Conversations with Dr. Jennifer New Year, Same You? | Creating Change That Lasts [Q&A with Dr. Jennifer]
Feb 2, 2026
They unpack why resolutions usually fail and how identity and borrowed stories block lasting change. They explore how discomfort and dysregulation signal growth and why stepwise exposure helps. They discuss the mind-body link, moral triggers for transformation, and distinguishing healthy from toxic shame. They offer strategies for honest conversations, holding boundaries, and forgiving yourself to begin again.
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Grow By Stretching Comfort Zones
- Step into environments you haven't yet mastered in gradual steps to build capacity and neuroplastic change.
- Tolerate temporary discomfort while your limbic system habituates and your prefrontal learns new responses.
Missionary Year Of Rapid Growth
- Dr. Jennifer recalls serving as a missionary in Spain where overwhelming language barriers forced rapid adaptation.
- That year and a half produced intense personal growth through sustained discomfort.
Stay With Discomfort Short-Term
- Give meaning to discomfort and commit to staying with it for a short window (e.g., a few weeks) to form new habits.
- Use small, repeatable actions until new preferences and bodily habituation develop.
