Self-Improvement Friday Fix: Don’t Believe Everything You Think By Amy Morin, LCSW, Editor-in-Chief Published on March 03, 2023 Print Verywell / Julie Bang Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Friday Fix: Episode 244 More About the Podcast Every Friday on The Verywell Mind Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Amy Morin, LCSW, shares the “Friday Fix”—a short episode featuring a quick, actionable tip or exercise to help you manage a specific mental health issue or concern. Follow Now: Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Google Podcasts / Amazon Music Friday Fix: Episode 244 Your brain lies to you. But it’s tough to recognize those lies sometimes. Your brain will convince you that you messed everything up or that no one likes you. Or it will trick you into thinking it can predict the future and tell you something terrible will happen. Your brain will also tell your body to give up before you need to stop. Or it will try to talk you out of taking a risk that could benefit you. Whether you think you’re not smart enough to succeed or believe you’ll never get out of debt, your beliefs can quickly become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Fortunately, you don’t have to believe everything you think. You can learn to recognize how your brain tries to trick you into believing things that aren’t true. You can look for evidence to the contrary to develop more realistic beliefs about yourself. Or, you can challenge your brain and try to do more than it tells you that you’re capable of doing. You can train your brain to become a more realistic thinker with practice. And in this episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast, I show you how to do that. Cognitive Distortions and Stress More About the Podcast The Verywell Mind Podcast is available across all streaming platforms. If you like the show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Reviews and ratings are a great way to encourage other people to listen and help them prioritize their mental health too. Links and Resources Follow Amy Morin on Instagram Check out Amy’s books on mental strength If You Liked This Episode, You Might Also Like These Episodes: Friday Fix: An Effective Tool for Dealing With Catastrophic Thoughts How to Make Friends and Keep Them With Bestselling Author Eric Barker Friday Fix: How to Respond to Unhelpful Thoughts Negative Thinking Patterns and Your Beliefs By Amy Morin, LCSW, Editor-in-Chief Amy Morin, LCSW, is the Editor-in-Chief of Verywell Mind. She's also a licensed clinical social worker, psychotherapist, and international bestselling author. Her books, including "13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do," have been translated into more than 40 languages. Her TEDx talk, "The Secret of Becoming Mentally Strong," is one of the most viewed talks of all time. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit Speak to a Therapist Online Advertiser Disclosure × The offers that appear in this table are from partnerships from which Verywell Mind receives compensation.