Train Your Mind Like You Train Your Body

Have you ever felt like your thoughts were running the show—dragging you down paths of doubt, fear, or overanalysis?

For years, my mind was like a runaway train, racing through worst-case scenarios, replaying past mistakes, and second-guessing every conversation. At night, instead of resting, I lay awake, reliving the day’s missteps and bracing for tomorrow’s stresses.

I believed this was just how my mind worked. I assumed I had no control over it.

But I was wrong.

You Don’t Have to Believe Every Thought

Most of us grow up thinking our thoughts are facts. If a thought pops into our head—I’m not good enough, I always mess up, things never work out for me—we assume it must be true.

But here’s the truth: your thoughts are not facts. They are patterns, habits, and stories your brain has picked up over time. And the best part? You get to decide which ones to believe.

There’s a simple cycle we all experience:

1. Thought → 2. Emotion → 3. Action

A thought sparks an emotion, which drives an action. Let’s say someone asks you to sing karaoke:

• If your thought is “I’m a terrible singer,” you might feel embarrassment or fear—and decline.

• If your thought is “That could be fun!” you might feel excitement—and start picking a song.

The thought comes first, but here’s the game-changer: you have about 90 seconds to reject a thought before it locks in as an emotion.

Do you realize how powerful that is?

Retraining the Brain—One Thought at a Time

When I was working on my relationship with my body, I had to train myself out of negative self-talk. For years, every time I passed a mirror, I silently judged myself. I wanted to stop, but I didn’t know how—until I tried something new.

Every time I caught myself criticizing my reflection, I sang to myself a line from Dreamgirls:

“You’re lying, you’re lying! I’ve never been so thin!”

It was silly, but it worked. It made me laugh, interrupting the negativity before it took hold. Over time, those old thoughts faded. Now, I hardly have them at all.

Was it instant? No. It took consistency and belief. But it was worth it. And the truth is, our brains are wired for confirmation bias. Whatever you tell it, it will look for proof to make it true.

I saw this firsthand in the most unexpected way—my parking spot at work. I used to stress about someone taking it when I went to lunch. And every time, my spot was gone. I even started putting up a cone to hold my place.

Then one day, I stopped worrying about it. And somehow, my spot was almost always there when I got back. Coincidence? Maybe. But I’d changed my expectation, and reality seemed to follow.

Life Feels Easier When You Train Your Mind

When you shift your thoughts, you shift your experience. I’m more calm and easygoing now, and the things that used to trigger me just… don’t.

There’s an easier way, and it starts in your head.

So let me ask you:

• What’s one limiting belief you’re ready to let go of?

• What if you trained your mind the way you would train your body or learn a new skill?

• What could be possible if you stopped believing every thought that told you you can’t?

If you’ve been feeling stuck, unsure how to break free from stress or self-doubt, you don’t have to figure it out alone. Coaching helped me recognize patterns I didn’t even see—and shift them.

If you’re ready to change your thoughts, your emotions, and ultimately your life, let’s talk. Because you have more power than you realize.