Engineering Emotions and Energy with Justin Wenck, Ph.D.

Can't stop thinking during meditation? Here's the truth: that's not a failure. Here are 4 meditation myths to rethink, and what actually helps a busy, problem-solving mind settle.If you've ever sat down to meditate and spent the entire time thinking, you're not bad at it. You're alive. In this talk recorded after a five-day retreat in Northern California, drawing on more than two decades of meditation practice, I walk through the four myths that make beginners quit, and the small adjustments that make practice stick.You'll hear why falling asleep during meditation doesn't mean the session failed (repeated sleepiness is feedback about rest you may need), why thoughts are completely normal and what to do with them when they show up, how movement like yoga or running can prepare you for seated practice, and why choosing one technique and practicing it consistently beats switching every few weeks.The practical takeaway: start with five minutes — or even 60 seconds on a difficult day — and give one technique six months before you judge it. That's how meditation for beginners actually becomes a habit instead of a struggle.Whether you're brand new to meditation or you've quietly given up a dozen times, this is your invitation to stop trying to quiet your mind by force and start practicing with a mind that thinks.💬 I'd love to hear from you: what's your experience with meditation been like — the myth that tripped you up, the technique that finally clicked, or the thing you're still stuck on? Tell me in the comments.🔔 Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@justinwenckphd🎧Listen to the podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/787193Connect with Justin:Free offerings: https://www.justinwenck.com/free-offeringsMain website: https://www.justinwenck.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinwenck/Book — Engineered to Love: https://www.engineeredtolove.comSend us Fan MailWatch the full video episode on Justin Wenck, Ph.D. YouTube Channel!Check out my best-selling book "Engineered to Love: Going Beyond Success to Fulfillment" also available on Audiobook on all streaming platforms! Go to https://www.engineeredtolove.com/ to learn more! Got a question or comment about the show? E-mail me at [email protected] to subscribe so you don't miss the next episode! Connect with me:JustinWenck.comLinkedInYouTubeDisclaimer: No copyright infringement intended, music and pics belong to the rightful owners.=====================================================

Election + Halloween got you bracing for scary possibilities? Here’s how to become the mayor of your own mind and stop letting ghosts, goblins, or politicians run your inner city.In this episode, I share 2 principles most people ignore to their peril: what you resist persists, and “I’m not who you think I am — you’re who you think I am.” You’ll learn how mindfulness and emotional regulation help you turn triggers into self-awareness, welcome those “trick-or-treater” parts of you without letting them run amok, and choose how to calm your mind.In this video:Notice when your attention is focused on what you don't want.Get curious about what your judgments bring up in you.Think of anger, fear, and frustration as citizens of your inner city.Welcome those parts of yourself while choosing how they get to act.Explore what an annoying person might reveal about a part of you that wants attention.👇 Next step: Want to learn LEAP, my Life Energy Activation Process to get back in command? Once learned, the practice takes about four minutes. JustinWenck.com/leap💬 What’s scaring you right now — and what’s one other perspective you could take on it so you can rise above? Tell me in the comments — I read every one.🔔 Subscribe for weekly videos on mindfulness, values, and practical goal-setting.CONNECT WITH JUSTIN:Website: https://www.justinwenck.comFree offerings: https://www.justinwenck.com/free-offeringsPodcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/787193Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justinwenckphd/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinwenck/Send us Fan MailWatch the full video episode on Justin Wenck, Ph.D. YouTube Channel!Check out my best-selling book "Engineered to Love: Going Beyond Success to Fulfillment" also available on Audiobook on all streaming platforms! Go to https://www.engineeredtolove.com/ to learn more! Got a question or comment about the show? E-mail me at [email protected] to subscribe so you don't miss the next episode! Connect with me:JustinWenck.comLinkedInYouTubeDisclaimer: No copyright infringement intended, music and pics belong to the rightful owners.=====================================================

Feeling stuck? Like you’re climbing toward something you want but can’t quite reach it?A barrier doesn’t automatically mean you’re failing. Sometimes you’re not ready yet, and the next step is to grow. Other times, you’ve already outgrown the place behind you, and the barrier is helping you from going backwards and getting stuck.Standing in front of a stairway at the beach, we use the metaphor of child safety gates on the stairs to explore what life's obstacles may be telling us. We’ll look at why forcing one path isn’t always the answer, how going sideways or even backward can still be part of moving higher, and when the real problem may be that you’re climbing the wrong stairway.If you’re working on overcoming obstacles or learning how to get unstuck in life, this is your permission to stop fighting the barrier and start growing through it. It's time for personal growth for a fulfilling lifeIn this episode:Why some barriers protect you until you’re readyHow to stop fighting where you are and grow through itWhy returning to an old place doesn’t always mean you’re going backwardHow a job, relationship, or passion can become the wrong stairwayWhy what worked then may not be what works now👇 Next step: Try LEAP—my four-minute compound wellness and energy practice for getting out of your own way and finding your next step:https://www.justinwenck.com/leap💬 What’s your stairway right now? What do you want to experience, contribute, or enjoy that feels blocked? Drop it in the comments—I read every one.🎧 Listen to Engineering Emotions & Energy:https://www.buzzsprout.com/787193🔔 Subscribe:https://www.youtube.com/@justinwenckphdConnect with JustinLearn about LEAP: https://www.justinwenck.com/leapWebsite: https://www.justinwenck.com/Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/787193YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@justinwenckphdLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinwenck/Episode video URL: https://youtu.be/THjy2u7yfNcSend us Fan MailWatch the full video episode on Justin Wenck, Ph.D. YouTube Channel!Check out my best-selling book "Engineered to Love: Going Beyond Success to Fulfillment" also available on Audiobook on all streaming platforms! Go to https://www.engineeredtolove.com/ to learn more! Got a question or comment about the show? E-mail me at [email protected] to subscribe so you don't miss the next episode! Connect with me:JustinWenck.comLinkedInYouTubeDisclaimer: No copyright infringement intended, music and pics belong to the rightful owners.=====================================================

What if nothing is the thing you need right now?Justin recorded this episode on the bluffs in Pacifica, with the beach and ocean below and a drizzly sky overhead. He had been trying to come up with something important, positive, or useful to say. Instead, he kept coming up with nothing; and he realized that was exactly what was needed.This is a short invitation to step out of the chase for the next thing and notice what is already here. Justin reflects on the disappointment that can follow getting what you thought you wanted, the difference between trying and allowing, and how a little open space can bring a different perspective, more choice, and a sense of possibility. There is no five-step formula to follow. The experience is the point.In this episode:Why getting “the thing” may still leave you wantingWhat you can notice when you pause and pay attentionHow letting go of trying can make room for allowingWhy “nothing” can feel like a blank canvasWho are you becoming, and what might that person experience? Justin would love to hear from you. If this kind of reflective episode resonates, send him a note, subscribe, leave a review, or share it with someone who might enjoy a few minutes of space.Watch Justin on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@justinwenckphdConnect with Justin: https://www.justinwenck.com/Send us Fan MailWatch the full video episode on Justin Wenck, Ph.D. YouTube Channel!Check out my best-selling book "Engineered to Love: Going Beyond Success to Fulfillment" also available on Audiobook on all streaming platforms! Go to https://www.engineeredtolove.com/ to learn more! Got a question or comment about the show? E-mail me at [email protected] to subscribe so you don't miss the next episode! Connect with me:JustinWenck.comLinkedInYouTubeDisclaimer: No copyright infringement intended, music and pics belong to the rightful owners.=====================================================

You’re capable. You’re not broken. But when thinking harder and working longer keeps leading you into the same wall, instead of more of the same, try changing your state instead. What's that? How's that?Well, in this episode, Justin shares three practical ways to shift your physical, emotional, and mental state: movement, breathwork, and affirmations (or, as he prefers to call them, better-quality thoughts). He also guides you through a short breathing practice you can use almost anywhere to feel calmer, clearer, more connected, and back in command.You’ll also hear a little behind the scenes from Justin’s recent retreat at Mount Shasta, where he taught his LEAP practice to a spiritually minded group and was reminded that knowing something is not the same as having a tool you can actually use in the moment.You’ll learn:Why changing your state can work when more thinking does notHow movement helps you get out of your head and into your bodyWhy breathwork can shift your emotional state quickly, and why intensity is not always betterA simple four-part breathing reset you can try during the episodeHow to replace unhelpful mental loops with better-quality thoughtsHow LEAP combines physical, mental, emotional, and energetic change in four minutesWhat's your favorite way to change your state: movement, breathwork, or better thoughts?Learn the four-minute LEAP practice live with Justin:https://www.justinwenck.com/leapJustin’s next live LEAP workshop is Sunday, September 20 at 5:00 p.m. Pacific. If you cannot attend, use the same link to get on the list for a future session.Links & ConnectYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@justinwenckphdFree offerings: https://www.justinwenck.com/free-offeringsEvents: https://www.justinwenck.com/eventsConnect with Justin: https://www.justinwenck.com/connectBook — Engineered to Love: https://www.engineeredtolove.comSend us Fan MailWatch the full video episode on Justin Wenck, Ph.D. YouTube Channel!Check out my best-selling book "Engineered to Love: Going Beyond Success to Fulfillment" also available on Audiobook on all streaming platforms! Go to https://www.engineeredtolove.com/ to learn more! Got a question or comment about the show? E-mail me at [email protected] to subscribe so you don't miss the next episode! Connect with me:JustinWenck.comLinkedInYouTubeDisclaimer: No copyright infringement intended, music and pics belong to the rightful owners.=====================================================

You can sincerely love your family, feel devoted to God, and care deeply about your community—and still behave in ways that harm all three. The problem may not be what you care about. It may be that those words don’t help you choose what to do when life gets messy.In this episode, Justin explores why Family, God, and Community can be meaningful things to love and serve while still being poor operating values. He explains the gap between the values we say guide us and the values our choices reveal, then offers six practical questions for making more aligned decisions.Key Ideas / TakeawaysThe difference between an espoused value and an enacted valueWhy a useful value should help you make a choice when important things competeHow spiritual language can become a way to avoid apologizing, changing, or taking responsibilityWhat a healthy community needs beyond good intentions: honesty, boundaries, communication, and accountabilitySix operating values: Integrity, Joy, Kindness, Communication, Growth, and Responsibility.A four-step practice for rating your behavior instead of your intentions and choosing one aligned actionWhy ListenThis conversation is for anyone who cares deeply about living by their values but suspects their behavior does not always reflect what they say matters. It offers a grounded way to turn a beautiful intention into a useful question—and then into your next response.Get the free two-page Values Compass and apply the six values to a real situation in your life:https://www.justinwenck.com/6valuesConnect with Justin:Main website: https://www.justinwenck.comAbout Justin: https://www.justinwenck.com/aboutFree offerings: https://www.justinwenck.com/free-offeringsEvents: https://www.justinwenck.com/eventsConnect: https://www.justinwenck.com/connectPodcast home: https://www.buzzsprout.com/787193Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/engineering-emotions-and-energy-with-justin-wenck-ph-d/id1493136576YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@justinwenckphdInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/justinwenckphd/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinwenck/Book — Engineered to Love: https://www.engineeredtolove.comAmazon book listing: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C2SQ21WVAudible audiobook: https://www.audible.com/pd/Engineered-to-Love-Audiobook/B0CCQLSDS7Mental Wealth audio course: https://grow.emotionsengineering.com/mentalwealthSend us Fan MailWatch the full video episode on Justin Wenck, Ph.D. YouTube Channel!Check out my best-selling book "Engineered to Love: Going Beyond Success to Fulfillment" also available on Audiobook on all streaming platforms! Go to https://www.engineeredtolove.com/ to learn more! Got a question or comment about the show? E-mail me at [email protected] to subscribe so you don't miss the next episode! Connect with me:JustinWenck.comLinkedInYouTubeDisclaimer: No copyright infringement intended, music and pics belong to the rightful owners.=====================================================

Just because AI can "do" more than ever doesn't mean you need to be doing more.When ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Codex, or Claude Code starts working, the instinct is often to open another tab, check email, start another task, or stare impatiently at the screen. Justin has been experimenting with a very different response by using the waiting time to become calmer and clearer.In this episode, Justin shares the simple 4-6 breathing practice he has fallen in love with and why it fits surprisingly well with AI-assisted work. He explains what slow breathing may be doing physiologically, why a calm state does not mean a passive state, and how giving your mind some open space may help you return to the work with better judgment.Key Ideas / TakeawaysHow 4-6 breathing works (and my favorite timer for it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-G89S77iJm8Why slower breathing can influence heart-rate variability and help create a state of calm, alert readinessWhy the human using AI still has to decide what matters, evaluate the output, and choose what happens nextHow stress can interfere with the attention, working memory, and flexibility needed to work well with AIWhy leaving some mental space while AI works may help your own mind continue processing problems in the backgroundThree practical ways to use 4-6 breathing during short, medium, and long AI tasksWhy ListenThis is especially useful if you spend a lot of time with ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Codex, Claude Code, or other AI tools and regularly find yourself bouncing between tasks while they work. It is also for anyone who wants a very simple way to create more calm and space during the natural pauses already built into the day.The idea is not to make AI faster.It is to make better use of the human while the AI is working.Connect with JustinMain website: https://www.justinwenck.comAbout Justin: https://www.justinwenck.com/aboutFree offerings: https://www.justinwenck.com/free-offeringsEvents: https://www.justinwenck.com/eventsConnect: https://www.justinwenck.com/connectPodcast home: https://www.buzzsprout.com/787193Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/engineering-emotions-and-energy-with-justin-wenck-ph-d/id1493136576YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@justinwenckphdInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/justinwenckphd/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinwenck/Book — Engineered to Love: https://www.engineeredtolove.comAmazon book listing: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C2SQ21WVAudible audiobook: https://www.audible.com/pd/Engineered-to-Love-Audiobook/B0CCQLSDS7Mental Wealth audio course: https://grow.emotionsengineering.com/mentalwealthLEAP practice: https://www.justinwenck.com/leapSend us Fan MailWatch the full video episode on Justin Wenck, Ph.D. YouTube Channel!Check out my best-selling book "Engineered to Love: Going Beyond Success to Fulfillment" also available on Audiobook on all streaming platforms! Go to https://www.engineeredtolove.com/ to learn more! Got a question or comment about the show? E-mail me at [email protected] to subscribe so you don't miss the next episode! Connect with me:JustinWenck.comLinkedInYouTubeDisclaimer: No copyright infringement intended, music and pics belong to the rightful owners.=====================================================

You may have a life that looks successful on paper, and still you feel like your life isn't working out how you want it.Too many meetings. Too many commitments. A workspace you dislike. A home that does not feel like you. When everything feels off, the hardest part is often knowing where to begin.Enter 'the new bedspread effect': improve one small part of your environment, protect the feeling it creates, and let that become the reference point for what you change next.In this episode, Justin shares how buying one decent bedspread helped him begin transforming an apartment that still looked like a college student lived there. He then explains how the same principle helped him create better boundaries, protect his lunch hour, choose work more carefully, and become more reliable without working sixteen-hour days.Key Ideas and TakeawaysWhy one small improvement can reveal what you want the rest of your life to feel likeHow to use a positive part of your environment as an anchor instead of focusing on everything that is wrongWhy doing more work does not necessarily make someone more valuable or dependableHow overcommitting creates emotional baggage, psychological overhead, and disappointed coworkersWhy consistently doing what you said you would do can matter more than taking on the most tasksHow protecting one meaningful part of your day can influence your projects, boundaries, team, and careerWhy ListenThis episode is for developers, engineers, leaders, and anyone who feels overwhelmed by their work or discouraged by their surroundings. You do not need to redesign your entire life today. You may only need to find one small thing that feels good—and start building from there.Connect with JustinMain website: https://www.justinwenck.comAbout Justin: https://www.justinwenck.com/aboutFree offerings: https://www.justinwenck.com/free-offeringsEvents: https://www.justinwenck.com/eventsConnect: https://www.justinwenck.com/connectPodcast home: https://www.buzzsprout.com/787193Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/engineering-emotions-and-energy-with-justin-wenck-ph-d/id1493136576YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@justinwenckphdInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/justinwenckphd/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinwenck/Book — Engineered to Love: https://www.engineeredtolove.comAmazon book listing: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C2SQ21WVAudible audiobook: https://www.audible.com/pd/Engineered-to-Love-Audiobook/B0CCQLSDS7Mental Wealth audio course: https://grow.emotionsengineering.com/mentalwealthSend us Fan MailWatch the full video episode on Justin Wenck, Ph.D. YouTube Channel!Check out my best-selling book "Engineered to Love: Going Beyond Success to Fulfillment" also available on Audiobook on all streaming platforms! Go to https://www.engineeredtolove.com/ to learn more! Got a question or comment about the show? E-mail me at [email protected] to subscribe so you don't miss the next episode! Connect with me:JustinWenck.comLinkedInYouTubeDisclaimer: No copyright infringement intended, music and pics belong to the rightful owners.=====================================================

Life has a way of throwing things at you that feel completely random, chaotic, and deeply unfair. Maybe someone sideswipes your car, your company downsizes out of nowhere, or you show up for a routine medical checkup only to get hit with an unexpected processing bill before the needle even touches your arm.When you're constantly playing defense against a world that feels out of whack, the default reaction is to look around and wonder why this garbage keeps happening to you. You work hard, you try to do the right thing, and yet it feels like you're just an innocent bystander getting targeted by outside circumstances.But here is the truth of the human system most try to ignore: your external environment is an exact reflection of your internal state. If you are constantly hiding away from looking at your role in your life, you might have missed that you’ve positioned yourself right next to an automatic ass-kicking machine.Episode OverviewIn this episode, we dive into the absolute number one value of 2026: responsibility. This isn’t the dry, compliance-driven version of paying your bills on time or doing your chores. We are talking about response-ability—your fundamental ability to respond to anything and everything that shows up in your lifetime. We break down how your deeply ingrained habits function like an unguided property manager for your life, and explain why reclaiming your status as the absolute owner of your mind and your life changes your entire experience of reality.Key Ideas / TakeawaysThe Life Property Manager: Why your unconscious habits, beliefs, and patterns function like an auto-pilot manager waiting for you to step up and authorize real structural upgrades.The 2026 Value Hierarchy: Why integrity, joy, kindness, communication, and proactive growth are simply structural scaffolding to support real spiritual responsibility.Proactive vs. Reactive Growth: The critical difference between analyzing your life early or waiting for your system to break down the hard way.The Head-in-the-Sand Trap: Breaking down why the belief that "bad things just happen" keeps you stuck in the FOG (Fear, Obligation, and Guilt) and blocks real momentum.The Medical Lab Reality Check: What a surprise $50 collection bill at a blood lab revealed about my own unconscious assumptions regarding the healthcare system.Why ListenThis conversation is a direct invitation to stop acting like a passive tenant who constantly complains about the broken plumbing in their life. If you are ready to transition from being a victim of random circumstances to the empowered creator who actually owns the building of their life, this episode gives you the mental blueprints to take back the keys.Links & Connect With JustinConnect with Justin:Main website: https://www.justinwenck.comAbout Justin: https://www.justinwenck.com/aboutFree offerings: https://www.justinwenck.com/free-offeringsEvents: https://www.justinwenck.com/eventsConnect: https://www.justinwenck.com/connectPodcast home: https://www.buzzsprout.com/787193Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/engineering-emotions-and-energy-with-justin-wenck-ph-d/id1493136576YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@justinwenckphdInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/justinwenckphd/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinwenck/Book — Engineered to Love: https://www.engineeredtolove.comAmazon book listing: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C2SQ21WVAudible audiobook: https://www.audible.com/pd/Engineered-to-Love-Audiobook/B0CCQLSDS7Mental Wealth audio course: https://grow.emotionsengineering.com/mentalwealthSend us Fan MailWatch the full video episode on Justin Wenck, Ph.D. YouTube Channel!Check out my best-selling book "Engineered to Love: Going Beyond Success to Fulfillment" also available on Audiobook on all streaming platforms! Go to https://www.engineeredtolove.com/ to learn more! Got a question or comment about the show? E-mail me at [email protected] to subscribe so you don't miss the next episode! Connect with me:JustinWenck.comLinkedInYouTubeDisclaimer: No copyright infringement intended, music and pics belong to the rightful owners.=====================================================

Have you ever considered that the problem isn't what you are wanting from your life, your business, or your relationships, but how you're going about the wanting?Most of us are stuck in a classic mental trap: the "if-then" fallacy. We tell ourselves, "When I achieve this goal, get that promotion, or fix my health, then I will finally be happy." But your external reality isn't a vending machine that dispenses joy once you input enough hard work—it is an exact reflection of who you are right now. If you are operating from a core state of anger, lack, or constant dissatisfaction, your system will simply keep reproducing environments that reflect that.Episode OverviewIn this episode of Engineering Emotions and Energy, we look at the mechanics of human desire and the subtle ways our rigid expectations block our fulfillment. We dive into why the true purpose of living is about learning how to be happy while in the active pursuit of our desires, rather than waiting for an arbitrary end point. It's time to open ourselves up to receiving what we want in highly unexpected, elegant, and easeful ways.Key Ideas / TakeawaysThe Iceberg of Reality: Understanding how your subconscious beliefs and identity form the foundational bulk that dictates your actual physical environment.The "If-Then" Fallacy: Breaking down why waiting for an achievement to feel happy is the worst way to go about it, and how being delighted now invites what you want much faster or funer-er-er.Letting Go of the Spoon-Fed Solution: Why fixating on a highly specific delivery method—like George Costanza eating a candy bar with a knife and fork—blinds you to the gifts landing right in your lap.Data Points Beyond the Scale: Re-engineering how you track your success in your health, career, or relationships by learning to look for multiple data metrics instead of one single, stubborn number.Why ListenThis conversation is for anyone who feels like they are grinding away without seeing the signs of success they've been struggling for. If you're ready to build the internal muscle of genuine appreciation, this episode offers the exact perspective shift you need to let things show up smoothly.Links & Connect With JustinConnect with Justin:Main website: https://www.justinwenck.comAbout Justin: https://www.justinwenck.com/aboutFree offerings: https://www.justinwenck.com/free-offeringsEvents: https://www.justinwenck.com/eventsConnect: https://www.justinwenck.com/connectPodcast home: https://www.buzzsprout.com/787193Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/engineering-emotions-and-energy-with-justin-wenck-ph-d/id1493136576YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@justinwenckphdInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/justinwenckphd/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinwenck/Book — Engineered to Love: https://www.engineeredtolove.comAmazon book listing: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C2SQ21WVAudible audiobook: https://www.audible.com/pd/Engineered-to-Love-Audiobook/B0CCQLSDS7Mental Wealth audio course: https://grow.emotionsengineering.com/mentalwealthSend us Fan MailWatch the full video episode on Justin Wenck, Ph.D. YouTube Channel!Check out my best-selling book "Engineered to Love: Going Beyond Success to Fulfillment" also available on Audiobook on all streaming platforms! Go to https://www.engineeredtolove.com/ to learn more! Got a question or comment about the show? E-mail me at [email protected] to subscribe so you don't miss the next episode! Connect with me:JustinWenck.comLinkedInYouTubeDisclaimer: No copyright infringement intended, music and pics belong to the rightful owners.=====================================================