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August 5, 2024 • 1hr 1min
Let Go of Negative Thoughts & Reprogram Your Mind for More Positive Thinking
The Mel Robbins Podcast
In this episode, Mel Robbins teaches listeners how to do a "mindset reset" to unlock the full power of their minds. She explains how our brains are wired to give us what we want, and provides science-backed insights and step-by-step guidance for letting go of negative thoughts and redirecting mental energy towards self-transformation.
Mel shares how to use neuroscience and specific mindset techniques to take control of mental habits and become more optimistic and resilient. The episode is packed with practical tools, tips, and scripts to help reprogram the mind for more positive thinking.
Let Go of Negative Thoughts & Reprogram Your Mind for More Positive Thinking
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Key Takeaways
- Your mindset is made up of your beliefs and opinions about how the world works. It acts like a filter or lens through which you view the world.
- The reticular activating system (RAS) is a filter in your brain that determines what information to let into your conscious awareness based on what it thinks is important to you.
- You can reprogram your RAS by intentionally focusing on what you want to see more of in your life. This allows you to change your mindset and outlook.
- Negative self-talk and doubt program your RAS to filter out positives and focus on negatives, creating a self-fulfilling prophecy.
- The "Look for Hearts" exercise trains your brain to spot heart shapes in everyday life, proving you can change what your mind notices.
- Thought substitution is a powerful tool to replace negative thoughts with more positive or empowering ones.
- Changing your mindset takes practice but can transform how you experience life and what actions you take.
Introduction
In this episode, Mel Robbins teaches listeners how to do a "mindset reset" to unlock the full power of their minds. She explains how our brains are wired to give us what we want, and provides science-backed insights and step-by-step guidance for letting go of negative thoughts and redirecting mental energy towards self-transformation.
Mel shares how to use neuroscience and specific mindset techniques to take control of mental habits and become more optimistic and resilient. The episode is packed with practical tools, tips, and scripts to help reprogram the mind for more positive thinking.
Topics Discussed
Understanding Mindset (6:41)
Mel defines mindset as our beliefs and opinions about how the world works. She uses the metaphor of sunglasses to explain how our mindset acts as a filter or lens through which we view the world:
- Just as sunglasses tint everything we see, our mindset colors our perception of reality
- A pessimistic mindset is like dark sunglasses, making everything seem gloomy
- An optimistic mindset is like rose-colored glasses, allowing us to see possibilities
Our mindset impacts:
- How we think about the present, past and future
- The actions we take or don't take
- How much of our potential we tap into
"So much of your potential is either limited or expanded by your mindset."
The Reticular Activating System (RAS) (18:23)
Mel explains the reticular activating system (RAS), a filter in our brains that determines what information to let into our conscious awareness:
- The RAS acts like a "bouncer" for your brain, deciding what's important enough to notice
- It filters information based on what it thinks is important to you
- The RAS explains phenomena like suddenly noticing a certain car model everywhere after deciding to buy it
Key points about the RAS:
- It's a flexible, live network that changes in real-time
- You can intentionally program your RAS by focusing on what you want to see more of
- This allows you to change your mindset and outlook on life
How Negative Self-Talk Impacts the RAS (31:54)
Mel discusses how negative self-talk and doubt program the RAS to filter out positives and focus on negatives:
- Constantly doubting yourself trains your RAS to look for evidence that you're not good enough
- This creates a self-fulfilling prophecy as you notice more reasons to doubt yourself
- The same process happens with pessimism, insecurity, and other negative mindsets
"The more that mindset and that belief becomes a self-fulfilling situation. Why? Because you're putting so much energy into the negative that the filter in your brain is now going to filter the world in a way to reinforce the negative story."
The "Look for Hearts" Exercise (37:54)
Mel introduces an exercise called "Look for Hearts" to train your brain:
- Every day, try to find a naturally occurring heart shape in your environment
- This could be in clouds, coffee foam, stains, leaves, etc.
- When you spot a heart, pause and really look at it, savoring the moment
Benefits of this exercise:
- Proves you can change what your mind notices in real-time
- Demonstrates the flexibility of your RAS
- Connects you to a sense of magic and possibility
"This is not a game about finding hearts. This is about training your mind."
Thought Substitution (51:15)
Mel teaches a technique called "thought substitution" to combat negative thinking:
- Catch yourself when you have a negative thought
- Consciously substitute it with a more positive or empowering thought
- Example: Replace "What if it goes wrong?" with "What if it all works out?"
Key points about thought substitution:
- It's a form of cognitive bias modification backed by research
- Helps reprogram your RAS to look for positives
- Takes practice but gets easier over time
"You weren't born doing that. Somebody taught you to do that. And so you can teach your mind to spiral upward."
Applying Mindset Reset Techniques (1:04:13)
Mel provides guidance on applying mindset reset techniques in daily life:
- Use the "Look for Hearts" exercise daily to experience your brain changing
- Practice thought substitution whenever you catch negative self-talk
- Be intentional about programming your RAS to notice wins and things to be grateful for
- Surround yourself with positive people and influences
Tips for success:
- Be patient and persistent - changing your mindset takes time
- Celebrate small wins and progress
- Remember you're not stuck with your current thoughts - you can change them
"You are not stuck with the thoughts that you think. You can let them rise up, but you don't have to grab them and grip onto them and wrestle under the ground."
Finding Peace of Mind (1:15:14)
Mel addresses how to cultivate peace of mind through mindset work:
- Peace comes from being okay with what is and isn't in your life
- It means not being in conflict with your own thoughts and desires
- Mindset work can help you approach life from a place of peace rather than fear or doubt
Suggestions for finding peace:
- View heart-shaped finds as gifts showing peace is possible
- Practice feeling peaceful when you spot hearts
- Remind yourself you're a work in progress
- Focus on what's going right instead of wrong
"When you have peace of mind, your mind is working for you."
Conclusion
Mel concludes by emphasizing that everyone struggles with mindset at times, but we all have the power to reprogram our minds for greater happiness and success. She encourages listeners to put the techniques into practice, catch negative self-talk, and start claiming their adult lives.
Key closing thoughts:
- You deserve to be happy and have peace of mind
- It doesn't take much time to create a better life through mindset work
- Even if you don't believe in yourself yet, Mel believes in you
- The happiest days of our lives are still ahead if we cultivate the right mindset
"I want you to start to have a brain that filters the world in that direction."