Written by I managed to survive a cyclone last night.
Before you get the wrong idea, let me set the record straight: I’m not referring to a weather condition that is characterized by circular wind motion.
The cyclone I lived through started in my mind and eventually spread to my whole body. By the time I got to bed, I was shaken up enough to need several minutes of deep breathing and approximately five rounds of reciting Psalm 23 before I could relax enough to even think about sleeping.
It was bad.
It’s beyond annoying that there wasn’t an external reason for my agitated mental state. I created the whirlwind of internal panic all by myself.
To be fair, we still are settling into our new house, and my kitchen is in chaos. Surely that didn’t help.
If you are a person who can function well in a messy, unorganized space, I take my hat off to you. That isn’t me, especially when it comes to the kitchen. I like to know where things are, and I find comfort in having only kitchen items in the kitchen.
Call me crazy, I know…
It’s stressful to me that almost every horizontal space in my kitchen is covered with God knows what:
- Bubble wrap, because I feel like I should save it (why!?) Since I haven’t found a spot to store it, it just takes up more and more space on the floor with each box I unpack.
- Spices—lots of them. Although I feel quite good about the spices I’ve managed to put in lovely jars and store in my external pantry, I’m literally frozen with indecision about what to do with all the random but potentially very necessary spices that I ran out of jars for but may need in the future: white peppercorns, star anise, black mustard seeds and so forth. They have been sitting on a box on the floor for over a week now. It’s ridiculous.
- Random baskets. I have no idea why I can’t seem to discard baskets, but this seems to be an issue with me. The “you never know when…” mantra keeps me stuck. (You might need an extra basket at Easter; It’s so nice to deliver a meal in a basket; Napkins on a buffet line look lovely in a basket; What about a bread basket on the table??… It goes on and on.) The problem is that I need to find a place to put these baskets, and since I don’t have a designated spot, they are cluttering up the kitchen floor, right next to the box of homeless spices.
- Various pieces of mail that don’t belong to us.
- Lots of hardware to hang pictures. Since picture-hanging happens after unpacking the boxes, I keep moving hooks, nails, and various command strips back and forth across the counter on a daily basis.
- Stacks of dishes
- The vacuum. Since I haven’t figured out where to hang the charging station, it’s just lying on the floor. Ugh.
- A lovely gift basket from the neighbor, which I refuse to put away until I drop off the thank-you note.
- Various gadgets that I need to find a home for: a mandoline slicer, a Tupperware to hold grilled meat, kitchen towels that I don’t like to use because they’re pretty (again…why!?)
Although the chaos in the kitchen was pretty bad, it doesn’t justify me needing five rounds of Psalm 23 to calm down.
So, “what happened,” you ask?
My cyclone was a result of uncontrolled thoughts and mutterings. Here is a sample:
- This kitchen is a mess!
- It’s gross in here. I haven’t vacuumed in days!
- I can’t take the clutter. I’ve got to get on top of this.
- What is wrong with me? Why can’t I figure out where to store the white peppercorns?
- It’s a waste not to use these kitchen towels.
- Why do we have all these margarita glasses that we never use?
- There is way too much to do. I’ll never be ready to go away this weekend…
- And on, and on…
If you’re reading this and thinking, “Oh goodness. Jeanie is a bit crazy,” I did kinda feel like it last night. Between the chaos in the kitchen and the relentless chatter in my head, it was all a bit much.
I think what made this particular situation distressing is that I hadn’t been in such a state in a long time. It used to be normal for me to be anxious and over-worried about—well—anything, but this is no longer my norm.
So if that’s true, how did I get into that state?
The Highway of my Mind
For some reason—maybe it was the homeless white peppercorns that kicked it off—I allowed a barrage of unfiltered and unexamined thoughts to hijack my mind, and I did nothing to stop it. At one point, I even became aware of what I was doing, but by then, I was already convinced that if I could just get the floor vacuumed, I’d feel better, so I ignored the whisper of the Holy Spirit and carried on with my solution to the problem.
I have to admit, having a clean floor did give me a small amount of satisfaction, but it didn’t do anything to quiet my mind. That’s why I later spent 30 minutes in bed trying to imagine myself “laying in a green pasture” without a basket or bubble wrap in sight.
Unexamined and unrestrained thoughts that are allowed to run amok in our minds almost never lead to peace or transformation.
In fact, it’s just the opposite.
If only I had listened to the Holy Spirit…
Renewing Your Mind
I don’t know about you, but I have dealt with lots of “stinkin’ thinkin'” over the years. “Stinkin’ thinkin'” is destructive or distorted thinking that keeps a person stuck in cycles of fear, shame, failure, or addiction. Unless we purge our minds from false beliefs and distortions, we may never get to the point where we live at peace with ourselves, God, and others. Renewing the mind is also critical if we are to be able to “test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Rom 12:2).
Here’s the problem: How do we actually do this? Mind renewal doesn’t happen just because you think it’s a good idea or because you want your mind to be renewed.
Mind renewal is a process.
Specifically, a 63-day process.
How do I know?
There are scientific “mind experts” who have studied this very issue and have detailed what mind-renewal entails. Dr. Caroline Leaf is one of those people.
The Neurocycle
Dr. Caroline Leaf’s Neurocycle is a 5-step, science-based, mind-management tool designed to help rewire the brain, manage toxic thoughts, and build new, healthier habits. The method is rooted in neuroscience and integrates her Christian worldview, encouraging intentional self-reflection and healing.
What I like about the Neurocycle is that it encourages self-awareness and reflection into the roots of the “stinkin’ thinkin,” rather than just slapping Scripture on top of an unexamined issue. Let me be clear—I’m not saying that Scripture is bad; I am saying that it shouldn’t be used as a band-aid on top of an unexamined thought life.
For example, there are some people who use 2 Timothy 1:7 (“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”) as some kind of magical antidote every time they experience fear. The emotion of fear is simply a messenger; we need to listen to the message, not hide it under a Scripture. If you walk alone at night in a rough part of town, fear’s message is “pay attention to your surroundings”. That is a good thing.
In contrast, a spirit of fear means your thinking is being controlled by unexamined emotions and beliefs. If you live with a spirit of fear, you probably hold some false beliefs that, if left unexamined, will continue to drive unhelpful or even harmful behaviors. In my case, I struggle(d) with a fear of failure. I needed to examine and systematically dismantle my underlying beliefs before I could establish a new pattern of thinking. If we do not do the hard work of identifying what we believe and questioning how well those beliefs align with God’s truth, we will find ourselves stuck in lifelong patterns of thinking and behaving that never get “fixed.” My fear of failure manifested as constantly striving to achieve more and more, and being hypervigilant to avoid making mistakes.
Unexamined emotions and thoughts could even manifest (ahem) as frantic vacuuming when overwhelm sets in.
Ask me how I know…
The better option to renewing our mind is to commit to using the Neurocycle to dismantle thinking that is unhelpful at best, and ungodly at worst.
Here’s how to do that:
1. Gather Awareness: We can’t fix what we aren’t aware of. Most of us are not aware of the ongoing internal dialogue that we have with ourselves. We also tend to ignore the emotions and body sensations that let us know we are not at peace. Ask God to help you with this process.
“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.” (Psalm 139:23)
- How: Begin by tuning into what’s going on inside and around you.
- What to do: Become curious enough to notice your thoughts, emotions, physical sensations, and behaviors.Your thoughts (What am I thinking?)Your emotions (What am I feeling?)Your physical reactions (e.g., tension, fatigue, energy)Your behaviors (What did I just do or say?)
- Why it matters: To deconstruct the toxic thought, we must bring it into our conscious mind, where we can address it effectively.
Example: “I feel anxious and have a tight chest whenever I think about work.”
2. Reflect: Awareness is just the first step. We need to dig deeper to examine and understand our thoughts and behaviors more closely. Ask God for insight to understand where this thought began and to see it in light of His truth.
“Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.” (Lamentations 3:40)
- How: Examine what you noticed in Step 1 with a kind, curious, but determined attitude.
- What to do: Ask yourself why you’re feeling or thinking this way. Is the thought true, helpful, and aligned with God’s Word? What triggered it? What past experiences are connected? What is it doing to your life or relationships? Be curious and kind, rather than judgmental and mean, as you seek answers.
- Why it matters: This step helps uncover the root causes, triggers, and past experiences connected to the toxic thought.
Example: “I notice that when my boss wants to discuss the project I’m working on, I immediately feel a sense of fear that I’m in trouble. I think it might be connected to my recent job termination.”
3. Write: Writing helps to externalize your thoughts so you can observe, organize, and reframe them. Writing moves the process from mental chaos to cognitive clarity. It is very difficult to think clearly about something that is all in your head, and much easier to think clearly when it’s been written down
“Write down the revelation and make it plain.” (Habakkuk 2:2)
- How: Journal your reflections in a structured way. You’re not just journaling randomly — you’re mapping the toxic thought and its roots. Dr. Leaf recommends using a Metacog (a visual form of mind mapping), but any structured reflection method works. You can watch a short video about using a Metacog here.
- What to do: Do a brain dump—get all your thoughts, insights, and patterns on paper (or digital notes). Describe both the toxic thought and what God might be saying in response.
- Why it matters: Writing externalizes the thought, helps organize it, and makes it easier to process and reframe.
Toxic Thought: “I always mess things up. I am going to get fired.”
Insight: “I never forgave my former boss for firing me without warning or for not helping me grow in my capabilities. I assumed I was the problem when, in fact, he was not a good boss.”
4. Recheck: This is where you challenge, refine, and reconceptualize the toxic thought you’ve been working on and replace it with a life-giving, truth-based perspective. Ask: “Is this belief true? What’s a healthier, more accurate way to see this?”
During Recheck, you’re “reconsolidating” memory. In other words, you’re actively changing the emotional charge and meaning of a thought pattern. This rewires neural pathways and replaces toxic circuits with healthier ones.
“Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God.”
(1 John 4:1)
- How: Analyze what you’ve written and begin reframing the thought.
- What to do: Challenge distortions and replace them with truth or constructive thoughts.
Look for thinking traps such as:
- All-or-nothing thinking: “If I fail once, I’m a failure.”
- Catastrophizing: “This is the worst thing ever.”
- Personalization: “It’s all my fault.”
- Filtering: Focusing only on the negative, ignoring the positive.
Look for God’s truth to reframe the story.
Toxic Thought: “I always mess things up. I am going to get fired.”
Truth: “My past does not determine my future.”
Scriptural Truth: “The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.” (Psalm 145:14)
“Though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again.” (Proverbs 24:16)
- Why it matters: This step rewires the brain by deliberately creating and practicing healthier thought patterns.
5. Active Reach: Real transformation happens through action. After gathering, reflecting, writing, and rechecking your thoughts, this step solidifies the new, healthy mindset by taking action that reinforces it.
Active Reach is a small, simple daily action (mental, verbal, or physical) that reinforces the new thought you’ve created in Step 4. It helps rewire your brain by building and strengthening new neural pathways.
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”
(James 1:22).
- How: Take a small, actionable step to reinforce the new thought. It could include:-Speaking it out loud-Writing it on a card or in a journal-Pray or meditate on Scripture-Take a relational step-Visualize the truth-Practice gratitude
- Why it matters: This solidifies the new neural pathways through repetition and action.
Example: “Every time I feel anxious about work, I will pause and say: ‘I am learning to handle stress with peace and clarity.’ God promised me that I will rise again.”
Write down the encouraging things that were said to you by your boss or peers each day. Read them out loud to yourself.
Ask your boss for regular feedback on your performance so you can make adjustments as you go.
Now for the Real Work: 63 Days of Consistency
Dr. Leaf’s Neurocycle is based on both neuroscientific research and biblical principles about habit formation and mental renewal. It reflects the real amount of time your brain and mind need to uproot a toxic thought pattern and replace it with a healthy one.
Changing your mind is possible because our brain is constantly rewiring based on how we think, feel, and act. Research shows that it takes about:
- 21 days to destabilize and weaken a toxic thought.
- Another 42 days (making 63 total) to rebuild and stabilize a new, healthy thought network.
Remember, breaking a thought is not enough. This is why many people don’t experience lasting change in their mind-renewal process. If you stop too early (after 21 days), the old pattern can resurface, especially under stress.
So, if you want real transformation, commit to 7–10 minutes a day on the same thought for 63 days.
If this process seems too difficult or your internal whiner is telling you that you can’t do it, perhaps that thought is a good place to start.😜
Just sayin’…
If you had success in renewing your mind, would you share your experience? 👇
If not, where are you getting stuck? 👇
P.S. Dr. Leaf has a new book coming out soon.