One simple trick to shift a negative mindset

Your brain needs evidence to make a shift. This simple cue gives it plenty.

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In a recent Ask Me Anything on Instagram, someone wrote, “I need suggestions for bettering my health. I’ve lost all motivation.” (In fact, many people wrote something achingly similar.)

I’ve written about motivation before. In fact, over the years, I’ve shared lots of tips to help you get started, show up for yourself, and build consistency in any new habit. But what if you’re still stuck? Like, stuck-stuck in a mental tornado of “never,” “can’t,” and “zero?”

I never stick with anything. I never actually start. I just can’t stop. I can’t figure this out. I have zero consistency. I have zero motivation.

I think, therefore I am

There is a system in your brain called the reticular activating system (RAS), which functions like a filter. It sifts through the immense amount of information you’re taking in at any given moment, decides what’s important, and brings that to your attention. It then starts selectively noticing things that support that information.

As an example, when I bought my last car (a black 4Runner), I was highly focused on how it drives, turns, and functions. I also started noticing how many black 4Runners there are in my city. All of a sudden they were everywhere; I had never noticed them before. That’s my RAS at work.

The RAS functions much the same with your beliefs. Once you decide something is true or relevant, your brain starts looking for evidence to support that belief. When it comes to your habits, motivation, or self-talk, this system can work against you:

“I never finish anything” → memories of all of the projects you’ve started, but abandoned

“I can’t figure this out” → thinking of three other situations you’re also struggling with right now

“I have zero consistency” → identifying all of the healthy habits you aren’t consistent with

Flipping the script

The good news is, the RAS can also work in your favor. “Flipping the script” is something I learned more than a decade ago from a therapist. It’s a simple practice that effectively tricks your brain into looking for the positives.

“I never finish anything. Is that true? Let’s write down a few projects I started and finished.”

“I can’t figure this out. Is that true? I’m going to list three things I was struggling with this year that I did figure out.”

“I have zero consistency. Is that true? I make my bed every morning. I call my mom every Sunday. I never hit snooze on my alarm clock….”

By flipping the script, your brain is now on the hunt for evidence that you can get it done, figure it out, or be consistent. Maintaining this perspective throughout your day creates positive inertia, keeping your mood and mindset headed in the direction you want to go.

This practice can also help you identify the helpful actions you’ve taken in the past. During your reflections, you remember that the last time you did finish a project, you wrote a clear outline of each step first. Maybe you could do that this time. The last time you were consistent with exercising, you did it at home, went to class with a friend, or only committed to exercising three times a week. Could you try that again?

“Is that true?”

This practice isn’t just helpful for your habits. You can flip the script on any negative thought. I’m using this trick often to help shift my mood and mindset. Here’s one I’ve been practicing lately:

“People are such jerks → I’m going to find three videos on social media of people doing good things for each other.”

You can also make flipping the script more of an active process. Instead of just thinking about all of the ways it isn’t true, make it not true.

“I never stick with anything → I’m going to create an outline now, because that’s the first step.”

“People are such jerks → I’m going to do something nice for someone today, to help someone else feel good about humanity.”

This practice is even more grounded than positive affirmations. You’re not telling yourself, “It will be true,” you’re reminding yourself of all of the times it has been true.

The next time you have a thought keeping you stuck, try flipping the script. Share your ideas or experiences in the comments—another way we’re all proving to each other that people are kind and generous.

XO, MU