If you’ve listened to our podcast or taken one of our classes, you’ve probably heard us say that healing isn’t just about what you eat. Food matters. Sleep matters. Movement matters. But one of the six basics we teach is something that often surprises people: your mindset matters.
Your mindset matters
The way you think about your life, your challenges, and even your health has a much bigger impact than most people realize. It doesn’t just affect your emotions—it affects your body. Our thoughts influence our stress response, our nervous system, and even the choices we make every day. That’s why we spend time talking about mindset right alongside nutrition and hormones.
Now, when I (Jen) talk about optimism, I’m not talking about pretending life is easy or acting like hard things don’t happen. We’ve all known people who tell us to “just stay positive” when we’re walking through something incredibly difficult, and honestly, that usually isn’t very helpful.
Healthy optimism is different
Optimism acknowledges that life can be painful while still believing that good things are possible. It says, “This is hard, but I don’t believe this is the end of the story.” I think that’s a much healthier way to live.
One of my favorite examples of this comes from the old story Pollyanna. If you’ve never read it, Pollyanna’s father teaches her something called the Glad Game. The idea is simple: whenever something disappointing happens, you look for something you can honestly be glad about. Not because the disappointment isn’t real, but because there is almost always something worth noticing.
I love that lesson because it isn’t about denying reality. It’s about training your mind to notice the blessings that still exist even when life isn’t going according to plan.
Our brains are actually wired this way.
Have you ever decided you wanted a certain kind of car, and then suddenly you started seeing that exact car everywhere? It wasn’t that everyone went out and bought one overnight. Your brain simply started paying attention to something it had mostly ignored before.
The same thing happens with our thoughts
If we’re constantly looking for what’s wrong, we’ll find plenty of evidence that life is hard. We’ll notice every inconvenience, every frustration, every disappointment. But if we intentionally begin looking for what’s good—for moments of kindness, small victories, tender mercies, and unexpected blessings—our brains become better at seeing those too.
I don’t think that’s wishful thinking. I think it’s one of the ways God designed us.
Leadership teacher John Maxwell has said, “People who are positive think differently. They expect to win.” I don’t believe he meant that optimistic people expect a life without problems. Rather, they expect that something good can come from those problems. They believe there is always another step they can take, another lesson they can learn, or another opportunity waiting on the other side of difficulty.
I love that perspective because hope changes behavior.
Research has shown that optimistic people tend to have lower levels of chronic stress, healthier hearts, better sleep, and even longer lives. They’re also more likely to engage in healthy habits like exercising, eating well, and staying socially connected. Is optimism the reason for all of that? Probably not by itself. But when you believe tomorrow can be better than today, you’re much more likely to make choices that help create a healthier tomorrow.
That’s one of the reasons mindset is one of our Six Basics
When we live in a constant state of discouragement, our bodies often stay in a heightened stress response. Cortisol stays elevated, sleep suffers, inflammation increases, and everything feels a little harder. But when we intentionally cultivate hope, gratitude, and optimism, we’re giving our nervous system permission to settle. We’re reminding our brains that we are safe enough to move out of survival mode and into healing mode.
The good news is that optimism isn’t something you’re either born with or not. It’s a habit, and like most healthy habits, it gets stronger with practice.
One simple place to begin is before you even get out of bed. Instead of immediately reaching for your phone, ask yourself, “What am I looking forward to today?” It doesn’t have to be something big. Maybe it’s your morning walk, a quiet cup of tea, lunch with a friend, or simply climbing into bed at the end of the day. Giving your brain something positive to anticipate is a wonderful way to set the tone for the day.
Another practice I love is ending the day with what I call my own version of Pollyanna’s Glad Game. Before you go to sleep, think of three things you’re genuinely glad happened that day. Some days they’ll be significant, but many days they’ll be wonderfully ordinary—a good conversation, a beautiful sunset, a child who made you laugh, or finally checking something off your to-do list. The more you practice looking for those moments, the easier they become to find.
It’s also worth paying attention to the way you talk to yourself. We often say things like, “I’ll never get healthy,” or “I’m always messing this up,” without even realizing it. When you catch yourself thinking those kinds of thoughts, pause for a moment and ask, “Is that really true?” Then replace it with something that’s both truthful and hopeful. Instead of saying, “I’ll never figure this out,” try saying, “I’m still learning.” Instead of, “My body is broken,” try, “My body was designed to heal, and I’m giving it what it needs.”
Celebrate small wins
We tend to think progress only counts when we’ve reached the finish line, but healing almost always happens one small choice at a time. Every nourishing meal, every walk outside, every earlier bedtime, every moment you choose gratitude over discouragement is another step in the right direction.
One of the things I’ve learned after years of working on my own health and teaching women is that healing often begins with hope. When someone believes things can get better, they’re willing to take the next step. Then the next one. Before long, those small choices become habits, and those habits begin changing the way they feel.
That’s why optimism isn’t just a personality trait. It’s a health habit.
And maybe today, before you move on to the next thing on your to-do list, you could pause for just a minute and play Pollyanna’s Glad Game.
What are three things you’re glad about today?
