Episode 064: The Stories We Tell Ourselves and How to Question Them

Ever sent a text, gotten no reply, and watched your brain write an entire drama about what it means? You are not alone, and you are not broken.Research suggests we experience roughly 6,200 thought transitions every single day. Your mind is constantly generating content. The question is: which thoughts are getting the microphone?In this episode, I walk you through what psychology calls cognitive distortions (the thinking patterns that sound completely true in the moment) and a simple tool called the Story Edit that helps you separate the facts from the fiction your brain added.In This Episode:Understand why your brain turns small moments into sweeping identity statements (and why this pattern is especially common in women)Discover how Philippians 4:8 gives us a practical filter for the thousands of thoughts competing for our attention every dayWalk away with a tool you can use this week to question the stories that drain youSCRIPTURE HIGHLIGHT: Philippians 4:8, 2 Corinthians 10:5Research notes: This episode references research from Tseng and Poppenk (2020) at Queen's University, published in Nature Communications; Nolen-Hoeksema, Wisco, and Lyubomirsky (2008) on rumination; and Aaron Beck's foundational work on cognitive distortions.Ready for your next step?FREE 5-Minute Daily Reset (instant download):YourNextBestStep.com Weekly encouragement + practical tips:YouTube @CoachJanetJ Instagram: @janetjjaecksIf 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.