Banish the Lies: Outsmart Your Inner Critic

Tania Cervoni
  • 5.0 (8)
  • MENTAL HEALTH

Banish the Lies is a podcast for women who overthink, self-sabotage, and secretly feel stuck, even when life looks “together” on the outside. Each week, host Tania Cervoni explores the quiet fears and false stories that shape how we see ourselves, lies like “you’ll never be enough” or “if it’s not perfect, it doesn’t count.” Through honest reflection, lived experience, and simple mindset shifts, she invites you to loosen your grip on fear, soften perfectionism, and step out of performance. You’ll hear conversations about identity, self-trust, and what it actually looks like to live from truth instead of fear, with practical ways to quiet self-doubt and return to what matters. Because healing doesn’t mean fixing who you are. It means remembering you were never broken. Thanks for listening to Banish the Lies. If something in this episode resonated and you want to talk about it, connect with me on Instagram at @taniacervoni_

  1. 2D AGO

    07: You’re Not Stuck, You’re Loyal to an Old Identity

    Send me a message Have you ever wondered why, even after doing so much inner work, the same patterns keep showing up? Why insight alone doesn’t seem to set you free? In this episode of Banish the Lies, Tania explores the idea that what we often call “being stuck” may actually be loyalty, loyalty to an old identity that once helped us feel safe, accepted, or worthy. She unpacks how identities formed around achievement, caretaking, pleasing, or staying invisible can quietly continue running the show, even when we consciously want something different. Tania shares how these identities often begin as protection, why they don’t simply disappear because we’ve gained awareness, and how growth can feel unsettling when it threatens the version of ourselves we’ve relied on for belonging. She reflects on the tension between striving and trusting, control and openness, and what it means to move from conditional worth toward wholeness. This episode is an invitation to stop interpreting familiar patterns as failure and start seeing them as information, signals that the identity that got you here may not be able to lead you forward. If you’ve been exhausted by pushing, proving, or performing, this conversation offers relief, clarity, and a gentler way to meet what’s next. Journal prompts from this episode What belief about my worth might still be operating quietly in the background?Where in my life do I feel like I’m striving instead of trusting?Who am I being loyal to when I stay in this pattern?What might the next version of me value more than approval or certainty?

    13 min

  2. 5D AGO

    Monday Moment: What If We’re Rehearsing Fear?

    Send me a message When fear shows up as “what if” thinking, it often sounds like realism. But more often, it’s just worry on repeat. In this Monday Moment, Tania reflects on how constantly rehearsing worst-case scenarios shapes expectations, keeps the nervous system on high alert, and quietly drains mental energy. She invites listeners to notice their own “what if” patterns and experiment with more generous, hopeful expectations instead. This episode offers a simple, compassionate reminder that we don’t have to rehearse fear to stay prepared, and that imagining kinder outcomes can change how we move through the day.

    3 min

  3. FEB 5

    06: Perfectionism, Sneakers and the Lie of Getting it "Right"

    Send me a message A pair of sneakers becomes an unexpected window into perfectionism, overthinking, and the quiet ways people drain their own energy trying to get things “just right.” In this episode, Tania shares a real, slightly humorous moment of noticing herself slip back into old perfectionistic habits, from second-guessing small purchases to replaying decisions long after they no longer matter. She reflects on how perfectionism often begins as a way to stay safe, how it can show up in both big life choices and everyday decisions, and why waiting for the “perfect” answer rarely brings peace. This conversation is an invitation to treat perfectionism with compassion, stop sweating the small stuff, and reclaim the time, energy, and freedom that overthinking quietly steals.

    12 min

  4. FEB 2

    Monday Moment: Overcoming Perfectionism One Imperfect Step at a Time

    Send me a message Perfectionism often looks like having high standards, but more often it’s a way of trying to stay in control. And that quiet need for control can keep people stuck longer than they realize. In this Monday Moment, Tania shares a simple idea that’s helped her break free from overthinking and waiting for certainty. She reflects on why motivation and confidence don’t come from having the full plan, but from taking action, even when the step feels messy or incomplete. This episode is a gentle nudge for anyone who’s been delaying something meaningful while waiting to feel ready. You don’t need to see the whole path. One imperfect step is enough to begin, and momentum will meet you there.

    5 min

  5. JAN 29

    05: The Lie “I’m Not Athletic” with Sue Skelly: Walking 500 Miles Back to Yourself

    Send me a message What if “I’m not athletic” isn’t a fact, but a story you picked up early and never questioned again? In this episode, I’m joined by Sue Skelly, founder of Women Who Walk the World, where she leads women on long-distance pilgrimages like the Camino de Santiago. Sue grew up believing she wasn’t athletic, the kid who dreaded gym class and got picked last. And yet she later walked 500 miles across Spain, and now guides other women to do the same. We talk about how identity gets formed, how it quietly limits what we attempt, and what starts to change when you stop letting old stories make your decisions. In this episode, we explore: What the Camino de Santiago is (and why there isn’t just one route)The gym-class experiences that shaped Sue’s belief about herselfThe physical, mental, and spiritual terrain of walking long distancesWhat Sue means by “walking back to yourself”How to start challenging your “absolutes” and rewriting what feels fixedA question to sit with: What’s one belief about yourself that you’ve treated as permanent, but might actually be negotiable? Resources and links Sue Skelly, Women Who Walk the World: womenwhowalktheworld.comSue on Instagram: @womenwhowalktheworldAmerican Pilgrims on the Camino:  Sue also volunteers with American Pilgrims on the Camino, a national organization that connects experienced pilgrims with first-time walkers and supports people preparing for the Camino through local training walks and mentorship.  Visit americanpilgrims.orgIf this conversation resonated, share it with someone who’s been quietly carrying a story that’s keeping them small.

    46 min

  6. JAN 26

    Monday Moment: When Things Aren’t Going Right, Go Left

    Send me a message In today’s Monday Moment, Tania does something a little different. She shares a children’s story that made this adult pause and reflect. When Things Aren’t Going Right, Go Left by Marc Colagiovanni, illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds, tells a simple, playful story about setting down worries, doubts, fears, and frustrations — and choosing a different direction when the inner voice insists the “responsible” thing to do is brace, worry, or stay alert. As Tania reads this story, she reflects on how often the inner critic convinces us that focusing on what could go wrong is the safest move. And yet, this story offers a gentler invitation: sometimes the bravest thing we can do is go left instead. If your inner voice has been loud lately — pulling you toward fear, doubt, or worry — consider this a quiet nudge to try a different direction. Even if only for today. Book links:  When Things Aren’t Going Right, Go Left (Amazon):  https://a.co/d/g2Z4obm Illustrator Peter H. Reynolds / Blue Bunny Books: The Blue Bunny Books & Toys   With gratitude to Marc Colagiovanni for generously granting permission to share this story.

    6 min

  7. JAN 22

    04: The Lie: “I’ll Celebrate When…”

    Send me a message The day her podcast launched, Tania expected to feel something big. Pride. Relief. Excitement. Instead, she moved right past it and went straight to her to-do list. In this episode, Tania explores a pattern many of us fall into without realizing it: postponing celebration, satisfaction, and presence until some future moment that keeps moving further away. Through a very real launch-day story, a slammed car door, and a surprisingly revealing question from her sister, she looks at how the inner critic often disguises itself as being practical, humble, or disciplined, and how that can quietly disconnect us from joy, momentum, and even the people who want to celebrate with us. This episode is an invitation to pause, let your efforts land, and notice what shifts when you stop telling yourself, “I’ll celebrate when…”

    8 min

  8. JAN 19

    Monday Moment: Before the Day Takes Over

    Send me a message A Monday Moment is a short pause at the start of the week. In this episode, Tania reflects on the difference between gratitude and appreciation, and how moving beyond mental checklists into sensory awareness can shift how your day unfolds. It’s a reminder to slow down, notice what's already present, and anchor into the day before momentum takes over.

    4 min
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About

Banish the Lies is a podcast for women who overthink, self-sabotage, and secretly feel stuck, even when life looks “together” on the outside. Each week, host Tania Cervoni explores the quiet fears and false stories that shape how we see ourselves, lies like “you’ll never be enough” or “if it’s not perfect, it doesn’t count.” Through honest reflection, lived experience, and simple mindset shifts, she invites you to loosen your grip on fear, soften perfectionism, and step out of performance. You’ll hear conversations about identity, self-trust, and what it actually looks like to live from truth instead of fear, with practical ways to quiet self-doubt and return to what matters. Because healing doesn’t mean fixing who you are. It means remembering you were never broken. Thanks for listening to Banish the Lies. If something in this episode resonated and you want to talk about it, connect with me on Instagram at @taniacervoni_

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