Banish the Lies: Outsmart Your Inner Critic

 Tania reflects on a simple phrase she can’t stop thinking about: be where your feet are. In this Monday Moment, she explores how easily the mind drifts into worry disguised as preparation, and what shifts when you come back to the moment you’re actually living. A short, grounded reflection on presence, rest, and letting go of the pressure to be everywhere at once. Send me a message

In this episode, Tania shares what happened when she tried to listen back to a podcast interview she had done… and immediately wanted to hide.What started as self-criticism turned into something more revealing. A pattern where tearing herself down was actually serving a purpose.Tania explores how self-criticism can act as a form of protection, why these reactions often feel bigger than the moment, and what shifts when you stop using criticism to avoid what you’re really feeling.Send me a message

In this Monday Moment, Tania reflects on a recent experience of being caught in an escalating conversation, where the urge to respond immediately felt almost automatic.She explores the internal pressure to fix, explain, and manage situations in real time, and what shifted when she chose to pause instead.This short episode invites listeners to notice the difference between urgency and intentional response, and to consider what becomes possible when we take a moment to settle before reacting.Send me a message

Tania sits down with Dana Hunter Fradella for a powerful conversation about the hidden patterns that keep women playing small… often without realizing it.Together, they unpack the pressure to prove ourselves, the lie behind “I should just be grateful,” and the subtle ways we minimize what we truly want. Dana also shares a question she knows well… “Is this too much to ask?”… and how that one thought can quietly cap what we allow ourselves to pursue.They explore the inner critic, the importance of feeling safe enough to be seen, and what it looks like to stop asking for permission and start trusting your own desires.And underneath it all is a simple but confronting question:What would you love… if nothing was off the table?About Dana Hunter FradellaDana Hunter Fradella is a next level success coach for women who are here to make a difference. She’s the host of the top 5% ranked Her Next Level podcast, a sought-after speaker, and a proud mom of three wild girls in New Orleans.Over the past two decades, Dana has helped hundreds of women leaders, founders, creatives, and entrepreneurs transform their lives, careers, and finances, moving from burnout and limitation into personal breakthroughs, full-spectrum wealth, and unapologetic fulfillment.Connect with DanaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danahunterfradella/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danahunterfradellaResources & Offers MentionedFree Training: Create the Career You Cravehttps://girls-who-recover.kit.com/careerComplimentary 1:1 Next Level Conversation(Special offer for three listeners of Banish the Lies)https://calendly.com/girls-who-recover/breakthrough-call-cloneSend me a message

In this Monday Moment, Tania reflects on a simple challenge that turned out to be anything but easy.After trying (and failing within minutes) to stop complaining, she noticed just how automatic her words can be. This short reflection invites listeners to pay attention to what they’re saying throughout the day, and whether it reflects the life they say they want.Send me a message

Ever have a moment where something goes wrong… and you instantly feel like you’re in trouble?In this episode, Tania shares a real-life experience that caught her off guard. What seemed like a simple problem quickly turned into a surge of urgency, pressure, and fear.But it wasn’t really about the situation itself.Tania explores how quickly the mind can jump to worst-case interpretations, especially in moments that feel familiar on a deeper level. The pressure to fix things, the assumption that something is wrong, and the underlying belief that it might somehow be your fault.If you’ve ever felt that immediate “oh no” reaction, like you need to fix something fast or avoid making things worse, this episode offers a relatable look at how past experiences can quietly shape present-moment reactions, and what it might look like to notice that pattern in real time.Send me a message

 Tania explores how expectations shape what we notice, and how being intentional about what we look for can quietly shift how we experience the day. Send me a message

Ever find yourself holding back parts of who you are, especially at work?In this episode, Tania reflects on a moment where she caught herself doing exactly that.She unpacks what was really going on underneath that hesitation, and how easy it is to slip into managing how we’re perceived instead of just showing up as ourselves, especially in professional settings.If you’ve ever struggled with being yourself at work, worried about how you’ll be judged, or felt like different versions of you show up depending on who you’re with, this one might feel familiar.Send me a message

 When your mind jumps to what’s wrong or what’s coming next, this simple out-loud practice can interrupt the anxiety spiral and bring you back to what’s right in front of you. Send me a message

Have you ever overreacted and wondered why your reaction felt so strong?In this episode, Tania shares a real parenting moment and explores what’s really happening beneath emotional triggers and overreactions.If you’ve ever asked yourself “why do I overreact?” or noticed that certain situations bring out a stronger response than expected, this conversation will help you understand why.You’ll explore how past experiences and early patterns can shape present-day reactions, and how to approach those moments with more self-awareness and compassion.Whether your triggers show up in parenting, relationships, or at work, this episode offers a thoughtful place to start making sense of them.Send me a message

Anxiety often shows up as a stream of questions:What if this goes badly? What will people think? What if I mess up?In this Monday Moment, Tania shares a simple shift that can interrupt the anxiety loop. Instead of trying to force positive thinking, try asking a curiosity question. Engaging the creative part of the brain can shift attention away from threat and toward possibility.Sometimes one small question can change the direction your mind starts looking.Send me a message

Have you ever believed you needed to be fully healed before you were allowed to help anyone else?In this deeply moving conversation, Tania sits down with somatic healing practitioner and former professional dancer Dawn Christensen to explore the belief that we must be fully healed, fully polished, fully “there” before we are worthy of showing up.Dawn shares her journey from ballet and performance to surviving a near-fatal car accident at 19 and navigating decades of complex chronic illness, including Ehlers-Danlos and POTS. Through profound stillness, spiritual awakening, and creative expression, she came to understand something radical and freeing: the body is not broken, but wise.Together, they explore the exhaustion of the performer identity, the pressure to perfect even our spirituality, and the quiet ways we try to earn a seat at the table that was never ours to earn.This conversation is a gentle return to embodied safety. To slowing down. To remembering that worth is inherent, not achieved.You do not have to arrive polished.You are allowed to serve, create, and belong as you are.About Dawn ChristensenDawn Christensen is a former professional actress and dancer, a graduate of NYU Tisch School of the Arts and the William Esper Conservatory. After surviving a near-fatal car accident at 19 and navigating decades of complex chronic illness including Ehlers-Danlos, POTS, and Long COVID, she devoted her life to somatic healing and embodied safety.She is a certified somatic healing and core centering practitioner and created the GRACE program for individuals facing chronic illness at Beth Israel Medical Center and Mount Sinai St. Luke’s in New York City.Today, she works one-to-one with clients experiencing overwhelm and offers digital healing programs designed to help people remember that the body is not broken, but wise.Resources & LinksYour Body Is the Messenger: A 44-Day Somatic CompanionANewDawnHealingArts - EtsyCode for listeners: SOMATICS $8.88One-on-One Somatic OpeningA one-time introductory offering for $88A one-hour guided somatic experience where you gently return to your body, your breath, and your truth.Included:• A brief opening connection to meet you where you are and set intention• A guided somatic healing session (approximately 60 minutes, paced to your nervous system)• A personalized integration to support you afterward, including:    – a written somatic reflection    – a custom 5-minute audio practice created just for youSubstack: Essays on Somatic Healing & Embodimenthttps://dawnchristensen.substack.comInstagram: @dawnchristensen1111TikTok: @dawnchristensen727Facebook: Dawn ChristensenSend me a message

What if meaningful change didn’t come from fixing yourself, but from being just 5% kinder to yourself today?In this Monday Moment, Tania reflects on how small shifts in self-compassion can soften the voice of the inner critic and change the tone of your day.Send me a message

Have you ever said something vulnerable… and then immediately started questioning it?Was that too much?Did I sound preachy?Did I overstep?In this episode, Tania shares a real moment that revealed what she now calls the strange addiction of self-criticism.Why does the mind instantly start tearing us down after we say something honest or vulnerable? And why does that spiral of analysis feel so compelling, even when it doesn’t actually help?If you’ve ever replayed a conversation in your head hours later, wondering how you might have been perceived, this episode will feel very familiar.Send me a message

In this Monday Moment, Tania explores the habit of mentally scanning for flaws, even after showing up with presence and care. A reflection on self-doubt, high standards, and the quiet shift from disqualifying your value to recognizing what actually works. Send me a message

Ever catch yourself in an old pattern and think, how did I end up back here?In this episode of Banish the Lies, Tania shares a moment from a few years ago that caught her completely off guard. The night before speaking at a conference, she found herself slipping into a binge eating pattern she thought she had left behind nearly twenty years earlier.At the time, it felt like proof that something was wrong.Looking back, she sees that moment differently.In this conversation, Tania talks about what can sit underneath moments like these, the fear, pressure, or life transitions that sometimes trigger behaviors we thought were long behind us. Instead of rushing to judge or fix the behavior, she explores what can happen when we slow down and listen to what the moment might be trying to tell us.If you’ve ever found yourself overeating, scrolling, overworking, shutting down, or slipping into something you thought you had already dealt with, this episode offers a different way to look at it.Sometimes the moment that feels like regression is actually information.Journal Prompts from the EpisodeWhen I slip into an old pattern, what feeling am I trying not to feel?What part of me might be asking for attention or compassion?What need did I ignore or minimize right before the behavior happened?What is the kindest possible interpretation of that moment?What might this moment be inviting me to see or admit about my life or about myself?Send me a message

What if being the steady one doesn’t mean you have to be unshakable? In this Monday Moment, I share a shaky morning, the imposter voice that followed, and a gentle reminder that even the anchors need support. Send me a message

In this deeply personal episode, Tania shares an emotional hospital visit with a teenager struggling with an eating disorder and reflects on how her own recovery shaped the conversation. On a day marked by anxiety and insomnia, showing up in service shifted everything. This episode explores eating disorder recovery, mental health, healing, and how our hardest seasons can become the very thing that equips us to support others. Send me a message

In this Monday Moment, Tania explores how the real pain often comes not from what happens, but from the story we tell about it. After a small misstep triggered a spiral of self-criticism, she began questioning the narrative that followed.From job loss to critical feedback to everyday frustrations, the story we layer on top can shape our stress response and our next move. What if there’s another interpretation available, one that’s honest but less punishing?A brief reflection on self-talk, emotional resilience, and choosing a healthier narrative.Send me a message

In this episode of Banish the Lies, Tania reflects on a moment many of us know well, realizing that a deadline, a push, or a sense of pressure is entirely self-imposed.As the planned podcast launch date approached, old patterns surfaced. Insomnia, anxiety, and the familiar urge to push harder at all costs. What started as a logistical decision about timing quickly revealed something deeper: an identity shaped by productivity, discipline, and the belief that stopping means failing.Tania explores the discomfort that arises when we loosen our grip on deadlines, adjust a plan, or choose rest instead of force. She shares how questioning a launch date became an invitation to question a much bigger story, who we believe we are if we’re not the person who always pushes through.This episode is an honest reflection on self-imposed pressure, perfectionism, and the courage it takes to pause without turning it into a character flaw. It’s a reminder that flexibility, grace, and choice are not signs of weakness, but acts of self-trust.Send me a message

In this Monday Moment, Tania reflects on the inner critic that often appears right after we follow inspiration. When we share something vulnerable or try something new, self-doubt can get loud. But what if the critic doesn’t get the final say? A short reflection on creativity, courage, and trusting the spark instead of letting fear and perfectionism run the show.Send me a message

In this episode of Banish the Lies, Tania shares a quiet reflection recorded from bed while recovering from illness, a moment that forced her to stop when her body made the decision for her.As she reflects on the days leading up to getting sick, Tania explores a powerful metaphor about “wattage” and how it’s often not the tasks themselves that exhaust us, but the stories we tell about them. Through a personal example involving stress, uncertainty, and the need for control, she reveals how fear-based narratives can quietly drain our energy and push us past what our bodies can hold.This episode invites you to notice the invisible pressure you may be placing on yourself, the extra current you’re running through everyday moments, and the cost of carrying everything alone. It’s a gentle reminder that rest, support, and presence are not signs of weakness, but signals of wisdom.If you’ve been feeling depleted, overwhelmed, or forced to stop before you were ready, this conversation offers a compassionate pause and a new way to listen to what your body may already be telling you.Send me a message

In this Monday Moment, Tania explores limiting beliefs and the old inner voice that can resurface when we try something new. Even after doing inner work, those beliefs don’t always disappear. They often get louder when we step outside our comfort zone.Tania reflects on self-doubt, emotional triggers, and how awareness held with compassion can begin to loosen the grip of old patterns. A gentle invitation to notice which belief might still think it’s in charge.Send me a message

Have you ever wondered why, even after doing so much inner work, the same patterns keep showing up? Why insight alone doesn’t seem to set you free?In this episode of Banish the Lies, Tania explores the idea that what we often call “being stuck” may actually be loyalty, loyalty to an old identity that once helped us feel safe, accepted, or worthy. She unpacks how identities formed around achievement, caretaking, pleasing, or staying invisible can quietly continue running the show, even when we consciously want something different.Tania shares how these identities often begin as protection, why they don’t simply disappear because we’ve gained awareness, and how growth can feel unsettling when it threatens the version of ourselves we’ve relied on for belonging. She reflects on the tension between striving and trusting, control and openness, and what it means to move from conditional worth toward wholeness.This episode is an invitation to stop interpreting familiar patterns as failure and start seeing them as information, signals that the identity that got you here may not be able to lead you forward. If you’ve been exhausted by pushing, proving, or performing, this conversation offers relief, clarity, and a gentler way to meet what’s next.Journal prompts from this episodeWhat belief about my worth might still be operating quietly in the background?Where in my life do I feel like I’m striving instead of trusting?Who am I being loyal to when I stay in this pattern?What might the next version of me value more than approval or certainty?Send me a message

When fear shows up as “what if” thinking, it often sounds like realism. But more often, it’s just worry on repeat.In this Monday Moment, Tania reflects on how constantly rehearsing worst-case scenarios shapes expectations, keeps the nervous system on high alert, and quietly drains mental energy. She invites listeners to notice their own “what if” patterns and experiment with more generous, hopeful expectations instead.This episode offers a simple, compassionate reminder that we don’t have to rehearse fear to stay prepared, and that imagining kinder outcomes can change how we move through the day.Send me a message

A pair of sneakers becomes an unexpected window into perfectionism, overthinking, and the quiet ways people drain their own energy trying to get things “just right.”In this episode, Tania shares a real, slightly humorous moment of noticing herself slip back into old perfectionistic habits, from second-guessing small purchases to replaying decisions long after they no longer matter. She reflects on how perfectionism often begins as a way to stay safe, how it can show up in both big life choices and everyday decisions, and why waiting for the “perfect” answer rarely brings peace.This conversation is an invitation to treat perfectionism with compassion, stop sweating the small stuff, and reclaim the time, energy, and freedom that overthinking quietly steals.Send me a message

Perfectionism often looks like having high standards, but more often it’s a way of trying to stay in control. And that quiet need for control can keep people stuck longer than they realize.In this Monday Moment, Tania shares a simple idea that’s helped her break free from overthinking and waiting for certainty. She reflects on why motivation and confidence don’t come from having the full plan, but from taking action, even when the step feels messy or incomplete. This episode is a gentle nudge for anyone who’s been delaying something meaningful while waiting to feel ready.You don’t need to see the whole path. One imperfect step is enough to begin, and momentum will meet you there.Send me a message

What if “I’m not athletic” isn’t a fact, but a story you picked up early and never questioned again?In this episode, I’m joined by Sue Skelly, founder of Women Who Walk the World, where she leads women on long-distance pilgrimages like the Camino de Santiago. Sue grew up believing she wasn’t athletic, the kid who dreaded gym class and got picked last. And yet she later walked 500 miles across Spain, and now guides other women to do the same.We talk about how identity gets formed, how it quietly limits what we attempt, and what starts to change when you stop letting old stories make your decisions.In this episode, we explore:What the Camino de Santiago is (and why there isn’t just one route)The gym-class experiences that shaped Sue’s belief about herselfThe physical, mental, and spiritual terrain of walking long distancesWhat Sue means by “walking back to yourself”How to start challenging your “absolutes” and rewriting what feels fixedA question to sit with:What’s one belief about yourself that you’ve treated as permanent, but might actually be negotiable?Resources and linksSue Skelly, Women Who Walk the World: womenwhowalktheworld.comSue on Instagram: @womenwhowalktheworldAmerican Pilgrims on the Camino:  Sue also volunteers with American Pilgrims on the Camino, a national organization that connects experienced pilgrims with first-time walkers and supports people preparing for the Camino through local training walks and mentorship.  Visit americanpilgrims.orgIf this conversation resonated, share it with someone who’s been quietly carrying a story that’s keeping them small.Send me a message

In today’s Monday Moment, Tania does something a little different.She shares a children’s story that made this adult pause and reflect.When Things Aren’t Going Right, Go Left by Marc Colagiovanni, illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds, tells a simple, playful story about setting down worries, doubts, fears, and frustrations — and choosing a different direction when the inner voice insists the “responsible” thing to do is brace, worry, or stay alert.As Tania reads this story, she reflects on how often the inner critic convinces us that focusing on what could go wrong is the safest move. And yet, this story offers a gentler invitation: sometimes the bravest thing we can do is go left instead.If your inner voice has been loud lately — pulling you toward fear, doubt, or worry — consider this a quiet nudge to try a different direction. Even if only for today.Book links: When Things Aren’t Going Right, Go Left (Amazon): https://a.co/d/g2Z4obmIllustrator Peter H. Reynolds / Blue Bunny Books:The Blue Bunny Books & Toys With gratitude to Marc Colagiovanni for generously granting permission to share this story.Send me a message

The day her podcast launched, Tania expected to feel something big. Pride. Relief. Excitement. Instead, she moved right past it and went straight to her to-do list.In this episode, Tania explores a pattern many of us fall into without realizing it: postponing celebration, satisfaction, and presence until some future moment that keeps moving further away.Through a very real launch-day story, a slammed car door, and a surprisingly revealing question from her sister, she looks at how the inner critic often disguises itself as being practical, humble, or disciplined, and how that can quietly disconnect us from joy, momentum, and even the people who want to celebrate with us.This episode is an invitation to pause, let your efforts land, and notice what shifts when you stop telling yourself, “I’ll celebrate when…”Send me a message

A Monday Moment is a short pause at the start of the week.In this episode, Tania reflects on the difference between gratitude and appreciation, and how moving beyond mental checklists into sensory awareness can shift how your day unfolds. It’s a reminder to slow down, notice what's already present, and anchor into the day before momentum takes over.Send me a message

In this episode of Banish the Lies, Tania shares a candid moment where a simple conversation triggers an old pattern of self-doubt, perfectionism, and the urge to hand her truth over to others.What begins as feedback about a podcast name unfolds into a deeper reflection on how easily people abandon themselves when approval feels safer than trust. Tania explores the subtle ways self-doubt shows up, why crowdsourcing decisions can feel comforting in the short term, and the hidden cost of constantly seeking validation.The episode looks at how perfectionism and people-pleasing quietly erode self-trust, even when advice is well-intentioned. Tania reflects on the familiar pull to over-explain, second-guess, and reopen decisions that were already made from a place of clarity.Listeners are invited to notice where they may be outsourcing their own truth and to begin strengthening the muscle of self-trust through small, everyday choices. Honest and deeply human, this episode is about staying with yourself instead of abandoning what you already know.Send me a message

When you decide to step into something new, a new role, a new level of visibility, a more expansive version of yourself, the inner critic often gets louder, not quieter.In this episode of Banish the Lies, Tania explores why those familiar doubts tend to surface precisely when you’re growing. She shares personal reflections on launching the podcast, the resurgence of old fears, and why the return of self-doubt isn’t a sign of failure, but a sign that you’re stretching beyond your comfort zone.You’ll learn how many of the beliefs that hold us back began as forms of protection, why trying to argue with fear rarely works, and how awareness of both the cost and the payoff of a belief can loosen its grip. Tania introduces a simple but powerful framework for working with the inner critic with compassion rather than resistance.This episode is an invitation to stop interpreting fear as regression and start seeing it as evidence of expansion. If the voices in your head have been louder than usual lately, this conversation will help you understand why, and how to keep moving forward anyway.Journal prompts from this episode:What is a belief that’s been getting in the way of what I want for my life, or of me expanding or taking the next step?What is this belief costing me?What does this belief protect me from?What does this belief help me avoid feeling?What am I truly committed to right now?Does this thought move me toward or away from my North Star?Send me a message

In this short, unfiltered episode, Tania reflects on what happened after recording the first episode of Banish the Lies.What began as excitement and pride quickly gave way to self-doubt when feedback started rolling in, even thoughtful, well-intended feedback. This episode explores the emotional whiplash that can follow creative vulnerability, what Tania calls a “vulnerability hangover.”She shares how easily the inner critic can steal joy, pull focus toward fixing and pleasing, and tempt us to define our worth by other people’s opinions. Through real-time reflection, Tania names the fragile edge between trusting joy and spiraling into self-correction, especially when we’re committed to doing things imperfectly.This episode is a reminder that creating is vulnerable, that feedback doesn’t get to outrank joy, and that we’re allowed to feel proud of ourselves simply for showing up. It’s an invitation to notice the inner critic without giving it the keys, and to keep choosing courage, even when it feels messy.Send me a message

In the first episode of Banish the Lies, Tania Cervoni shares the story behind the podcast and the moment she realized how much “playing it safe” was quietly shrinking her life.What begins as a reflection on perfectionism and self-criticism unfolds into a deeper exploration of how the inner critic disguises itself as protection, productivity, and ambition. Tania traces the roots of these patterns, from early childhood moments to years of striving, burnout, and self-betrayal that looked like success from the outside.This episode is for anyone who feels stuck on the hamster wheel of doing everything “right,” hustling for worthiness, or following invisible rules that no longer feel true. You’ll hear an honest account of how safety can become a cage, why perfectionism is often self-protection, and what it means to redefine safety in a way that allows for joy, creativity, and aliveness.Tania invites you to reflect on where you may be playing it safe in your own life, and how loosening that grip, even slightly, might help you feel more present, authentic, and free.Send me a message

Welcome to Banish the Lies.This short trailer introduces the heart of the podcast and what you can expect in upcoming episodes.New episodes begin January 11.Send me a message