There is something about fall that makes me want to slow down.

Maybe it’s the cooler mornings. The changing leaves. The smell of something baking in the oven. The first cup of coffee that actually feels cozy instead of simply necessary.

Or maybe it’s the reminder that change is part of life.

The trees don’t fight it.

They simply let go.

And lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about mindset.

Not the kind of mindset that tells us to think positive and pretend everything is fine.

The kind that asks:

What am I thinking?

Is that thought helping me?

And what happens if I choose a different way of looking at this?

That distinction has become incredibly important to me.

Mindset Isn’t Pretending Everything Is Okay

I’ve had plenty of opportunities to practice this.

My life doesn’t look the way I once imagined it would. My body doesn’t always cooperate with the plans I make. There have been surgeries, pain, disappointments, changes in my work, and moments when I’ve had to grieve the life I thought I would be living.

I could spend a lot of time thinking about everything I’ve lost.

And sometimes, honestly, I do.

I’m human.

But I’ve also learned that a difficult reality and a hopeful mindset can exist at the same time.

I don’t have to convince myself that something is good when it isn’t.

I don’t have to put a positive spin on pain.

And I certainly don’t believe that changing your thoughts magically changes your circumstances.

But I do believe our thoughts influence what we notice, what we do next, and how we move through the circumstances we’re given.

That’s where mindset becomes powerful.

The Thoughts We Practice Become Familiar

Think about how easy it is to repeat the same thought.

I can’t.

This is never going to change.

I’m too far behind.

I should be doing more.

Everyone else seems to have it figured out.

The more we repeat a thought, the more familiar it becomes.

And familiar doesn’t necessarily mean true.

That’s something I have had to remind myself of over and over.

Instead of asking:

“How do I make myself think positively?”

I’ve started asking:

“Is there another thought that is also true?”

For example:

Instead of:

My body is failing me.

I might choose:

My body is asking me to live differently right now.

Instead of:

I can’t do what I used to do.

I might choose:

I can find new ways to experience movement, connection and joy.

Instead of:

Everything is changing.

I might choose:

Everything is changing—and I get to decide what I carry forward.

Those aren’t affirmations designed to erase reality.

They’re invitations to see the whole picture.

Wellness Begins With the Mindset

This is also why I’ve been talking more about mindset coaching lately.

Before we change our exercise routine, overhaul our nutrition, change our relationship with food, or create a new wellness habit, there is often something underneath it all.

Our thinking.

If you believe you have to completely change your life overnight, you’re probably going to burn out.

If you believe you have already failed because you missed a workout, you’re less likely to get back up tomorrow.

If you believe wellness means doing everything perfectly, you may never actually experience the peace you’re looking for.

But what if wellness could begin with something much smaller?

A different thought.

A different choice.

A little more curiosity.

A little less judgment.

A willingness to begin again.

That’s mindset work.

My Favorite Mindset Practice: Catch, Question, Choose

One of the simplest practices I use is:

Catch.
Question.
Choose.

1. Catch the thought.

Notice what you’re telling yourself.

Not what you wish you were thinking.

What are you actually thinking?

2. Question the thought.

Ask:

Is this completely true?

Is this thought helping me?

Would I speak this way to someone I love?

3. Choose a different thought.

Not necessarily a ridiculously positive thought.

Just a more helpful and believable one.

You don’t have to go from:

“Everything is terrible.”

to

“Everything is amazing!”

Maybe you simply move to:

“This is hard, and I can take the next step.”

That’s enough.

Sometimes the next thought is the next step.

And Sometimes Mindset Looks Like Baking

This is where my cottage-baking adventures come in.

During one of my hip recoveries, I found myself baking bread and sweets.

It wasn’t part of some grand wellness plan.

I simply needed something that brought me joy.

There was something incredibly grounding about measuring ingredients, mixing dough, watching something rise, and eventually pulling a warm loaf or baked treat from the oven.

For a little while, my attention wasn’t on what my body couldn’t do.

It was on what my hands could do.

That’s mindfulness, too.

We sometimes make wellness far more complicated than it needs to be.

Sometimes it’s meditation.

Sometimes it’s a walk.

Sometimes it’s sitting in the garden.

Sometimes it’s calling a friend.

And sometimes it’s making your kitchen smell like apples, cinnamon and fall.

So today, I’m sharing one of my favorite kinds of fall recipes: an easy apple cider baked treat.

Because wellness isn’t just about what we take away.

It’s also about making room for joy.

Enjoying this content? My book 52 Weeks of Wisdom & Wellness goes deeper — find it here.