• He ends by saying he will see them on the next episode and that he is forever in their corner and always rooting for them.

Lessons Learned

Actionable insights and wisdom you can apply to your business, career, and personal life.

1

Harsh self-criticism feels like taking control and staying accountable, but it actually sabotages focus, performance, and growth; self-forgiveness and honest assessment are more effective motivators.

Reflection Questions:

  • • Where in your life do you most often respond to mistakes by calling yourself names or replaying them instead of focusing on the next action?
  • • How might your results change if you treated a recent setback the way you would treat a close friend's mistake-with honest feedback but without insults or doom predictions?
  • • What is one situation this week where you can consciously replace self-berating thoughts with a calm review of what happened and one concrete next step?
2

Framing mistakes as "I did something bad" instead of "I am bad" shifts you from shame to guilt, preserving your sense of changeability and making it easier to take corrective action.

Reflection Questions:

  • • In what recurring situation do you tend to label yourself (e.g., "I'm lazy," "I'm a bad partner") instead of describing what you did specifically?
  • • How could rephrasing a recent problem from an "I am" statement to an "I did" statement open up more options for fixing it?
  • • What specific language will you choose the next time you catch yourself thinking "I am ___" in a negative way so that you reinforce behavior change, not a fixed negative identity?
3

Your brain's negativity bias means errors and slights loom much larger than wins, so you must deliberately notice, savor, and share positive moments to rebalance your perception.

Reflection Questions:

  • • Looking at the last week, what three positive interactions or small wins did you quickly gloss over or forget compared to the one criticism or mistake you kept replaying?
  • • How might regularly sharing one good thing that happened each day-with a friend, partner, or journal-change what you naturally pay attention to?
  • • What simple daily practice (e.g., a two-minute gratitude note, a "win of the day" list) can you start tonight to train your mind to see more of what is working?
4

Progress and healing are inherently non-linear, with forward and backward steps; the real danger is not a bad day but the self-attacking story that turns it into a bad week or month.

Reflection Questions:

  • • Where are you expecting your habit change or healing process to be perfectly linear, and how do you react when you inevitably have an off day?
  • • How could viewing a setback as part of the process-rather than as proof you've failed-change the way you respond the very next day?
  • • What concrete rule can you adopt (for example, "a bad day stays a bad day") to prevent slipups from expanding into longer downward spirals?
5

Planned rest and sleep are strategic components of high performance, not signs of weakness; working more and sleeping less often reduce effectiveness and increase errors.

Reflection Questions:

  • • In which areas of your life are you trying to compensate for fatigue by pushing harder instead of intentionally scheduling recovery?
  • • How might your quality of work, creativity, or patience improve if you treated rest like a non-negotiable part of your training plan rather than something you do only when exhausted?
  • • What is one realistic change you could make to your weekly routine-such as a protected bedtime, a weekly downtime block, or a short nap window-to support better performance?
6

Kind, constructive self-talk builds resilience under pressure far more than harsh inner criticism, especially in demanding situations where quitting is easy.

Reflection Questions:

  • • When you face something stressful (a presentation, difficult conversation, or intense deadline), what does your inner dialogue typically sound like?
  • • How could you rewrite that internal script into something brief and encouraging that keeps you focused on the next step rather than on everything that could go wrong?
  • • What specific phrase or mantra will you practice using the next time you're under pressure so that you build yourself up instead of tearing yourself down?

Episode Summary - Notes by Avery

Constantly Overthinking or Doubting Yourself? (Do THIS 5-Minute Reset to Break Your Negative Spiral!)
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