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Healthy California

Your Healthy Mindset for the New Year

December 27, 2025 • Linda Brown, MPT

0:00 | 20:47

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You're in that "Golden Week" sweet spot between Christmas and New Year's—congrats, you made it through 2025. While the world exhales, the pressure to "start fresh" can creep in quickly. In this episode, we explore what a healthy mindset truly means, and why it's not about toxic positivity or forcing a smile. Drawing from the World Health Organization's definition of mental well-being and Optum Health's framing that mental health is more than "feeling happy," we focus on resilience and balance. We'll also use Carol Dweck's "not yet" growth mindset tool and share five practical, long-lasting steps you can start today.

References:

Optum Health. https://www.optum.com/en/health-articles.html/healthy-mind/what-does-it-mean-have-good-mental-health?utm

World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/es/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-strengthening-our-response?utm

Carol Dweck. The Two Mindsets and the Power of Believing That You Can Improve | TIME

Ephesians 4:1-3

Thank you for listening to Healthy California.

If you have tried all my suggestions and are still having trouble with your health, and would like an appointment with me, please email me, text, or call me via the contact information below.

My contact:

Linda Brown, MPT, Doctoral Candidate Functional Nutrition

916-426-2543

linda@heal-throughfood.com

www.heal-throughfood.com

If you're listening to this, then you are between Christmas and New Year's, and congratulations, you made it through 2025.

We are in what is called the Golden Week, that strange time between Christmas and New Year.

And a lot of you are sitting back, kicking your feet up, relaxing after that Christmas season, might have been crazy, and you're just relaxing.

But now, New Year's right around the corner and we start to panic about our resolutions, our goals.

Sometimes we tell ourselves, next year I'm going to meet my goals.

I'm going to be perfect.

This year is going to be different.

But let's be honest, 2025 might have been a heavy year for you, for us.

We don't need any more pressure.

We don't need to put that kind of pressure on ourselves.

But what we do need is a healthy mindset.

But what does that mean?

What does a healthy mindset mean?

Does it just mean change your attitude?

So today, we're going to break down the psychology of a healthy mind.

I have some research that we'll review with you, and then we'll provide you with five steps to build on before January.

So let's talk about this for a second.

What is a healthy mindset?

So first we can clear up a misconception.

A healthy mindset is not toxic positivity.

It isn't ignoring the bad things and forcing a smile.

That's not what a healthy mindset is.

That's not, it's not a fake it till you make it type of thing.

So according to the World Health Organization and research from Optum Health, a healthy mindset isn't just feeling good.

It's the ability to handle life's ups and downs with resilience.

It's about resilience.

It's about balance, not just constant happiness.

That's a high expectation, to be constantly happy.

Dr. Carol Dweck, she did work and research on a growth mindset.

And she explains that a healthy mind believes abilities and resilience can be built over time.

It's not saying, I'm not good at this.

It's more like, I'm not good at this yet.

When you say, I'm not good at this, it's automatically a stopper.

It's a GameStopper.

It's a wall in front of you, and it's an absolute.

I'm not good at this.

But when you put, I'm not good at this yet, it means it's a work in progress.

And our brain can deal with that.

So if you're feeling tired or a little bit cynical coming into this new year, that doesn't mean you have an unhealthy mindset.

It just means you're human.

So the goal for 2026 shouldn't be to be happy 24-7, it's more to be resilient.

Handle those ups and downs, because ups and downs will always be there.

We can't deny that.

So let's get a little bit practical about this.

Let's find some steps that we can take to see how we can make this happen.

So how do we shift gears?

Here are five steps to build that healthy mindset on this coming new year.

So step one, cognitive reframing or just catching your negative thoughts.

So you're going to realize when you are having a negative thought.

So cognitive reframing audit, you're going to check yourself.

So it's kind of the concept based on cognitive behavioral therapy techniques.

When you catch those negative thoughts and you check yourself, check the evidence, is that a fact or is it more fear?

So I want you to reframe that thought.

Let's say your negative thought is, This thing is going to be a struggle, or I'm going to be late for work, or there's going to be traffic again.

You can catch that thought and just reframe it.

You know there's going to be traffic.

It's always there.

So instead of saying there's always going to be traffic, you can say, there's going to be traffic, and I can deal with that.

Why think about it any more than that?

Or 2025 was a hard year which means I learned how to survive difficulties.

Instead of thinking of 2025 as surviving, think of entering 2026 stronger, not weaker, because you survived it.

That's something to celebrate.

That's resilience right there.

And these negative thoughts that you catch can be anything, anything negative.

It doesn't have to be traffic.

It could be waking up and thinking

Today is going to be a rainy day.

What am I going to do with all this rain?

It changed all my plans.

So instead of thinking that negative thought, you can just accept it.

It's raining today.

What else can I do?

That's the resilience I'm talking about.

Knowing that there's going to be ups and downs and just dealing with it and not letting it take over your mind.

So Mel Robbins, she's a great podcaster.

If you haven't heard of her, go check her out.

Mel Robbins says, you cannot think your way into a new mindset.

You have to act your way into it.

So be more positive in your actions.

For example, what she says is a five-second rule.

So you must physically move when you think of something or your mind will kill it.

So move within 5 seconds.

If you say you're going to go for a walk, then go for a walk.

And of course that's easy to say.

But if you do it within 5 seconds, then it's going to change the way your brain works.

I'm going to go for a walk.

Five, four, three, two, one, go.

And just do it.

Start counting down and then do it.

Because it's the actual counting out loud.

and giving yourself 5 seconds that it will actually change the way your brain works.

It'll distract your prefrontal cortex from making excuses and you can perfect that by just making that five-second rule.

Do what you say you're going to do.

Give yourself 5 seconds to act on it.

For example, I need to unload the dishwasher.

That is definitely something that I can put off.

I do not like unloading the dishwasher.

But if I say, I'm going to unload the dishwasher and then I count down.

I have to get up and I actually have to physically get up within 5 seconds to change my brain and stop procrastinating.

And I am the queen of procrastination.

So that's part of just reframing those negative thoughts in your head.

So that is step number one.

Catch your negative thoughts and do something within 5 seconds.

They're 2 different things, but you can put them together as well.

So step #2, the not yet technique.

So Carol Dweck, she says, stop saying I can't.

If you didn't hit your goals this year, add the words not yet at the end of every sentence.

I'm not fit yet.

I'm not financially stable yet.

This again signals your brain that the door is still open and it's not a done deal.

If you put I can't or I haven't, then that is a definitive statement.

But if you put yet at the end of it, the door is still open and you can still work on it and your brain can deal with that better.

So step 2, add not yet into the end of your sentences.

That gives you a little bit of a break from not being so hard on yourself.

So step 3, the identity-based micro-habits.

James Clear is the author of the book Atomic Habits, and he says, don't set outcome goals like, I want to lose 20 pounds.

That's an outcome goal, but it's too vague.

So set identity goals.

So instead, ask yourself, what would a healthy person be doing right now?

Or if you have a financial goal, what would a wealthy person be doing right now?

And then that is the identity of who you want to be.

If you want to lose 20 pounds, then your identity is someone who is 20 pounds less.

And what would that person be doing?

For example, a healthy person might choose water over soda.

A healthy person might go for a walk after their meals.

So instead of saying, well, I want to go for a walk, or I want to change my diet, too vague, change your identity.

I am a person who is 20 pounds less, and

I am a person who walks after my meals.

I am a person who chooses water over soda.

I am a person who doesn't eat everything on my plate because I was full 10 minutes ago.

That's the identity that you live in now if you were a healthy person.

So find out what kind of person you want to be and be that person.

Make the decisions that person would make.

And here's a tip that I think I got this off of Mel Robbins' podcast.

You probably heard this as well.

Write a letter to yourself.

If you can envision what kind of person you are going to be in 20 years from now, be that person and write a letter to yourself today.

So that means in 20 years from now, you might have met all your goals.

You might be in the house you want to be in, you might have the children you want to be, have, you might have the job that you want or maybe retired.

And if that is the case and you are going to be living in that identity, write a letter to yourself today and give that person advice on what, and gratitude on what you did throughout the last 20 years.

So for example, the person I am in 20 years from now, if I write a letter to me today, I may say, thank you for being a risk taker.

Thank you for understanding what is right and wrong.

Maybe I might tell my 20 year younger version of myself that maybe the decisions you made could have been made sooner.

Maybe you have kept a toxic relationship longer than you should have, and you know that, you don't know that now, but you would have known that 20 years from now looking back.

So write that letter to yourself, and then live in that identity.

So that's step #3.

Live in that identity of the person you want to be.

And then step 4, gratitude.

Gratitude anchoring, actually.

So there is research from UCLA Health that shows gratitude lowers depression and improves sleep, but only if it's specific.

So we've all heard of gratitude journals and, you know, saying the three things, five things that we're grateful for at the end of the day before we go to bed or the first thing in the morning.

But according to UCLA, UCLA Health, you have to be very specific about it.

So don't just say I'm grateful for my family.

You may say, I'm grateful that my partner made coffee for me this morning because it gave me 5 minutes of peace, because it made my day start perfectly.

So be specific about it.

Don't just say I'm thankful for my health.

Maybe say, I am thankful that I can put 2 feet on the floor and stand up.

I am thankful that I can walk 1/4 of a block without pain.

Those type of things, be very specific about it.

According to UCLA, this is a step #4, according to UCLA, being specific about your gratitude improves sleep and lowers depression.

So be specific.

Step #4 is be specific in your gratitude.

And then the last step, step #5, feed your inputs.

Though you've heard that analogy of the two monsters in your head, which monster is going to take over your thoughts?

It's going to be the one that you feed.

So when you think about what is coming into your brain, what you're watching, what you're hearing, who you're hanging out with, what you're listening to, all that changes your brain.

So feed your inputs, feed the positive ones.

If you spend January 1st scrolling through your highlights on social media, you're going to feel like you're already behind in life.

That's what social media tends to do.

So I'm not saying to unfollow your friends.

I'm just saying put a check on how much time you're putting into those.

And instead of scrolling through social media, why don't you find a podcast, a positive podcast?

my podcast, or listen to books or read books, or find music that's uplifting.

And do this maybe while you're on a walk.

Go for a walk and feed positive input into your brain, not just scrolling through social media, because we all know that social media has a good way of making us feel bad about ourselves, depending on what you're watching.

I spend most of my social media time watching puppies, so that's how I train my brain.

So step #5, manage your screen time and feed your brain healthy inputs.

Let's go through all five steps again.

The first one is catch your negative thoughts and do something within 5 seconds.

Step #2, add not yet to your sentences.

Step #3, live in the identity that you want to be, the person you want to be.

Number 4, be specific in your gratitude.

And then step 5, feed your brain healthy inputs.

So here's the bottom line.

You don't need to be a new you for the new year.

The old you survived 100% of your bad days last year.

You just may need a new set of tools.

Just by surviving 2025, you already have some resilience there.

So that's something to celebrate.

But try these tools.

And just start with one of them.

You don't have to do all five of them quite yet.

Just start with one of them.

Maybe the first one might be adding not yet to some of your sentences, some of your goals.

When you look back at the 2025 goals, and if you didn't reach some of them, that's okay.

Put not yet and add them to your goals for next year.

Speaking of goals, for the next podcast, I will be talking about making goals.

So tune in for that.

But if you didn't reach your goals for 2025, no problem.

It will not be hard to make goals for 2026 because those goals for 2025 just haven't happened yet.

Maybe that might be the first step out of the five.

Or maybe you choose to manage your screen time, the positive inputs.

Just pick one of them.

Start off with one of them, but try to get through all five of them eventually.

So thank you for spending time with me this week in the golden week.

Take a big deep breath.

Now you have tools for a different mindset.

Don't be so hard on yourself because mindset isn't about faking it till you make it, faking that you are always walking around with a smile on your face.

A healthy mindset just means you are resilient and you can get through this.

So join me next week, and we'll create goals for the next year.

So I'm going to end with this scripture, and it's from Ephesians 4, 1-3.

It says, I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

I like this one for this time of year because where it says, walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.

We all have a certain talent that we've been given, and we may not know it yet, but every time we end one year or start another, we're always making goals, right?

We're always thinking about what is in front of us.

And we need to figure out, if we haven't already, what our purpose is and what our calling is and walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.

And then with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love.

And I think that's just a great way to end the year.

We need to be humble, we need to be gentle, and we need to be patient with one another.

So I'm going to end it on that.

And tune back in next time where we'll talk about goals.

Stay healthy, California.