Have you ever had one hard week and convinced yourself it was proof of a permanent pattern? That's overgeneralization and it might be the most quietly devastating thought distortion you've never heard named. In this episode, we're breaking down exactly how overgeneralization works, where it started (hint: usually not in adulthood), and why so many high-achieving, deeply self-aware people are living with something called achievement dysmorphia: the inability to accurately see or internalize what they've actually built, even when the evidence is right in front of them.

We cover how this pattern shows up in your creative work, your friendships, your faith journey, and your goals and we go deep on the childhood roots, the anxiety and trauma connection, and the inner critic that's been running the "always" and "never" narrative for way too long. Plus, five real tools you can use this week to start interrupting the pattern and finally let your wins actually count.

If you've ever said "I never follow through," "people always leave," or "I'm just not someone who does hard things", this episode is for you.

Topics covered: overgeneralization, achievement dysmorphia, cognitive distortions, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), inner critic, childhood trauma, anxiety, depression, imposter syndrome, self-worth, healing, faith deconstruction, creative confidence, mental health for creatives

Let’s Connect!

Website: www.adjustingpod.com

Social Media: @adjustingpod on Instagram | Facebook | Youtube | TikTok

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/adjusting-podcast/id1748188929

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Lyu594jw5luH1rujNcTZZ?si=386a7e7728f5461b

Amazon Music/Audible: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7863b34c-b85c-4f67-8044-10dd08cfb660/adjusting-podcast

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AdjustingPodcast

Substack Channel: https://justingnelson.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chips

Guest/Topic submissions: adjustingpod@gmail.com

Disclaimer: Adjusting Podcast is NOT a substitute for professional diagnosis or treatment.

Have you ever crushed something and still found a way to convince yourself it didn't count? Or made one small mistake and felt like your whole world was caving in? That's Magnification and Minimization — and it might be the sneakiest cognitive distortion of them all, because it doesn't feel like a distortion. It just feels like being honest with yourself.

In this episode, we're getting into all of it. We're talking about what these patterns actually are, why so many of us developed them (hint: it usually starts way before adulthood), and how they quietly show up in your relationships, your creative work, your career, your faith, and your goals — keeping you stuck, playing small, and exhausted from an internal measuring system that was never calibrated fairly to begin with.

We're also talking about Imposter Syndrome, the inner critic, what it actually means to know your worth, and why the harshest voice in the room is not your most reliable coach.

If you've ever minimized a win before you even let yourself feel it, or spiraled over something small like it was proof of everything — this episode is for you.

Let’s Connect!

Website: www.adjustingpod.com

Social Media: @adjustingpod on Instagram | Facebook | Youtube | TikTok

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/adjusting-podcast/id1748188929

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Lyu594jw5luH1rujNcTZZ?si=386a7e7728f5461b

Amazon Music/Audible: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7863b34c-b85c-4f67-8044-10dd08cfb660/adjusting-podcast

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AdjustingPodcast

Substack Channel: https://justingnelson.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chips

Guest/Topic submissions: adjustingpod@gmail.com

Disclaimer: Adjusting Podcast is NOT a substitute for professional diagnosis or treatment.

You messed something up and before you could even process what happened, your brain handed you a verdict: I'm such a failure. I'm so lazy. I'm too much. That move — taking one moment and turning it into a permanent identity — is called Labeling, and it might be the most quietly destructive cognitive distortion there is. Because it doesn't just tell you that you did something wrong. It tells you that you are wrong.

In this episode, we're breaking down exactly what Labeling is, where it comes from (spoiler: most of it wasn't yours to begin with), and how it shows up in your relationships, your creative work, your career, and the way you talk to yourself every single day. We're also getting into Imposter Syndrome — because that's Labeling wearing a blazer — and the deeper work of knowing your worth when your sense of self was built on shaky ground.

This one is for the creatives, the high-achievers, the people-pleasers, and anyone who has ever turned a hard moment into a life sentence about who they are.

In this episode:

• What Labeling is and how it differs from other cognitive distortions
• Who develops this pattern and why — including the trauma and anxiety connection
• How it shows up in relationships, creative work, your career, and daily life
• The link between Labeling, Imposter Syndrome, and not knowing your worth
• Practical tools for catching labels in real time and rewriting them
• Book recommendations and reflection questions to take the work deeper

Let’s Connect!

Website: www.adjustingpod.com

Social Media: @adjustingpod on Instagram | Facebook | Youtube | TikTok

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/adjusting-podcast/id1748188929

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Lyu594jw5luH1rujNcTZZ?si=386a7e7728f5461b

Amazon Music/Audible: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7863b34c-b85c-4f67-8044-10dd08cfb660/adjusting-podcast

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AdjustingPodcast

Substack Channel: https://justingnelson.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chips

Guest/Topic submissions: adjustingpod@gmail.com

Disclaimer: Adjusting Podcast is NOT a substitute for professional diagnosis or treatment.

Do you ever assume you know exactly what someone's thinking—and it's always something bad? Your partner's quiet, so obviously they're pulling away. Your friend doesn't text back, so clearly they don't want to hang out. Your boss sends a short email, so you must be getting fired. If this sounds familiar, you're not alone. You're mind reading—and it's one of the most exhausting cognitive distortions out there.

In this episode, we're diving deep into what mind reading actually is, who's most prone to it, and why our brains do this in the first place. We'll explore the trauma roots of this pattern—how growing up in unpredictable or emotionally volatile environments can wire us to constantly scan for danger in other people's thoughts. We'll talk about the neuroscience behind it, the toll it takes on your body and nervous system, and why you're always filling in the blanks with the worst possible interpretation.

But here's the good news: once you can see the pattern, you can start to shift it. I'll walk you through practical tools to catch yourself mid-mind-read, reality-test your assumptions, and build the courage to ask instead of assume. Because the truth is, you're not actually psychic—and you don't need to be.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• What mind reading is and how it shows up in relationships, work, and daily life
• The childhood trauma and attachment wounds that create this pattern
• Why your nervous system treats imagined threats like real ones
• How to recognize when you're making up stories vs. reading real cues
• Practical techniques to challenge your assumptions and communicate directly
• How to build long-term awareness and break the cycle

If you're tired of living in your head, creating problems that don't exist, and missing out on real connection because you're too busy defending yourself against imaginary criticism—this episode is for you.

Let's stop shadow boxing with the stories we made up and start showing up for what's actually real.

Let’s Connect!

Website: www.adjustingpod.com

Social Media: @adjustingpod on Instagram | Facebook | Youtube | TikTok

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/adjusting-podcast/id1748188929

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Lyu594jw5luH1rujNcTZZ?si=386a7e7728f5461b

Amazon Music/Audible: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7863b34c-b85c-4f67-8044-10dd08cfb660/adjusting-podcast

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AdjustingPodcast

Substack Channel: https://justingnelson.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chips

Guest/Topic submissions: adjustingpod@gmail.com

Disclaimer: Adjusting Podcast is NOT a substitute for professional diagnosis or treatment.

Ever convinced yourself you're going to fail before you've even tried? Predict every conversation will be a disaster? Decide the relationship is doomed before it's even had a chance? You're not psychic—you're fortune telling, and it's a cognitive distortion that's keeping you stuck in imaginary futures that don't exist yet.

In this episode, we're breaking down the pattern of fortune telling: why your brain only predicts bad things, how it shows up in relationships, creative work, career decisions, and daily life, and what to do when you're living in constant dread of outcomes that haven't happened.

We'll cover:

• What fortune telling actually is and why it's so destructive
• How it manifests in auditions, job interviews, relationships, and everyday situations
• Why we do this (spoiler: it's often rooted in past trauma and the illusion of control)
• How to catch yourself mid-prediction and reality-test your thoughts
• Practical tools to stay in the present instead of spiraling about imagined disasters
• How to build tolerance for uncertainty and stop writing tragedy scripts for your own life

If you're tired of robbing yourself of opportunities because you've already decided they won't work out, this episode is for you. Let's stop predicting the future and start showing up for what's actually happening.

Let’s Connect!

Website: www.adjustingpod.com

Social Media: @adjustingpod on Instagram | Facebook | Youtube | TikTok

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/adjusting-podcast/id1748188929

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Lyu594jw5luH1rujNcTZZ?si=386a7e7728f5461b

Amazon Music/Audible: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7863b34c-b85c-4f67-8044-10dd08cfb660/adjusting-podcast

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AdjustingPodcast

Substack Channel: https://justingnelson.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chips

Guest/Topic submissions: adjustingpod@gmail.com

Disclaimer: Adjusting Podcast is NOT a substitute for professional diagnosis or treatment.

Ever catch yourself dismissing compliments or minimizing your wins? Someone tells you that you did an amazing job, and instead of feeling proud, you immediately think, "Well, anyone could have done that" or "They're just being nice." You book the audition, land the promotion, or have a genuinely good day—and your brain finds a way to explain it away.

In this episode, we're breaking down Disqualifying the Positive—the sneaky mental pattern that makes you reject good things before they can even land.

This cognitive distortion is like having a filter that only lets negative information through while dismissing anything positive. You end up with a completely skewed view of reality where you have tons of evidence that you're "not good enough," but somehow zero evidence that you are—even though that evidence exists. You're just not letting it count.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• What Disqualifying the Positive is and how it distorts your reality
• How this pattern shows up in relationships, creative work, daily life, and self-perception
• Why your brain does this (hint: it's a protection mechanism that made sense once but doesn't serve you anymore)
• The mind-body connection: how your nervous system treats positive moments as danger
• The childhood roots—conditional love, dismissed accomplishments, and comparison culture
• Practical techniques to notice when you're doing it (the "Yeah, But" Test, the 3-Second Rule, and more)
• How to challenge the pattern and start letting good things actually land
• What to do when it feels hard or uncomfortable
• How to build long-term awareness so your future self can receive joy, love, and success

If you've ever felt like nothing good ever happens to you—not because it doesn't, but because you're not letting it register—this episode will help you start to shift that pattern.

Let’s Connect!

Website: www.adjustingpod.com

Social Media: @adjustingpod on Instagram | Facebook | Youtube | TikTok

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/adjusting-podcast/id1748188929

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Lyu594jw5luH1rujNcTZZ?si=386a7e7728f5461b

Amazon Music/Audible: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7863b34c-b85c-4f67-8044-10dd08cfb660/adjusting-podcast

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AdjustingPodcast

Substack Channel: https://justingnelson.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chips

Guest/Topic submissions: adjustingpod@gmail.com

Disclaimer: Adjusting Podcast is NOT a substitute for professional diagnosis or treatment.

Have you ever had an amazing day—got compliments, nailed a project, connected with friends—but all you can think about on the drive home is that one awkward thing you said? Or walked out of an electric audition only to spiral about whether you picked the right song?

Welcome to mental filtering: the cognitive distortion that zooms in on the negative and filters out everything else. In this episode, we're diving into why our brains love to replay what went wrong on a loop, how this pattern shows up in our relationships, creative work, jobs, and daily life—and most importantly, what we can actually do about it.

In this episode, we cover:

• What mental filtering is and how to recognize it in real time
• How this thinking pattern manifests in your body (hint: it's not just in your head)
• The connection between childhood trauma, rejection, and hypervigilance
• Practical tools to challenge the filter and see the full picture
• Real-world application for relationships, auditions, work, and everyday moments
• Why progress matters more than perfection

This isn't about toxic positivity or "good vibes only"—it's about being accurate, not just positive. It's about telling yourself the whole truth, not just the filtered version your brain wants you to believe.

If you're a creative, someone navigating mental health, or just tired of your brain hijacking your good days, this episode is for you.

Let’s Connect!

Website: www.adjustingpod.com

Social Media: @adjustingpod on Instagram | Facebook | Youtube | TikTok

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/adjusting-podcast/id1748188929

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Lyu594jw5luH1rujNcTZZ?si=386a7e7728f5461b

Amazon Music/Audible: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7863b34c-b85c-4f67-8044-10dd08cfb660/adjusting-podcast

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AdjustingPodcast

Substack Channel: https://justingnelson.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chips

Guest/Topic submissions: adjustingpod@gmail.com

Disclaimer: Adjusting Podcast is NOT a substitute for professional diagnosis or treatment.

Does your brain turn minor inconveniences into total life ruination? Welcome to catastrophizing, bestie.

This week we're diving into that special cognitive distortion where your mind becomes a disaster movie director. From creatives convinced one critique means career death, to daters planning breakup speeches after awkward pauses, to therapy beginners sure their therapist thinks they're hopeless - we're calling out those exact spirals with love and humor.

Learn why your cave-person brain thinks everything is dangerous, how catastrophizing shows up differently for different people, and 5 practical ways to shift from disaster thinking to peace for your future self.

Perfect for anyone starting their mental health journey, creatives navigating vulnerability, or daters trying not to lose their minds in the modern dating world.

Let’s Connect!

Website: www.adjustingpod.com

Social Media: @adjustingpod on Instagram | Facebook | Youtube | TikTok

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/adjusting-podcast/id1748188929

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Lyu594jw5luH1rujNcTZZ?si=386a7e7728f5461b

Amazon Music/Audible: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7863b34c-b85c-4f67-8044-10dd08cfb660/adjusting-podcast

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AdjustingPodcast

Substack Channel: https://justingnelson.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chips

Guest/Topic submissions: adjustingpod@gmail.com

Disclaimer: Adjusting Podcast is NOT a substitute for professional diagnosis or treatment.