Escaping The Control Trap: Why Controlling Your Life Backfires With Kati Morton

Escaping The Control Trap: Why Controlling Your Life Backfires With Kati Morton

From Time to Reset by Penny Zenker

March 13, 2026 · 32 min

About this episode

Penny Zenker and Kati Morton discuss the pitfalls of trying to control every aspect of life and offer strategies for managing emotions and reducing anxiety.

Trying to control every outcome in life can feel like the safest strategy, but it often leads to more stress, anxiety, and frustration. In this episode, Penny Zenker sits down with Kati Morton , bestselling author and mental health expert, to explore the control trap —the tendency to overmanage our emotions, circumstances, and even other people in an attempt to feel secure. Kati explains why our brains crave control during uncertainty, why anger often masks deeper emotions like hurt or fear, and how tools like the feelings wheel can help us better identify what we’re actually experiencing. She also shares practical strategies for setting boundaries, managing workplace emotions, and reducing anxiety in a world full of digital distractions—revealing why letting go of unnecessary control can actually create more clarity, resilience, and focus.

People in this episode

Host: Penny Zenker

Guest: Kati Morton

Topics covered

  • control trap
  • mental health
  • emotional management
  • anxiety reduction
  • workplace boundaries
  • digital distractions

Keywords

  • control
  • stress
  • anxiety
  • emotions
  • boundaries
  • mental health
  • feelings wheel

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Escaping The Control Trap

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