This week is an encore, the first one in the life of the show. In the intro Laura explains why, and the reason turns out to be the episode itself. This episode lays out the difference between your brain and your mind, why most of us treat them as the same thing, and what opens up once you can tell which one a thought came from. If you’ve spent years trying to overpower the thoughts you never chose, this episode gives you a way out that doesn’t require a fight.

This episode covers:

• The working distinction between your brain and your mind
• Which thoughts arrive fully built, and why you need most of them
• The specific kind of thought worth paying attention to, and how to spot it
• Four questions to ask yourself the moment you catch one
• Why trying to replace a thought usually creates resistance instead of change
• The one question that moves you into your mind in real time
• How a thought you build on purpose becomes automatic over time
• Your practice for the week

Coming next week: the episode on expectation Laura has been building for the last two weeks.

Connect with Laura:
Instagram: @think.laura
Join Laura's Free Thinking Practice on Substack: ThinkLaura

This week is something different. After two episodes on how Laura supports her nervous system, she's taking you into what she calls a guided lab. It's a short visualization where you take your brain into the lab, make a few adjustments to how you're thinking, and come out the other side feeling calmer and more grounded. Think of it as a soothing blanket for your nervous system. Find a spot where you can be still, and let yourself slow down for fifteen minutes.

This episode covers:

• Why your brain and your mind so often pull you in different directions
• How a calm nervous system gives you more energy to work with
• One simple image that makes it easier to come back to right now
• Where your energy goes when your mind drifts to the past or the future
• How to call that energy back
• What becomes possible when you feel safe enough to ask for more

A note before you listen: This is a guided visualization. Please don't listen while driving or doing anything that needs your full attention.

Missed the last two episodes? Episode 28 covers the practices and gadgets Laura uses to regulate her nervous system, and Episode 29 covers how she fuels it.

Laura would love to hear from you: If this lab gave you a moment of peace, find her on Instagram @think.laura and tell her.

MEMO: MEMO is Laura's private audio library, with over 180 mini coaching sessions to shift limiting beliefs and mental patterns at the root, and new ones added weekly. Podcast listeners get an exclusive discount with code USEFUL. [Get MEMO here]

Connect with Laura:
Instagram: @think.laura
Join Laura's Free Thinking Practice on Substack: ThinkLaura

Last week Laura shared how she regulates her nervous system. This week is the other half: how she fuels it. Your body is constantly sending reports up to your brain, and what you eat and drink changes those reports. Laura walks through how she eats, what she's learned from testing things on her own body, and the simple daily routines she's built around food and water. Some of it is backed by solid research. Some of it is Laura experimenting on herself and reporting back.

This episode covers:

• The kind of energy most of us are running low on, and the everyday task that tells Laura hers is low
• Why loving what you eat matters more than most people think
• What she learned about her own body that went against everything she'd read
• Why how fast your blood sugar comes back down may matter more than how high it goes
• The surprising connection between building muscle and still enjoying your weekend treats
• What your Human Design chart says about how you like to eat
• What her sleep data showed her about alcohol
• Her morning routine, from the first sip to her pre-workout latte
• What the gut and the brain are actually saying to each other
• Why water and minerals matter so much for your brain
• The habit that replaced her soda
• Why none of this is meant to add stress to your life

Mentioned in this episode:

• Viome gut testing
• Dexcom continuous glucose monitor
• FreeStyle Libre continuous glucose monitor
• Lumen metabolism tracker
• Oura Ring
• Cymbiotika Molecular Hydrogen tablets
• Bob's Red Mill Potato Starch
• Danger Coffee
• Organic Valley Protein Plus Ultra-Filtered Fat Free Milk
• mBreakfast by Crucial Four
• Be Well by Kelly beef protein powder
• Zen Basil seeds
• ZeroLyte electrolytes by Trace Minerals
• Gerolsteiner mineral water
• Jing Soda drops
• Episode 18 of Useful Thinking, on Human Design digestion
• Episode 28 of Useful Thinking, Part 1 of this series

Please note: Nothing in this episode is medical advice. Talk to your doctor before trying anything new, especially if you have a health condition or take medication. Laura has no affiliation with any of these companies, and none of these are affiliate links.

Look up your own chart: Curious which way your top left arrow faces? Find your free chart at Human Design Blueprint. You'll need your birth date, birth time, and birth location. If you're not sure of your birth time, try a few different times and see if the arrow changes.

Connect with Laura:

Laura would love to hear from you: If you try any of this, find her on Instagram @think.laura and tell her how it goes.

Join Laura's Free Thinking Practice on Substack: ThinkLaura