Change your thoughts, change your life. 5 ways to hit a hard reset in 2026

SALT LAKE CITY — Easing into change is solid advice. But what if you want a hard reset in 2026? Dr. Allison Mangrum said it's up to you to create it. She explained that even the biggest change has to start in your own mind and gave five strategies for changing your thoughts.

Shift the Story You Tell Yourself

Dr. Mangrum explained that lasting change starts with internal dialogue. She said that your mindset influences your behavior, confidence and emotional health. "You have to shift the way you think, the stories you tell yourself about yourself," she said. "There's a lot of truth to the statement, 'change your thoughts, change your reality.'" According to Dr. Mangrum, your thoughts shape your beliefs and determine how you show up in the world, so if you shift your mindset, your experiences will shift too.

Become Aware of Your Thoughts

Before you can change your thoughts, you need to notice them. "We are all talking to ourselves all day long, and most of our thoughts we might not even be aware of," Dr. Mangrum said. Being aware of your thoughts starts with recognizing patterns and questioning whether those internal narratives are helpful to you.

Recognize That Thoughts Are a Choice

Dr. Mangrum described a realization that transformed her own understanding of mindset. "Every thought you have, every belief you have, at some point you chose it," she said. "So if it's a choice, then it's changeable." This reframes your mental habits as things that are flexible, not fixed. "You're not your thoughts," Dr. Mangrum said. "You're the observer of your thoughts. So if you can observe them, you can shift them."

Question and Reframe Unhelpful Thinking

Once you're aware of your thoughts, Dr. Mangrum said to get curious about them. "Instead of just blindly believing it or following it, stop and start to ask yourself, 'Wait a minute, like, why am I thinking this?'" she said. She often asks herself, "Is this thought helpful to me?" That same questioning can apply to negative and positive thinking. Questioning both kinds of thoughts strengthens what works and releases what doesn't.

Talk to Yourself Like a Friend

Dr. Mangrum emphasized that we wouldn't talk to others the way we talk to ourselves, noting that harsh self‑talk doesn't help you grow. She said it's important to be compassionate towards yourself when your progress isn't perfect and to be encouraging rather than critical. "Talk to yourself the way you would a good friend," she said. "We say things to ourselves that we would never say to anyone else."

Decide How You Want to Think

Once you can let go of the old narratives, Dr. Mangrum said to consciously choose new ones. "Ask yourself, 'Well, how do I wanna think?'" she said. "'If I was healed from this already … how would I think? What would I do?'"

Find more advice from Dr. Allison Mangrum on Instagram, @meditatewithalli.