The Best of You

Have you ever replayed a conversation over and over in your mind?

Maybe it was something your partner said. A text that felt off. A moment at work. A look on someone’s face. Suddenly your mind is looping, analyzing, judging, and trying to solve something that never seems to resolve.

Today’s conversation with science writer Donna Jackson Nakazawa is about rumination—what many of us experience as overthinking, thought spirals, or getting mentally stuck.

Donna brings together powerful neuroscience, personal story, and practical tools to help us understand why our minds loop, what those loops are trying to show us, and how we can begin to interrupt them with compassion and clarity.

We explore:

Why rumination is not random—and what it reveals

The difference between productive reflection and a mental loop that leaves you feeling worse

Why social media can trigger rumination so quickly

Donna’s MIST framework for stopping the spiral

This conversation is especially for you if you’ve ever thought, Why can’t I just let this go? or Why am I still thinking about this?

Get Donna's new book, Mind Drama here

Connect with Donna here

Preorder my brand new book The Secure Soul

Want to hear more episodes like this? Start here:

Episode 158:  Your Pain Has a Name: The Deeper Hurt Behind Distressing Thoughts with Therapist Monica DiCristina

Episode 51: The 12 Common Thinking Traps, Mind Reading, Mental Filters, and How To Stop Taking Things Personally

📖 Find a full transcript and list of resources from this episode here

Connect further with @dralisoncook on Instagram

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While Dr. Cook is a counselor, the content of this
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Today's Scripture: 2 Kings 5:1–14Why do we resist the very things that could actually help us heal? In today’s episode, Dr. Alison Cook explores the story of Naaman in 2 Kings 5 and the deeply human tendency to reject simple, meaningful steps toward healing. With insight from psychology and identity formation, she unpacks why small, ordinary actions can feel threatening—especially when your sense of self has been built around strength, control, or self-sufficiency. We’ll explore:*Why we resist change—even when we want it*How the false self and identity can block healing*Why simple solutions can feel “too small” for deep pain*How small, repeated steps become the pathway to real transformation

Go Deeper:Episode 199: How the Body Teaches the Soul with Justin Whitmel EarleyCheck out our new website with all the daily episodes linked.
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Today's Scripture: Mark 4:35–41What happens when fear takes over your body—and you can’t think clearly? In today’s episode, Dr. Alison Cook explores the story of Jesus calming the storm in Mark 4, alongside the psychology of panic, fear, and the nervous system. She explains why your body goes into fight-or-flight mode, why you feel the urge to fix or control everything, and how to gently return to calm. We'll explore:*What’s happening in your brain during panic *Why anxiety can feel urgent and all-consuming*The link between fear, over-functioning, and control*A simple grounding practice to help your body return to calm and presenceGo Deeper:Episode 185: A Real-Time Practice to Help You Return to God’s Loving Presence When You're Anxious or OverwhelmedEpisode 129: Understanding Anxiety: A Step-by-Step Guide to Finding Calm, Advocating For Yourself, and Cultivating Inner ResilienceEmail your topics and passage ideas at [email protected] up for Dr. Alison's free weekly email for more insight and resources.
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Today's Scripture: Psalm 73:1–3, 12–17

Have you ever looked at someone else’s life and felt that quiet ache—like you’re somehow behind? In today’s episode, Dr. Alison Cook explores Psalm 73 and the deeply human struggle of comparison. With insight from psychology and attachment patterns, she unpacks why comparison can feel so destabilizing—and how to return to your own life with clarity and compassion. We explore:*Why upward social comparison can distort your sense of worth*How comparison pulls you out of your own life and into an imagined hierarchy*The connection between comparison, self-doubt, and over-functioning*Why you can’t “think” your way out of comparison—and what actually helps*A grounding practice to help you return to your own life and God’s presence

Go Deeper:Episode 183: The Real Reason You Compare Yourself (and How to Heal It)When Life Feels Unfair (and Why Comparison Keeps you Stuck Read the first 3 chapters of I Shouldn't Feel This Way
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Today's Scripture: James 1:5–8Struggling to make a decision or stuck in overthinking? In this episode, Dr. Alison explores the real reason behind indecision and how learning to work with the different parts of you can help you find clarity and move forward.

We explore:*Indecision and overthinking*Inner conflict and parts work*Decision fatigue and self-doubt*Finding clarity without forcing answers

Go Deeper:Get a guided journal and the first 3 chapters of I Shouldn't Feel This Way here
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