How to Catch a Thought Before It Spirals: My Favorite Neuroplasticity Trick

Let me paint the scene. You’re standing in front of the mirror, still a little sweaty from your walk (go you!), and your eyes land on the soft part of your belly. Within seconds, your brain whispers, “Ugh, it still looks the same. What’s even the point?”

Just like that—poof—your energy crashes. That one thought triggers a landslide: “I’ll never lose weight,” followed by “I’m just lazy,” and then that old classic, “I always screw things up.”

We’ve all been there, right?

One harmless thought becomes an emotional spiral, and suddenly you’re knee-deep in self-blame, wondering how a walk that was supposed to make you feel better ended up making you feel like garbage.

Here’s the thing: it’s not you. It’s your brain running an old script.

And that’s exactly why I want to share my favorite neuroplasticity trick—the one that helped me stop those spirals in their tracks before they pulled me under. It’s simple, kind of weird at first, but wildly effective.

Let’s talk about how to catch a thought before it spirals—using the science of how your brain rewires itself.

Neuroplasticity 101 (Without the Jargon)

Okay, quick nurse breakdown: neuroplasticity is your brain’s ability to change and rewire itself. Like, actually build new thought patterns and habits. You’re not stuck. Your brain is moldable—like Play-Doh with electricity.

Every time you think a thought, you’re reinforcing a neural pathway. Think it enough times? That pathway gets paved like a highway. That’s how “I always mess up” becomes your automatic response—because your brain is efficient, not cruel.

The good news? You can build new roads. Thought highways that serve you instead of sabotage you.

And the key to that? Catching the thought before it snowballs.

The Trick: Name It, Frame It, Rewire It

This is the three-step neuroplasticity trick I use. I call it Name it, Frame it, Rewire it. Catchy, right? Think of it like mental CPR for those sneaky spirals.

1. Name It: Get Honest About What You’re Thinking

The moment you feel that ugh—pause. Ask yourself, “What am I actually thinking right now?”

Say it. Out loud if you can.

Because a lot of the time, we don’t realize what we’re thinking. We just feel heavy. Off. Suddenly tired or irritated. That’s usually your clue.

Naming the thought slows it down. It pulls it from the emotional part of your brain into the logical part. That alone reduces its grip.

Example:

Thought: “I’ll never be able to stick with this.”

Named: “I just had a thought that I’ll always quit on myself.”

That little shift—from feeling it to naming it—gives you space. And in that space? You can choose a different path.

2. Frame It: Call Out the Pattern

Now you frame it by identifying the story behind the thought. We all have core stories. Some of mine have been:

• “If I’m not perfect, I’m failing.”

• “I can’t trust myself to follow through.”

• “My body is the problem.”

Once I started seeing them for what they were—just old stories—I stopped giving them so much power.

So let’s go back to that walk-and-mirror moment. Instead of spiraling, you’d say:

“Oh, I see what’s happening. That’s the ‘my body is never enough’ story showing up again. It’s familiar, but it’s not helpful.”

This step disarms the thought. You’re not denying it—you’re acknowledging it without agreeing with it. Game changer.

3. Rewire It: Create the New Thought Pathway

This is where the magic (and science) happens.

You replace the old thought with one that’s true, kind, and useful. Not toxic positivity. Not “I love my body!!” if you don’t. Just something believable and supportive that moves you forward.

Example replacements:

• “This thought isn’t helping me—what would?”

• “My body is showing up for me. I’m choosing to care for it.”

• “One thought doesn’t define my day.”

I started saying things like, “I’m learning to show up for myself, even when it’s uncomfortable.” That thought got stronger over time. It became the new default.

And that’s neuroplasticity. Every time you choose the new thought instead of the spiral, you’re wiring a stronger connection. Eventually, that becomes the well-worn path. The spiral gets… less spiral-y.

The Weird Part: It Feels Fake At First

Oh trust me, the first time I tried this, I rolled my eyes so hard I saw my childhood. It felt silly. Forced. Like, “Really? One thought is gonna fix all this?”

But I stuck with it.

And one day, I had a stressful morning, caught my thought mid-spiral, and reframed it—without even trying. Like my brain just did it. That’s when I knew it was working.

Real-Life Application: The Grocery Store Test

Here’s how this trick helped me last month:

I was at the store, grabbing groceries, and walked past a woman in workout clothes with an insanely toned body. My brain instantly went, “You’ll never look like that. Why do you even try?”

Old me? That thought would have ruined my day.

New me? I caught it, named it, and reframed it:

“That’s the comparison trap voice. But my journey isn’t about looking like her. It’s about feeling strong and free in my body.”

That moment? It changed nothing and everything. I left the store feeling proud, not punished.

Why This Matters for Weight Loss and Body Image

Here’s what I want you to hear: the thoughts we don’t catch are the ones that sabotage us.

Not the food.
Not the scale.
Not the skipped workout.

The story you tell yourself when those things happen is what determines whether you keep going—or spiral into shame.

Changing your body doesn’t start with your body. It starts in your brain.

Practice Tips: Building the Rewiring Habit

If you want to try this trick yourself, here’s how to start:

• Write down your top 3 spiral thoughts. Know your triggers.

• Practice the 3-step process (Name, Frame, Rewire) when you’re not in crisis mode.

• Say the new thought out loud. Repetition wires it in faster.

• Pair it with movement. Walking or stretching while repeating a thought boosts rewiring through multisensory input.

And please give yourself grace. Your brain isn’t broken. It’s just been practicing the wrong script for a long time.

Final Thought: You’re Not Crazy, You’re Rewiring

If you’ve ever felt like, “Why can’t I just stop thinking this way?”—please know: it’s not a flaw. It’s a pattern.

And patterns can change.

This trick won’t fix everything overnight, but it will shift the ground beneath your feet. It’ll give you the power to interrupt the spiral, even if it’s midair.

And eventually? You’ll realize the spiral never even started.

Ready to Rewire Your Health, Not Just Your Habits?

If this post hit home, I’d love to help you take it deeper. Catching thoughts is just one piece of the mindset work I do with my clients as a registered nurse and coach.

If you’re tired of starting over, feeling stuck in all-or-nothing thinking, or letting food guilt rule your day—let’s change that.

✨ Here are a few next steps:

• Take the quiz: What’s Sabotaging Your Healthy Habits?
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• Grab my freebie:
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You deserve to feel in control of your health—and your head. Let’s get you there.