Self-Sabotage Isn’t What You Think: Why It Happens And How To Change It Scenic Route, Social Change And Mental Health Conversations For Perfectionists podcast

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Self-Sabotage Isn’t What You Think: Why It Happens and How to Change It

7d ago 16:24

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Why do we procrastinate, overthink, avoid, or hold back just when things matter most? Your social media feed at 2 am calls this self-sabotage, but is it?

In this episode of the Scenic Route, we unpack fresh psychology research that flips the story of self-sabotage on its head. You’ll discover three hidden patterns that shape how we repeat harmful choices:

Sensitives: quick learners who adapt after mistakes
Unawares: people who miss the cause-and-effect until it’s explained
Compulsives: those who know better but can’t break the cycle

You’ll hear why common advice like “just use willpower” or “learn from your mistakes” fails so many of us, and what actually works instead.

Because here’s the twist: you’re not broken, lazy, or your own worst enemy. What looks like sabotage is often safety in disguise. And once you see that, everything changes.
Paper mentioned:
Zeng, L., Park, H. R. P., McNally, G. P., Jean-Richard-dit-Bressel, P., et al. (2025). Causal inference and cognitive-behavioral integration deficits drive stable variation in human punishment sensitivity. Communications Psychology, 3, Article 103.

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Chapters

1. What Self-Sabotage Really Means (00:00:00)

2. Why “Bad Habits” Are Really Safety Strategies (00:06:08)

3. The 3 Types of Self-Sabotage Patterns (00:10:16)

4. From Self-Blame to Self-Compassion (00:13:24)

5. Final Takeaways + Resources (00:15:27)

105 episodes