How to Stop Overthinking and Choose Better Thoughts

This past weekend was my birthday. Celebrating gave me an opportunity to reflect on how to shift your thoughts towards positivity and joy. This is me dancing to 90’s hip hop to kick off it off RIGHT!

For me, birthdays hold a special kind of energy—like a little portal opens up, giving you access to deeper clarity, insight, and intention. You don’t want to waste a minute considering how to shift your thoughts from negative to positive.

After a morning at the park and a sweet brunch with my family, I went for a foot massage with one of my closest friends.

As I settled into the chair, I expected to relax. But instead, my mind started rehashing a recent family conflict and replaying a difficult conversation.

I was halfway down the rabbit hole when a wiser part of me spoke up and said:

“Is this really what you want to spend your precious birthday thinking about?”

The answer was no.

So I gently picked a different focus. One that felt calming, present, and peaceful, demonstrating how to shift your thoughts effectively. Eventually, I drifted into total relaxation. And it reminded me:

We Always Have a Choice

This is something I tell my coaching clients and the women in The Movement:

We may not always be able to control what enters our mind, but we can choose where we place our focus.

It’s not just a birthday thing. It’s an everyday thing.

Thoughts come and go. Some are helpful, others… not so much. They arrive uninvited: a memory, a worry, a “should have,” or a “what if.”

But just because a thought appears doesn’t mean it deserves your attention. Just because your mind offers it doesn’t mean you have to accept the offer.

You can ask yourself, any time:

“Is this what I want to spend my energy thinking about?”

Sure, we sometimes need to process hard things. But we don’t have to dwell in the mind drama, the blame game, the future-tripping, or the resentment replay.

We don’t need to give airtime to:

• The imaginary argument playing on loop
• The voice telling you you’re not doing enough
• The comparison trap you fell into on Instagram
• The story you keep telling yourself about why it’s too late
  

You deserve better thoughts than that. Learning how to shift your thoughts is vital for emotional wellbeing.

And better thoughts create better energy, better choices, and better days.

A Tiny but Mighty Check-In To Help You Stop Overthinking

So here’s your invitation today:

Notice where your mind is. Pause. Ask yourself: “Is this what I want to spend my energy thinking about?”

If the answer is no. Choose again.

It doesn’t have to be something else amazing.

It just has to be kind.

DO THIS

Pick one of the following to focus on:

1. One thought I’m ready to let go of is…
   
2. One thought I want to focus on instead is…
   
3. One word that describes how I want to feel today is…
   

I hope this serves you by showing you how to shift your thoughts effectively.

With Love,
Erin