What if the reason you can’t stop obsessing over that one random thing… is actually because something in your life is going really right? In this episode of The Spark File Podcast, Laura and Susan dive into Expansion Anxiety – the sneaky psychological pattern that shows up when you’re leveling up creatively, professionally, or personally. Just as things start to expand, your brain tries to pull you back into familiar (and often unhelpful) loops: rumination, distraction, overthinking, or fixation on problems that suddenly feel urgent. Laura shares her own real-time experience with this phenomenon and breaks down: Why your brain prefers predictability over possibility How old emotional loops disguise themselves as “new problems” The powerful practice of naming the pattern (hello, cognitive defusion) A simple 4-step method to get out of the spiral and back to what matters If you’ve ever found yourself spiraling right when things are getting good, this episode is your roadmap back to your creative center. Because sometimes the discomfort isn’t a sign you’re off track – it’s proof you’re expanding. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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