239. Holiday Habits: Emotional Regulation and Avoiding Pitfalls

Written By Ali Novitsky, MD

In this festive and insightful episode of the "Metabolism, Muscles, and Mindset Podcast," Dr. Ali Novitsky dives into the season of gratitude and growth, kicking things off with a warm welcome to listeners and a personal story about Thanksgiving.

As a major Thanksgiving enthusiast, Ali shares a special memory from her medical residency days — particularly the one year she had all three major holidays off after the birth of her daughter, Charlotte. This year, she’s excited to be celebrating Thanksgiving at Disney with her family, adding a sprinkle of holiday magic.

Ali then introduces her much-anticipated January program, Transform® 9.0, with an exclusive Black Friday bonus. Those who enroll early can participate in a two-week December bootcamp focused on emotional regulation — a key to breaking cycles of emotional eating and drinking. Ali has designed a unique 14-day mocktail menu to keep things festive, and her husband, a psychiatrist, will lend his expertise on the pathways of addiction. Together, they aim to help participants recognize the link between emotional habits and addictive behaviors.

Dr. Ali explains how recognizing signs of stress and dysregulation is the first step toward transforming habits like doom scrolling, emotional eating, or drinking. Ali shares her own experiences with these habits, from phone addiction to the impact of occasional drinking, and describes how understanding her emotional triggers has helped her make healthier choices.

Listeners get practical advice for overcoming unwanted habits: recognize dysregulation, identify the underlying emotion, and avoid reactions or distractions. Ali highlights the power of sitting with one’s emotions for just 90 seconds, which can dramatically reduce their intensity.

Listen to Episode 239 Here

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Chapters

00:00:00 - Introduction and Thanksgiving Memories
00:00:49 - Family and Maternity Leave
00:01:41 - Black Friday and Transform 9.0 Announcement
00:03:17 - Emotional Regulation and Addiction Pathways
00:04:11 - Specialist Introduction: Brenda Winkle
00:04:45 - Today's Topic: Overcoming Unwanted Habits
00:06:11 - Dysregulation and Emotional Responses
00:07:14 - Four Quadrant Rule of Emotional Responses
00:08:29 - Genetic Predisposition to Emotional Eating
00:09:12 - Personal Example: Phone Usage and Connection
00:10:50 - Breaking Habits and Addiction Pathways
00:11:31 - Personal Example: Instagram and Connection
00:12:43 - Authentic Connection vs. Social Media
00:13:36 - Stories We Tell Ourselves
00:14:19 - Personal Example: Alcohol and Fun
00:15:48 - Cutting Alcohol and Introducing Mocktails
00:17:01 - Mocktail Recipes and Benefits
00:18:07 - Emotional Eating and Residency Stress
00:19:52 - Breaking the Pattern of Emotional Eating
00:21:06 - Challenging Urges and Emotional Intensity
00:23:03 - Process of Overcoming Habits
00:25:07 - Program Offerings

Resources:

*Ali Novitsky MD, this podcast, and podcast write-up are NOT providing medical advice. We do not recommend you start any exercise program without first consulting with your doctor!*

Ali Novitsky, MD https://www.mindbodymarriage.com
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