The holidays have a way of stirring up old thoughts, old emotions, and old coping patterns. Family gatherings, financial pressure, grief, loneliness, and anxiety can all collide at once—and when anxiety rises, the mind often reaches for the same “solution” it always has. Porn isn’t the problem. It’s the relief valve we’ve learned to pull when tension feels unbearable.

In this episode of the Free From Porn podcast, Richard Young teaches a simple but powerful practice that changes everything: learning to observe your thoughts instead of fighting them—and relaxing around the feelings they trigger. You’ll discover why resisting or suppressing anxious thoughts actually makes them stronger, how to step out of the mental “roller coaster,” and what it looks like to take thoughts captive by staying present, relaxed, and grounded in Christ.

As you head into the busy Christmas season, this episode will help you:

• Understand why anxiety—not desire—is the real driver behind porn use
• Learn how to observe thoughts without identifying with them
• Practice relaxing your body and nervous system when triggers arise
• Experience how peace replaces compulsion when tension is released
• Walk through the holidays conscious, free, and no longer medicating stress

This isn’t about trying harder or fighting your mind. It’s about learning how to live from peace—where thoughts lose their power, urges pass, and freedom becomes your new normal.

Justin shares two hilarious stories of almost joining a cult—and we use them to unpack why old thoughts, temptations, and guilt still show up even when you’re walking in freedom. Learn how to “unsubscribe” from old mental patterns, retrain your mind’s algorithm, and stop taking every thought personally so you can keep walking in the freedom Christ already gave you.

n this episode of the Free From Porn podcast, host Richard Young dives into one of the most overlooked pressure-cookers of the year: the holiday season. For many, Thanksgiving and Christmas bring joy… but they also bring stress, old triggers, family dynamics, and emotional weight that can feel overwhelming.

But what if those very triggers were invitations—not setbacks?

Richard unpacks why moments of pressure are often the same moments that used to drive you to medicate with porn… and how this season can become a sacred opportunity to renew your mind, release old patterns, and walk in the peace that’s already yours in Christ.

From Paul’s words in Philippians 4 to the practice of getting alone with God in the “secret place,” this episode shows you how to turn holiday anxiety into holy ground. You'll learn how to:

• Bring your anxieties to God instead of numbing them
• Recognize triggers as opportunities for transformation
• Let the peace of God guard your heart and mind
• Build new habits of freedom in the moments that used to break you
• Step back into family settings with calm, clarity, and Christ’s life flowing through you

Whether you're listening before Thanksgiving or weeks afterward, this conversation will help you walk into any environment—family gatherings, stressful moments, old memories—with peace, gratitude, and unshakeable identity.

This holiday season, your buttons aren’t setbacks.
They’re invitations to freedom.