I miss the person I used to be before MS. I miss the energy I had to enjoy life and to say yes to every opportunity and every event. I used to be the one in charge and in control. Now I struggle to keep up. I don't want to get left behind. Do these sound like the thoughts that are running across your mind every single day? Your brain validates the thoughts that you think every single day. So if your thoughts are stuck in fear, doubt, and relentless worries, it's time to change that. Let's start creating a life filled with more than just coping and surviving. Let's start creating a life where you are thriving with MS. Today, I'm sharing practical strategies to help you get there.

And my friend, when your mindset needs a reset, I have the perfect tool for you. Download my MS Anthem at Alenebrennan. com/ backslash anthem. There are 1 million people diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in the US. So that makes you one in a million. And you have a special purpose in this world that no diagnosis can take away from you. So if you are ready to reclaim your body, mind, and life from multiple sclerosis, welcome to my MS podcast. I'm your host, Alene Brennan. Be honest. What do you think about when you hear of the concept that your thoughts create your reality? I was a skeptic. I thought that it was all woo-woo. And if I'm being honest, I felt like it took God out of the equation, like I'm somehow more in control than him.

But the more I continue to study mindset, which if you've been tuning into my previous podcast episodes and following me on social media, then you know I have been immersing myself in it with all the books and all the ways to consume more information about it. I'm fascinated by it. There's so much value to understanding our mindset and how it's influencing our daily life and how we experience MS. I like to start with the science. Let's start with some facts, right? So the science behind mindset is what really caught my attention. Researchers estimate that the average person has 12 to 60,000 thoughts per day. 12 to 60,000 thoughts per day. That's insane. I know I am in the 60,000 camp there. My mind is a very busy place, but here's the crazier part.

The National Science Foundation says that 80% of our thoughts are negative and 95% of our thoughts are repetitive. Take that in. 80% of your thoughts are negative and 95% of our thoughts are repetitive. That means that if you're just letting your thoughts run the show, you'll have the same negative thoughts on repeat every single day. When I first heard this statistic, I actually heard it a number of years ago. I was doing a presentation on mindfulness at a hospital. And sharing this of the concept that if we're just kind of going through our day mindlessly, we're letting these negative thoughts run the show. And that's not what is serving us. That's only keeping us stuck in this same perpetual frustration and fear and doubt and all of the different things.

So it's important that we bring our awareness to our thoughts and to understand which direction they're taking us because they are taking us in one of two directions. They're really not keeping us stagnant in any way. They are either moving us closer towards our goals or they're moving us away from our goals. There's really no in between. But when I first heard this, I was thinking about it and trying to apply it to myself of like, is this really true? Do I really have the same thoughts every single day? Yeah. I was quickly humbled by the fact that I do often have the same things on my mind every single day. Because here's the thing, when we move throughout our day, much of it can be on autopilot.

So you're not having to think about brushing your teeth or getting in the car. Or most often, if you drive into the same places every day, you don't even have to give that much thought. So during these times throughout your day, you're showering, all the different things. Your mind is not actively thinking about whatever activity you're doing. So it feels like it's this blank slate that will run on repeat. The thoughts that you are most consumed with. And if you're new to an MS diagnosis, that can be all of the what ifs and worst case scenarios, or you don't even need to be newly diagnosed. That could be something that you are constantly dealing with even decades after your diagnosis, but it doesn't have to be that way.

But if we don't take the opportunity to acknowledge this and to make some changes, we can find that we're again just letting these negative thoughts run the show. Because check this part out. This was another aspect of understanding the brain and our thoughts and all the other things that really fascinates me. It's the reticular activating system. Now, your brain processes an overwhelming amount of information every single day. There is way more information in our environment than we could ever possibly comprehend. So our brain filters out information that isn't relevant to us. How does it determine what's relevant and what's not? It follows the lead of our thoughts. Yeah. Whatever is on your mind, your brain is seeking to validate that every single day.

So if you're constantly telling yourself how hard life is now that you have MS and how nobody understands your struggles, there is some validity to that. I'm not knocking that. Life with MS is hard and it's an invisible disease. So it is near impossible for somebody who is not living this day-to-day to understand our reality. But if we are constantly telling ourselves that and reinforcing how hard life is and how nobody else gets it, your brain will continue to show you examples of that. That's why I'm so often saying that which you focus on gets bigger. It's because through your thoughts, you are creating the filter in which you see and experience life. Two people can go through the same exact experience in life and walk away with two different interpretations of it.

Have you ever had that experience? Like even if you just go to a party, for example, and you walk away and you're in the car talking with your friend who you drove with or your spouse, whoever it is, and you're just kind of talking about your experience at the party. Well, one person based on their preset filter may walk away with a great experience and all they saw were the positive things. They're like, 'Oh my gosh, they had the best playlist going.' And it was so great to see Mary. I haven't seen her in forever. I finally got to catch up with her, and the house just looked so pretty. They decorated so beautifully versus the next person walks out of the party, and they're like, 'That was awful.' There was delicious food everywhere, and none of it was anything that I could eat.

And every person I walked up to had this great plate of all the appetizers and hors d'oeuvres and all the things. And they were talking about how full they were and how amazing everything was. And the smell of the food was just so hard to take in because all I could see was stuff that I couldn't eat. Two people going through the same exact experience, walking away with two different interpretations of it. And I'm sure you can think of different examples in your life too. I mean, maybe it's even having somebody go with you to a doctor's appointment. This is why I think it's so helpful to have somebody go with you to an appointment because you can walk away and say like, okay, what did you hear?

I do this with my husband all the time. Prior to being married, it was my sister, but we would walk away and say like, okay, what did you hear? And sometimes we're right in line with what the other person heard. But sometimes the other person will hear something that you completely didn't even hear. And I mean, in this example, you are trying to process a lot of information at the same time. I may be focused on how offended I am by the doctor because he said something that just really set me off at the beginning of the appointment. And from then on, I was running everything, what he said, through a filter of resentment, frustration, and anger, where my husband was sitting there and he didn't have that same reaction because he's not the one living with MS.

So he heard something that was much more positive and optimistic. and hopeful. This is a completely hypothetical example, but my point is how two people can go through the same experience and walk away with two completely different interpretations of it based on the filter that their brain runs everything through. And so much of that is based on what you are focusing on. What thoughts are you focusing on every single day? Your brain is always reflecting your thoughts. Now, you may have heard this example before because it's an easy one that pretty much anybody can relate to, but I want to share it again because it's just, it's helpful. So in normal everyday life, you drive your car and paying attention to the other cars in the road in the context of their position to you on the road.

In other words, like your brain is just focused on keeping you safe and arriving at your destination. That's its main priority. But when you start car shopping and when you start eyeing up that blue SUV, now blue SUVs are relevant and important to you. So your brain recognizes this and starts reflecting that back to you. That is when you start driving those same roads that you drive every single day. But now all of a sudden you're seeing blue SUVs. Everywhere. They've always been there. It just had no relevance to you or no importance to you. So, your brain didn't bring it to your attention. Once something is relevant to you, your brain sees it as a priority and it draws your attention to it to reflect it back to you.

This is known as your reticular activating system. Your brain filters everything through what you're focusing on. So, it begs the question, What are you focusing on? What thoughts run across your mind every single day? Are they thoughts that you want your brain to validate and help you see more of? Are your thoughts directing you to what you want to experience more of in life? Are your thoughts moving you toward experiencing better health? If your answer is a unanimous no, it's time for a mindset makeover. So this is a topic that is big in the autoimmune community. I think for obvious reasons, living with a chronic illness is not easy and it's so easy for our minds to get the best of us.

But this is a topic that I go deep into in my online course and working with my clients because it's just, it's so important. I think mindset is one of the most overlooked areas of healing and managing a chronic illness, especially MS. So here are the two different mindsets that somebody can typically have. There's a growth mindset and a fixed mindset. First, let's start with the fixed mindset. People with a fixed mindset tend to see their abilities, their intelligence, and their identity – it's all set in stone. Basically, who they are and what they can accomplish in life is set in stone. Their circumstances can't change; they don't see the possibility. So, in other words, they may be the one telling you that there's no cure and nothing will change your outcome with this disease, so don't even bother trying.

People with a fixed mindset tell themselves that new ideas won't make a difference. So they talk themselves out of change before they even start. They stick to like the familiar old routines, even when those habits are taking them in the wrong direction. Because stepping out of their comfort zone, it feels too risky. In their eyes, everything is set in stone. So again, why bother? It is what it is. And they believe they don't have any control or influence over their life. Whereas people with a growth mindset, they see their abilities, intelligence, and identity as something that they can develop and improve over time. They see who they are and what they can accomplish in life as something that can evolve. And they firmly believe that their circumstances can and will change.

It might take some effort and some learning on their end, but they're willing to change. They're willing to seek those opportunities to grow and change. So if they receive a diagnosis like MS, they start to think about what is within their control to influence the outcome. They start to see changes in their diet as something that's empowering. It's something that's within their control and has the potential to improve their energy and to help manage MS long-term. They're open to new ideas and willing to take change, even if it's messy, imperfect action. They're willing to step outside of their comfort zone to try new approaches because they see the possibilities to making their life better. So basically, people with a fixed mindset, they are rooted in fear. A growth mindset is rooted in hope and optimism.

It's focused on where you want to go. So how do we shift to this growth mindset? It looks kind of appealing and it's where we want to be. But yet when we feel like we're in that fixed mindset, we're like, 'How do I make the leap? How do I step out of my comfort zone?' Alene, I want to be on the other side. How do I get there? Well, there are a lot of ways, as I'm sure you have encountered. There are so many different ways to address mindset. And I feel like I'm just scratching the surface with them, but I have been diving deep into mindset work, both with consuming it and also putting it into practice. And I want to share with you just three things that I think can be really helpful in getting started.

And the first is feeding your mind well. We want to start being more mindful of what you're feeding your mind. Pay attention to the music you're listening to, the shows that you're watching. The social media accounts that you're following, the books that you're reading, and even the conversations that you're having throughout your day. What messages are they beating your mind? What messages are you consuming on a daily basis? When I started to bring my attention to this, I quickly found certain social media accounts that I had been following for a while and I never like was fully aware of it. But whenever I would see their stories or their posts or go onto their page. I would always leave feeling defeated because it had me in comparison mode.

And that's not a place where I want to be. That's not a place that's helpful for me. So I actually unfollowed them. Further, I went and found the people that inspire me and I marked them as my favorites. So I told Instagram, I told the algorithm, I want to see more of these people. I went up into my settings. I found their account. I put the little star next to them so that I could make sure that the algorithm wasn't going to lose them. I wanted to make sure that I would see them every single day, every single time I opened up that social media app. So I started to unfollow the people that were not feeding me well. And I started to favorite the people that were. Same thing with TV.

I've shared before, I am not a big fan of TV, but I watch it just for sometimes the social aspect of it or just the relaxation aspect of it. But I started to notice that some of the shows I was watching were not positive in any way. They were always highlighting some conflict in the storyline or something wrong in the world. So I started watching more Food Network or HDTV. I'm not suggesting that you have to stop watching TV or completely get off social media. That's not my message. Although people who do that swear by it. I'm just inviting you today to start paying attention to how you feel and the thoughts that you're thinking after you've watching TV or social media or reading a book or listening to a podcast, you have more control over your thoughts than you may realize.

And if you want some more positive messages in your day, do that by choosing podcasts that are more inspiring and supportive. You're off to a great start because you're a member of my MS podcast here. And my goal is to help us reclaim our body, mind, and life from multiple sclerosis. I hope that you find a lot of the messages here inspiring and empowering. This is what you want to feed your mind with on a daily basis. Or go listen to some good audio books or some inspiring music. I love worship music. That's something that really feeds my heart, feeds my soul, and feeds my mind. So pay attention to what you're feeding your mind on a daily basis and how that may be influencing your thoughts and your mindset.

And the other thing that's really helpful, developing a gratitude journal. It's so valuable. And I know if you're like me, you've heard it before. Maybe you even do a little eye roll every time you hear it thinking like, all right, I get it. Write down the things that you're happy for. But I don't know, that just doesn't seem really powerful. But if you commit to writing down three things every single night that you're grateful for, what you're doing is you're training your brain to see things that you already have in your life that are positive and valuable. You're also training your brain to see more of these moments of gratitude throughout your day. Because remember, that which you focus on gets bigger.

I mean, I'll be the first to admit, I'm not consistent with a gratitude journal, but when I am, it is undeniable how much my thinking is different throughout the day. Because what happens is I'll be moving throughout my day and something will happen. I'll be like, oh, this is my moment of gratitude today. I'm going to write this one down tonight. I can see firsthand how it is training my brain to see things that are already in my day-to-day life that are positive and valuable and uplifting. So that's such a simple practice, but can make a big difference. And then last but not least, affirmations. This may be another one where you might find yourself a little skeptical, but what I love about this, this is helping us to choose the new thoughts that we want to affirm.

This is an opportunity to start training your brain on the thoughts that you want to focus on, on the things that you want your brain to reflect back to you more of. And I think, in order for this to be effective, it's important to choose thoughts or affirmations that you actually believe in and resonate with you. I've shared before in previous conversations about goal setting that if you set a goal, I'm again, and I always do this, I always preface it with this. If you set a goal that is too big, which I'm all for setting big goals, but if you set a goal that doesn't feel realistic or attainable for you, your brain is going to have a hard time closing the gap between where you are today and where you want to be.

So I feel like that's similar with these affirmations. I don't find that an affirmation that feels like two pie in the sky resonates with me and is therefore effective. What I find is choosing affirmations or beliefs or thoughts, whatever you want to call them, that feel realistic and that I can see myself and want to encourage myself to start thinking and saying. So here are a few examples that you can use. Either as ideas, inspirations, but I also encourage you to create ones that are unique to you and resonate most with you. But here are just a few ideas. So here's one: Each day I focus on what I can do and I let go of what I can't. I celebrate the little wins because they add up to big results.

I know my needs matter. So I speak up for myself and I speak up with confidence. I am not alone in this. I have people who understand and support me. So these again are just a few examples, but find something that really resonates with you. And maybe you kind of like backtrack into this. So what are the thoughts right now that feel like they're holding you back a little bit? And maybe you reverse that. So again, if you're kind of of the mindset of like, nobody gets this, nobody understands, I don't have any support. Maybe your affirmation is the last one that I shared. I'm not alone in this. I have people who understand and support me. And you do, because you're part of this community.

You're part of a worldwide community of MS warriors who are in this with you. You are not alone in this. And reminding yourself of that every single day that you have an invisible army walking this with you, it feels very different. Okay, so let's do a little recap here. We are focusing on shifting from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset. And some simple ways to get started in doing so, feeding your mind well. Unfollow the social media accounts that get you into comparison mode. Favorite the social media accounts that feel like they uplift you and leave you feeling inspired and encouraged and motivated. Ditch the TV shows that have you feeling down. Start flipping over to the channels that are more lighthearted and bring you joy. And start a gratitude journal.

Help your brain to see the things that are already in your life that bring you joy and have value and purpose. And then lastly, choose some affirmations. Intentionally choose the thoughts that you want your brain to start affirming back to you and in your daily experiences. Listen, mindset work is something that I know I will always be working on because this isn't something that you master in one day, one month, or even one year. This is ongoing work. But when you're willing to take the step to change your mindset, you literally can change how you experience life and how you experience living with multiple sclerosis. This is why, on this podcast, we're focused on reclaiming your body, mind, and life from multiple sclerosis. Well, my friend, we've reached the end of this episode. Pick one lesson from today's discussion and put it into action now. It's time to reclaim your body, mind, and life from multiple sclerosis. And for more resources, events, and programs, head over to alenebrennan. com. See you on the next episode of my MS podcast.