When It’s Time to Quit: The Neuroscience of Letting Go and Moving On
CLEANING UP YOUR MENTAL MESS with Dr. Caroline Leaf
Dr. Caroline Leaf
4.6 • 3.2K Ratings
🗓️ 18 June 2025
⏱️ 28 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
😩 Feeling stuck in something that used to work—but now just drains you?
This episode is for the moment you realize: “I can’t keep doing this.”
Dr. Caroline Leaf breaks down the brain science behind why it’s so hard to let go—and how to finally move on with clarity, intention, and real psychological tools. Whether it’s a job, a relationship, a routine, or even an identity, we explore what your brain, mind, and body are really telling you… and how to start over without fear or guilt.
🔬 In this episode:
Why your amygdala resists change (and how to work with it)
The psychoneurobiology of letting go and nervous system safety
What co-regulation and unprocessed stress signals really mean
Why goal disengagement isn’t failure—it’s intelligent redirection
How to use intentional micro-steps to retrain your brain and rebuild resilience
🧠 Backed by recent studies in neuroscience and psychology, Dr. Leaf offers a practical, research-based guide to starting fresh, grounded in compassion—not hustle.
🎬 Chapters include:
00:00 Introduction: The Power of Starting Over
00:36 Understanding the Brain-Mind Connection
02:31 The Science of Neuroplasticity
03:40 Welcome to the Dr. Leaf Show
04:48 Recognizing When It's Time to Change
11:29 The Concept of Adaptive Goal Disengagement
15:27 Practical Steps for Intentional Change
18:15 The Importance of Small Changes
23:19 Conclusion: Embracing New Beginnings
If you’re at a crossroads or silently burning out, this episode is your permission slip to reset.
📫 250,000+ read my free newsletter that breaks down scientific strategies to help you improve your mental health. Sign up here: https://drleaf.com
🖥️ WATCH THE SHOW ON YOUTUBE: / @drcarolineleaf
GET IN TOUCH:
🌍 My website: https://drleaf.com
📸 Instagram: / drcarolineleaf
🐦 Twitter: / drcarolineleaf
💻 Facebook: / drleaf
#StartOver #Neuroscience #LettingGo #BurnoutRecovery #MentalHealthTools #RewireYourBrain #BrainScience #EmotionalReset #PsychologyPodcast #MentalWellbeing
DISCLAIMER: This podcast and blog are for educational purposes only and are not intended as medical advice. We always encourage each person to make the decision that seems best for their situation with the guidance of a medical professional.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Rollbacks back at ASDA, with thousands of prices rollback across the store and online. |
| 0:04.9 | Like a Pepsi Max 8-8, was £3.99, now £3.48. |
| 0:09.3 | Asda mixed grapes 500 grams was £2, now just £1.58. |
| 0:13.5 | And a six-pack of Walker's ready salt to crisp was £2.13, now only £1.48. |
| 0:18.9 | Rollback's back. Check out thousands of savings now. That's ASDA price. |
| 0:23.4 | Selected stores online subject to availability, grapes end June 25th may exclude ASDA Express and small stores. |
| 0:27.6 | See ASDA.com slash more stores. Online charges may apply. |
| 0:32.4 | Sometimes one of the most powerful things you can do is admit what you've been doing isn't working |
| 0:38.4 | and that's time to start over. |
| 0:41.6 | Whether it's a job, a relationship, a routine or a way of thinking, that moment of recognition |
| 0:48.9 | really takes some clarity and it takes courage, so much courage. |
| 0:57.1 | Even when something has clearly run its course, |
| 1:05.4 | stepping away can feel so hard, literally impossible sometimes. So what makes it so hard? And what actually changes when we change? Did you know that 60% of people stay in unfulfilling situations because of the fear of the unknown? |
| 1:16.1 | And that 70% say that they struggled to let go of goals that once felt right but no longer fit. |
| 1:23.7 | It's not just you or me. |
| 1:26.4 | The mind, your mind, my mind, we have wired our brains to hold on to |
| 1:31.1 | establish networks even if it's not helping remember the brain doesn't think the brain can't do |
| 1:37.5 | anything it's just responding to your mind it's hosting a network a pattern of reacting and you can |
| 1:43.3 | change that you can change what you're hosting. |
| 1:45.6 | You don't have to hold on to that. So until you consciously and deliberately change it, |
| 1:51.1 | the established network just gets fired up by your messy mind. But you don't have to live there. |
| 1:56.4 | Your brain has an amygdala. It's a little library in your brain that responds to uncertainty like a threat. |
... |
Transcript will be available on the free plan in 16 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Dr. Caroline Leaf, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Dr. Caroline Leaf and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.