Same Day, Different Outcome: Creating a Healthy Mindset

6/20/25

Ever feel like your whole day spirals because of one small setback? Like hitting snooze turns into skipping the gym, grabbing drive-thru, and ending the night doom-scrolling on the couch, wondering why you can’t get it together?

You’re not alone - you’re just stuck in a mindset that gives too much weight to the wrong moments.

I’m flipping the classic “jar” analogy - because I believe you don’t just have one jar, you have two. And the way your day goes? It depends on which one you’re filling.

That’s what I unpacked in the latest episode of The Hidden Perfectionist.

And it all starts with this: why the same exact day can feel completely different depending on your mindset — and how to shift that experience in real time.

What’s really getting in the way of a healthy mindset — and how to change it:

Before you can change your mindset, you have to understand what’s shaping it in the first place. These three patterns are some of the biggest culprits:

Negativity bias - your brain defaults to making the bad stuff louder and more memorable than the good.

Cognitive distortions - the sneaky mental patterns (like all-or-nothing thinking or catastrophizing) that twist how we see ourselves, our days, and our progress.

Emotional stacking - when little stressors pile up silently until one tiny thing makes you lose it.

If you’re thinking, “geez, I do all of these things…” — don’t stress it.

Your brain has this amazing thing called neuroplasticity, which means that just because this is how your brain works right now doesn’t mean it has to stay this way forever.

I’ve seen it play out over and over — with my clients, and in my own life.

This isn’t about pretending everything is fine and forcing positivity.

It’s about building a mindset that actually supports your growth — even on the messy days.

Here are some tools you can try for letting go of perfectionism & creating a healthy mindset:

These are the exact tools I’ve used myself - and helped my clients integrate. They’re simple, powerful and actually doable even on your busiest days.

• Check in with yourself regularly when you find yourself feeling overwhelmed. Are you focusing on the negatives?

• Pause and ask yourself how much weight this movement deserves. Are you letting what should be sand take up the space of a giant-ass rock?

• Intentionally balance the jars. If you’ve been feeding the negative jar all day by default, intentionally do something that will improve your mood. (go for a walk, belt your fav song)

• Name the story - because your negative thoughts are just that - a story, not a fact. So call it what it is.

• Reflect on your day. This doesn’t need to be formal or time-consuming. Just ask yourself what you put into each jar today.

The goal isn’t to have a perfect day…

It’s to stop letting the wrong jar carry all the weight. You don’t need to erase the negative. You just need to stop letting it lead.

Want more mindset tools like this — plus real talk on how to stay consistent with your health and fitness goals without the all-or-nothing pressure?

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