What's God Got To Do With It? With Leanne Ellington

Join us as Leanne continues to explore the complex topic of worthiness, diving into the paradox of feeling worthy when you DON'T feel worthy. Once again Leanne talks about the 5 Blocks to God’s love, originally introduced as a 'Self-Imaging' formula, and how these blocks, if not addressed, can hinder your experience of love and worthiness. This time however, the spotlight turns to the second ingredient and God Block: Self-Care, as Leanne challenges 'conventional' views of health by emphasizing a 3-dimensional approach—mental, emotional, and spiritual care—as the foundation for physical well-being. She encourages you to redefine health and self-care, while inviting God into the journey and addressing the cultural misconceptions that often lead to harmful practices, and she paints a picture of shifting from the world's take on health...to a more all-encompassing, God-centered one. It's time to toss out the one-size-fits-all approach, and figure out your unique recipe for health and well-being. But this time around: inviting God in as your Divine Partner. HOST: Leanne Ellington // @leanneellington // StresslessEating.com To learn more about Leanne, head over to www.LeanneEllington.com , and to share your thoughts, questions, feedback, or guest suggestions instantly, head on over to www.WhatsGodGotToDoWithIt.com . Follow Leanne on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leanneellington/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of the "God Pod", Leanne invites you to redefine "surrender" and actively shift from self-reliance to God's guidance. Diving into the first ingredient AND the first "God Block", the focus is on Self-Acceptance as both an ingredient for a loving Self-Image and a potential block to receiving God's love. Consider this episode a roadmap to recognizing and addressing your own "God Blocks", fostering self-acceptance, and taking practical steps to actually break through the "Paradox of Acceptance"...and how to accept yourself (even with all the messy bits) when you DON'T accept yourself. HOST: Leanne Ellington // @leanneellington // StresslessEating.com To learn more about Leanne, head over to www.LeanneEllington.com , and to share your thoughts, questions, feedback, or guest suggestions instantly, head on over to www.WhatsGodGotToDoWithIt.com . Follow Leanne on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leanneellington/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Leanne is kicking off a new series based on her own experiences navigating "The Paradox of Worthiness" (as she calls it). As in, how do you feel worthy when you don't feel worthy? There is so much talk nowadays about self-love and worthiness, but the crucial question remains: How do we truly embrace it if all we’ve ever known is the opposite? How do you suddenly feel worthy if all you’ve ever known is feeling unworthy? In this kickoff to the series, Leanne introduces you to (what she calls) "The 5 Blocks To Love", and how she discovered that when it came to actually FEELING worthy of being loved, that was a really hard concept for her to grasp at first. It felt like something was actually blocking her. And that's when she discovered that there were "5 Blocks" that were hindering her ability to RECEIVE what was already there, and that this was what was actually causing her resistance. She also discovered that removing those blocks catapulted her ability to connect to herself, others, and God. You're going to get an in-depth look at each of these blocks in this upcoming series, but first she dives into the fusion of faith, neuroscience, and self-image as a pathway to feeling worthy and putting yourself in the optimal position to remove your own blocks. Episodes Mentioned: - The Faith-Brain Connection: Where Self Image Meets Neuroscience - A Scientist Goes Looking For God - How God Helped Me Heal My Fears About Being Alone the Rest of My Life Authors Mentioned: - Curt Thompson: https://curtthompsonmd.com/ - Chip Dodd: https://www.chipdodd.com/ HOST: Leanne Ellington // @leanneellington // StresslessEating.com To learn more about Leanne, head over to www.LeanneEllington.com , and to share your thoughts, questions, feedback, or guest suggestions instantly, head on over to www.WhatsGodGotToDoWithIt.com . Follow Leanne on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leanneellington/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

PART 4 of 4: If you're tired of the 'say-do' gap, this episode will help bridge the divide and you'll see that you can achieve results by working smarter, not harder. The final part to break free from negativity and help you nurture an "emotionally healthy" brain is the doing and you're awesome for making it to the homestretch! In PART 4 you learn: - How to play a "winning game" (And STOP playing a "losing game") - Minimums, not maximums (and how this is also part of neuro-magic) - How to "Reverse Engineer" your life. - Now you can truly “act as if.” All the resources mentioned in this episode can be found at: www.LeanneEllington.com/ActingAsIf This is a 4-part series, so if you missed PARTS 1, 2 & 3 go give them a listen. Amy & Leanne designed it to listen to (in order 1-4) to help you learn, grasp, and use right away – even if “positive thinking" or “acting as if” has NEVER worked for you in the past. HOST: Amy Brown // @RadioAmy // RadioAmy.com HOST: Leanne Ellington // @leanneellington // StresslessEating.com To learn more about Leanne, head over to www.LeanneEllington.com , and to share your thoughts, questions, feedback, or guest suggestions instantly, head on over to www.WhatsGodGotToDoWithIt.com . Follow Leanne on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leanneellington/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

PART 3 of 4: In this episode you will discover the truth about beliefs & change with Amy as Leanne shatters myths, revealing the powerful role of genuine belief in transforming your life. In PART 3 you learn: - How your CURRENT Self-Image & Beliefs unconsciously undermine what you truly want. - Why "You can’t kid a kidder" (Why you cannot "B.S." your self-image) - Positive vs negative neuro-associations -- and how to make your Self Image beliefs (what they refer to as) "neuromagic" - How to do "A Beliefs Overhaul" (The 3 Steps that you can wash, rinse, repeat) All the resources mentioned in this episode can be found at: www.LeanneEllington.com/ActingAsIf This is a 4-part series, so if you missed PARTS 1 & 2 go give it a listen. This was designed to listen to (in order 1-4) to help you learn, grasp, and use right away – even if “positive thinking" or “acting as if” has NEVER worked for you in the past. HOST: Amy Brown // @RadioAmy // RadioAmy.com HOST: Leanne Ellington // @leanneellington // StresslessEating.com To learn more about Leanne, head over to www.LeanneEllington.com , and to share your thoughts, questions, feedback, or guest suggestions instantly, head on over to www.WhatsGodGotToDoWithIt.com . Follow Leanne on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leanneellington/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

PART 2 of 4: Ever wonder why your thoughts and feelings don't sync up? Amy & Leanne share a fresh-yet-totally-doable approach that will help you reclaim the reins of confusing thoughts in our head…so that stepping into WHO YOU WANT TO BE actually becomes possible! In PART 2 you learn: - Why it's not your CIRCUMSTANCES that dictate your reality, it's your THOUGHTS, and how every single thought CAUSES a feeling-- not the other way around. - Why your Self Image knows how you really feel, so before you can "act as if" or "believe a new reality", it's got to FEEL good, FEEL true, and resonate. - How to truly flip "negative emotions" on their head and find the gold in what it's trying to teach you. All the resources mentioned in this episode can be found at: www.LeanneEllington.com/ActingAsIf This is a 4-part series, so if you missed PART 1 go give it a listen. This is designed to listen to (in order 1-4) to help you learn, grasp, and use right away – even if “positive thinking" or “acting as if” has NEVER worked for you in the past. HOST: Amy Brown // @RadioAmy // RadioAmy.com HOST: Leanne Ellington // @leanneellington // StresslessEating.com To learn more about Leanne, head over to www.LeanneEllington.com , and to share your thoughts, questions, feedback, or guest suggestions instantly, head on over to www.WhatsGodGotToDoWithIt.com . Follow Leanne on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leanneellington/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

PART 1 of 4: Are you feeling stuck or battling self-doubt? Do you want to take ownership of your life by taking ownership of your thoughts? If yes and yes, then "Acting As If" is for you! Amy Brown & Self-Image Scientist Leanne Ellington designed this 4-part series to help you shift your thoughts, so that “Acting As If” becomes possible for your brain to adopt. In each episode, you get effective strategies to break free from the grip of negativity & gain insights on nurturing an "emotionally healthy" brain. In PART 1 you learn: - Why "Acting As If" is not a matter of positive affirmations or fake-it-til-you-make it. - Rewiring your brain for peace in the chaos - Distinguishing the data vs the drama of your situation - How to give yourself your own "reality check" to stop the downward spiral of thoughts in your brain. We can all struggle with downward spiraling thoughts: "Why did I eat that?" "Why didn't he call me?" "Why can't I stop that?" "Does that make me a bad mom?" "Why should I bother? Is this just how it will always be?" Things like "fake it ‘til you make it" + turning everything “into a positive" will NOT outsmart your brain...and there’s a reason why. All the resources mentioned in this episode can be found at: www.LeanneEllington.com/ActingAsIf HOST: Amy Brown // @RadioAmy // RadioAmy.com HOST: Leanne Ellington // @leanneellington // StresslessEating.com To learn more about Leanne, head over to www.LeanneEllington.com , and to share your thoughts, questions, feedback, or guest suggestions instantly, head on over to www.WhatsGodGotToDoWithIt.com . Follow Leanne on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leanneellington/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sydney was in ministry. She was serving God, leading others, preaching His love and promises. But behind closed doors, she felt miles away from Him. She knew God's word. She could quote the promises. She believed they were true... for everyone else. But for her, they felt so far off. Like words on a page that didn't quite land in her heart. And on top of that, she was going through a breakup, questioning her job, unsure of her next steps, and secretly struggling with food in a way she'd never fully acknowledged before. She found comfort in food. She thought that was normal. But she didn't realize how much that comfort was masking a deeper disconnection from herself and from God. Sydney was stuck in a cycle of comparison, shame, and pressure. She put so much pressure on herself to have her walk with God look a certain way, to feel a certain way about Him. And when she didn't, the shame would creep in. She couldn't separate her circumstances from her view of God. And she couldn't separate the drama in her head from the truth. Everything felt true. The lies felt like facts. And she didn't know how to sift through it. In June 2025, at 26 years old, Sydney made a decision. She wasn't going to keep living like this. She wasn't going to let this be her narrative for the rest of her life. She was single, she had time, and she knew: why not now? In this powerful case study, Sydney shares how she finally learned to separate what she perceived to be her reality from what was actually true. How she got to the bottom of the iceberg instead of just trying to fix the tip. How she learned to feel her feelings without falling down the rabbit hole. How she stopped slapping positive affirmations and Scripture on top of pain that hadn't been processed. And how she finally invited God into the one area of her life she'd kept Him out of: her food, her body, her self-image. Today, Sydney is living from a place of freedom. She's comfortable being alone with herself and with God. She actually looks forward to journaling and praying. She's not turning to food for comfort anymore because she's found real comfort in God and in herself. And the sweetest part? She's now able to pass on what she's learned. She's helping her friends catch the lies they're believing. She's loving people better because she finally learned how to love herself. If you've ever felt like you know God's promises are true but they don't feel true for you, or if you've ever felt disconnected from God even while serving Him, Sydney's story is for you. Because healing isn't about trying harder or knowing more. It's about getting to the root. And it's about finally inviting God into the places you've kept Him out. HOST: Leanne Ellington // StresslessEating.com // @Lea nneEllington // @theteenagerbrain To learn more about Leanne, head over to www.LeanneEllington.com , and to share your thoughts, questions, feedback, or guest suggestions instantly, head on over to www.WhatsGodGotToDoWithIt.com . Follow Leanne on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leanneellington/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if the emotions you fear most are actually the gateway to your greatest freedom? In this final episode of our series, Chip and Leanne explore how to stop fearing emotions and start listening to them instead. They break down the connection between numbing and disconnection, why vulnerability is the key to healing, and how embracing your emotions can lead to real joy and fulfillment. With practical tools and mindset shifts, this episode will empower you to move from numbing to healing—so you can reclaim your peace, presence, and power. Visit Chip's website at: ChipDodd.com You can order your copy of Chip's book, The Voice of the Heart: A Call To Full Living HERE . Listen to the Living With Heart Podcast HERE . HOST: Leanne Ellington // StresslessEating.com // @leanneellington To learn more about Leanne, head over to www.LeanneEllington.com , and to share your thoughts, questions, feedback, or guest suggestions instantly, head on over to www.WhatsGodGotToDoWithIt.com . Follow Leanne on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leanneellington/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If willpower alone isn’t enough to stop numbing, what is? In this episode, Chip and Leanne explore why true healing starts with understanding the function of our coping behaviors—not just trying to “fix” them. They share the first steps to recognizing an unhealthy coping pattern, decoding what it’s really telling you, and shifting from avoidance to awareness. This episode is all about embracing discomfort as the key to freedom and learning how to break the cycle for good. Visit Chip's website at: ChipDodd.com You can order your copy of Chip's book, The Voice of the Heart: A Call To Full Living HERE . Listen to the Living With Heart Podcast HERE . HOST: Leanne Ellington // StresslessEating.com // @leanneellington To learn more about Leanne, head over to www.LeanneEllington.com , and to share your thoughts, questions, feedback, or guest suggestions instantly, head on over to www.WhatsGodGotToDoWithIt.com . Follow Leanne on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leanneellington/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why do we turn to food, alcohol, shopping, or even busyness when life feels overwhelming? In this episode, Chip and Leanne dive into the real reason we numb—what we’re actually trying to escape or avoid—and how society conditions us to suppress rather than process emotions. They break down the neuroscience behind coping mechanisms, revealing why they provide short-term relief but lead to long-term suffering. If you’ve ever wondered why breaking free from old habits feels impossible, this episode will give you the clarity you need to start shifting your patterns. Visit Chip's website at: ChipDodd.com You can order your copy of Chip's book, The Voice of the Heart: A Call To Full Living HERE . Listen to the Living With Heart Podcast HERE . HOST: Leanne Ellington // StresslessEating.com // @leanneellington To learn more about Leanne, head over to www.LeanneEllington.com , and to share your thoughts, questions, feedback, or guest suggestions instantly, head on over to www.WhatsGodGotToDoWithIt.com . Follow Leanne on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leanneellington/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Addiction isn’t just about substances—it’s about the ways we cope with pain, stress, and unmet needs. In this episode, Chip Dodd and Leanne unpack how behaviors like emotional eating, over-exercising, workaholism, and social media addiction follow the same addictive patterns as substances. They explore the difference between coping mechanisms that help us heal versus those that keep us stuck, and how the brain wires itself for addiction. If you’ve ever felt caught in a cycle of numbing or self-sabotage, this episode will help you understand why—and what you can do about it. Visit Chip's website at: ChipDodd.com You can order your copy of Chip's book, The Voice of the Heart: A Call To Full Living HERE . Listen to the Living With Heart Podcast HERE . HOST: Leanne Ellington // StresslessEating.com // @leanneellington To learn more about Leanne, head over to www.LeanneEllington.com , and to share your thoughts, questions, feedback, or guest suggestions instantly, head on over to www.WhatsGodGotToDoWithIt.com . Follow Leanne on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leanneellington/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mylaina is 22 years old. And she just did what most women wish they'd done decades earlier. She was a psychology student getting certified in nutrition and wellness. She knew intellectually how to take care of her body, how to eat, how to work out. But mentally, she was destroying herself. Every morsel of food was tracked. Most foods were off limits. She was the one not licking the spoon after weighing the peanut butter. She preached balance but lived in fear and control. And the more she tried to control, the more she lost control. It was a constant war—between her and her plate, between her and her body. The cycle was relentless: intense perfectionism would swing into binges, then came the shame, then the "start again Monday" promise. And every restart just pushed her deeper into the spiral. From the outside, it didn't look extreme at all. But inside, she was white-knuckling her way through life, secretly hating her body, treating it like an enemy that wasn't cooperating. Her worth was completely tied to her physical appearance, and she was exhausted. In June 2025, Mylaina hit her lowest point. She was hopeless, quietly desperate, and alone in her apartment when she finally cried out to God: "You need to meet me here. I don't even recognize this life I've built." That's when she found Stressless Eating. And at 22 years old, Mylaina made a decision that most women don't make until their 30s, 40s, 50s, or beyond. She decided she wasn't going to carry this struggle into her future. She wasn't going to spend decades fighting the same battle. She was going to heal it now. In this powerful case study, Mylaina shares how her life was completely reconstructed from the ground up. How food became just food—fuel, fun, enjoyment. How movement became a celebration of what her body can do, not how small she can be. How she finally surrendered the last area of her life she'd been unwilling to give to God: her body, her food, her self-image. She stepped into the posture of daughtership—learning to live from a place of being loved instead of trying to earn it. And for the first time, she realized: daughters don't have to strive for belonging. We already have it. Today, Mylaina is fully free. Her nervous system is at peace. She's showing up as the daughter and friend she always wanted to be. And she's living proof that you don't have to wait until you've wasted decades to finally choose healing. If you've ever thought, "I wish I'd figured this out sooner," or "I don't want to still be struggling with this in 10, 20, 30 years," Mylaina's story is for you. Because healing isn't about how long you've been stuck. It's about the decision to stop recycling the same pain and finally do the work that sets you free. And you don't have to wait. You can do it now. HOST: Leanne Ellington // StresslessEating.com // @Lea nneEllington // @theteenagerbrain To learn more about Leanne, head over to www.LeanneEllington.com , and to share your thoughts, questions, feedback, or guest suggestions instantly, head on over to www.WhatsGodGotToDoWithIt.com . Follow Leanne on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leanneellington/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if you didn't have to manage your anxiety, your trauma, your patterns for the rest of your life? What if you could actually repair the root problem—and move on? In this final episode of our series, Dr. Lee Warren and I talk about the solution. The shift from "holding pressure on the wound forever" to actually stitching it up and letting it heal. The shift from symptom management to root repair. The shift from spending years in therapy just managing to actually becoming the surgeon of your own mind. Dr. Warren explains the consent-to-automate sequence—the missing piece that most mental health approaches don't teach. It's the moment your brain asks for permission to automate a thought, feeling, or reaction. And once you learn to spot that moment, you can withhold consent and install a better automation instead. The brain rewires in seconds to minutes—not years. But here's the key: it's not just about changing your thoughts. It's about rewiring your self-image—the subconscious beliefs that are running the show. Because if your self-image undermines what Scripture says about you, you'll keep defaulting to the old patterns no matter how hard you try. We tie it all back to Ephesians 4, where Paul talks about being "renewed in the spirit of your mind." He wasn't saying "manage your old self forever." He was saying "put on the new self"—an actual identity-level transformation. And that's exactly what Self-Brain Surgery makes possible. This episode is the hopeful one. The practical one. The one that shows you how to stop managing and start repairing. If you're ready to move on with your life, this is the conversation you've been waiting for. GUEST: Dr. Lee Warren // wleewarrenmd.com // @drleewarren Listen to Dr. Warren's Podcast here . Order Dr. Warren's New Book, The Life-Changing Art of Self-Brain Surgery . HOST: Leanne Ellington // StresslessEating.com // @Lea nneEllington // @theteenagerbrain To learn more about Leanne, head over to www.LeanneEllington.com , and to share your thoughts, questions, feedback, or guest suggestions instantly, head on over to www.WhatsGodGotToDoWithIt.com . Follow Leanne on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leanneellington/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if the very thing mental health culture tells you to do—focus on your trauma, honor your feelings, explore your pain—is actually reinforcing the patterns that are keeping you stuck? In this episode, Dr. Lee Warren and I tackle one of the most controversial (and most important) truths about how the brain works: where you put your attention literally shapes your reality. What you focus on expands. And if you're spending years focusing on your trauma, your pain, your "broken" parts, you're training your brain to keep running those patterns. We talk about the observer effect from quantum physics, how the ACC (the social-emotional brain) operates at the subconscious level, and why your beliefs have to align with what Scripture says about you—not just intellectually, but at the deepest level where your brain is automating your identity. This isn't about toxic positivity or pretending the pain isn't real. It's about understanding that constantly rehearsing "I AM anxious, I AM broken, I AM not enough" is literally giving your brain permission to keep being that. And there's a better way. If you've ever felt like you've been "working on yourself" for years but you're still stuck in the same patterns, this episode will show you why—and what needs to shift. GUEST: Dr. Lee Warren // wleewarrenmd.com // @drleewarren Listen to Dr. Warren's Podcast here . Order Dr. Warren's New Book, The Life-Changing Art of Self-Brain Surgery . HOST: Leanne Ellington // StresslessEating.com // @Lea nneEllington // @theteenagerbrain To learn more about Leanne, head over to www.LeanneEllington.com , and to share your thoughts, questions, feedback, or guest suggestions instantly, head on over to www.WhatsGodGotToDoWithIt.com . Follow Leanne on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leanneellington/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We have more mental health resources, more awareness, more support than ever before. So why are anxiety, depression, and suicide rates at all-time highs? In this first episode of our brand-new Spiritual Brain Surgery series, Dr. Lee Warren and I dive into the paradox that's plaguing our culture: more help, worse outcomes. We unpack the stats, explore what's missing from the current mental health model, and ask the hard question: what if the foundation itself is incomplete? Dr. Warren explains why most mental health approaches are built on theory, not on how the brain actually works. We talk about the difference between managing symptoms forever and actually repairing the root problem. And we dig into why knowing the "why" behind your patterns isn't enough if your subconscious self-image is still running the old story. Here's the truth: if your beliefs and self-image undermine what Scripture says about you, it doesn't matter how much therapy you've done or how much you intellectually "know." Your brain will keep automating the old patterns until you learn how to interrupt them at the root. This episode is the foundation for everything we're going to unpack in this series. If you've ever felt stuck—like you're doing all the "right things" but nothing's actually changing—this conversation will show you why, and what's missing. GUEST: Dr. Lee Warren // wleewarrenmd.com // @drleewarren Listen to Dr. Warren's Podcast here . Order Dr. Warren's New Book, The Life-Changing Art of Self-Brain Surgery . HOST: Leanne Ellington // StresslessEating.com // @Lea nneEllington // @theteenagerbrain To learn more about Leanne, head over to www.LeanneEllington.com , and to share your thoughts, questions, feedback, or guest suggestions instantly, head on over to www.WhatsGodGotToDoWithIt.com . Follow Leanne on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leanneellington/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this final episode of the Teenager Brain series, Leanne dives into the root of it all: the identity crisis. Teens today don't have a stable sense of self. They don't know who they are, what they value, or what they stand for. And their sense of self rises and falls with every like, every comment, every comparison. One day they're confident. The next day they're convinced they're not enough. And you're watching it happen—not knowing how to help them. Here's what makes it even worse: Nobody knows what's real anymore. Your teen is scrolling Instagram, comparing themselves to someone's "perfect" skin—but they don't know it's a filter. They're comparing themselves to someone's "perfect" body—but they don't know it's AI-generated or Photoshopped. They're measuring themselves against a standard that doesn't even exist. Their self-image is being shaped by lies. By filters. By comparison culture. And they have no stable sense of who they are. But here's the good news: We can teach students how to build a self-image that's rooted in internal truth—not external validation. Leanne peels back the curtain on the 4-step system taught inside the Teenager Brain curriculum—the system that builds emotional fitness, which builds emotional resilience: Step 1: Regulate – Go from panic to calm in under 30 seconds Step 2: Separate – Separate truth from lies, data from drama Step 3: Narrate – Take ownership of your story instead of letting your brain spin worst-case scenarios Step 4: Use Your Inner Compass – Build a self-image rooted in who you are, not what the world says about you This is what happens when we teach students the 4-step system. Not perfection. Not eliminating hard things. Just giving students the tools to build emotional fitness—which builds emotional resilience—before these patterns become decades of struggle. Ready to bring these tools to your school or teen? Head over to TeenagerBrain.com to request a free sample lesson. You'll see exactly how the Teenager Brain curriculum works and test-drive a full lesson from the perspective of both the student and the facilitator. We're looking for our next 25 pilot schools for Fall 2026. This is a 4-week plug-and-play emotional fitness program that teaches students how to regulate their emotions, separate truth from lies, and build a self-image that lasts—without adding to your workload. The window is open. Their brains are ready. The time is now. HOST: Leanne Ellington // StresslessEating.com // @Lea nneEllington // @theteenagerbrain To learn more about Leanne, head over to www.LeanneEllington.com , and to share your thoughts, questions, feedback, or guest suggestions instantly, head on over to www.WhatsGodGotToDoWithIt.com . Follow Leanne on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leanneellington/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Leanne dives into emotional dysregulation—why your teen melts down over the smallest things and can't bring themselves back down. When a teen experiences something that feels threatening, stressful, or overwhelming, their brain's alarm system (the amygdala) goes off and sends them into fight-or-flight mode. Their heart rate spikes, their breathing gets shallow, and their prefrontal cortex—the part of the brain responsible for rational thinking and emotional regulation—goes offline. That's why your teen can't "just calm down" when you tell them to. Their "sound mind" is literally offline. And here's the thing: In teenagers, the prefrontal cortex is still under construction. It's not fully developed until around age 25. So when a teen's brain goes into fight-or-flight, it's even harder for them to bring themselves back down. But here's the good news: We can teach students how to regulate their nervous system. We can teach them how to go from fight-or-flight to calm in under 30 seconds. Even if they've never been able to calm down before. Even if meditation doesn't work for them. The way we teach it at Teenager Brain is different—it's a foolproof way to access the nervous system through the sensory system, and anyone can do it. Leanne shares powerful examples of what changes when students learn to regulate—from handling friend drama without spiraling, to processing a bad grade without melting down, to navigating social media rejection without falling apart. This is what happens when we teach students how to regulate their nervous system. Not perfection. Not eliminating hard things. Just giving students the tools to process their emotions, respond instead of react, and be emotionally available to themselves. Ready to bring these tools to your school or teen? Head over to TeenagerBrain.com to request a free sample lesson. You'll see exactly how the Teenager Brain curriculum works and test-drive a full lesson yourself. We're looking for our next 25 pilot schools for Fall 2026. This is a 4-week plug-and-play emotional fitness program that teaches students how to regulate their emotions, separate truth from lies, and build a self-image that lasts—without adding to your workload. HOST: Leanne Ellington // StresslessEating.com // @Lea nneEllington // @theteenagerbrain To learn more about Leanne, head over to www.LeanneEllington.com , and to share your thoughts, questions, feedback, or guest suggestions instantly, head on over to www.WhatsGodGotToDoWithIt.com . Follow Leanne on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leanneellington/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Leanne exposes the attention crisis that's affecting every single teenager right now—and reveals what social media platforms know about teen brains that most parents and educators don't. The average teen now spends between four and five hours a day on social media. And teens who spend three or more hours a day have double the risk of anxiety and depression. Heavily addicted younger teens show two to three times the risk of suicidal behavior. But it's not just about the time. It's about how their brain is interacting with the content. Every swipe, every like, every new video delivers a hit of dopamine—the "feel good" neurotransmitter. And over time, the teenage brain learns to crave that dopamine hit. It becomes addicted to the scroll. And when the scroll stops, the brain goes into withdrawal. Leanne breaks down the three major forces rewiring teenage brains: dopamine dysregulation, chronic distraction and the death of deep focus, and comparison culture that ties self-worth to external validation. But here's the good news: Dopamine dysregulation can be reversed. Attention can be retrained. And self-worth can be rebuilt from the inside out. Leanne shares powerful examples of what changes when students learn to notice the dopamine trap, separate their worth from their likes, and retrain their attention—so they're not slaves to the scroll anymore. Ready to bring these tools to your school or teen? Head over to TeenagerBrain.com to request a free sample lesson. You'll see exactly how the Teenager Brain curriculum works and test-drive a full lesson yourself. We're looking for our next 25 pilot schools for Fall 2026. This is a 4-week plug-and-play emotional fitness program that teaches students how to regulate their emotions, separate truth from lies, and build a self-image that lasts—without adding to your workload. HOST: Leanne Ellington // StresslessEating.com // @Lea nneEllington // @theteenagerbrain To learn more about Leanne, head over to www.LeanneEllington.com , and to share your thoughts, questions, feedback, or guest suggestions instantly, head on over to www.WhatsGodGotToDoWithIt.com . Follow Leanne on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leanneellington/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Leanne dives into why schools have become mental health first responders—and why they're not equipped to handle it. 96% of schools report skyrocketing mental health needs, but only half have the staff to address them. Counselors are managing caseloads of 400-600 students. And teachers—who became educators to inspire minds—are now carrying the emotional weight of 30+ students every single day, leading to record burnout rates. 60% of teens who receive mental health support get it exclusively at school. So when the system is overwhelmed, students fall through the cracks—and parents feel stuck with nowhere to turn. Leanne pulls back the curtain on what's really happening in schools, why teachers and administrators are drowning despite working their butts off, and why this is a systemic problem no one could have seen coming. But here's the good news: There IS a solution. And it doesn't require hiring more counselors, years of therapy, or overhauling the entire system. It just requires teaching students the tools to regulate themselves. Leanne shares real examples of what changes when students learn to regulate their emotions in under 30 seconds, separate data from drama, and build a self-image that doesn't crumble—so parents and teachers aren't carrying it all. Ready to bring these tools to your school or teen? Head over to TeenagerBrain.com to request a free sample lesson. You'll see exactly how the Teenager Brain curriculum works and test-drive a full lesson yourself. We're looking for our next 25 pilot schools for Fall 2026. This is a 4-week plug-and-play emotional fitness program that teaches students how to regulate their emotions, separate truth from lies, and build a self-image that lasts—without adding to your workload. HOST: Leanne Ellington // StresslessEating.com // @Lea nneEllington // @theteenagerbrain To learn more about Leanne, head over to www.LeanneEllington.com , and to share your thoughts, questions, feedback, or guest suggestions instantly, head on over to www.WhatsGodGotToDoWithIt.com . Follow Leanne on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leanneellington/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.