From the space between send and reply, this is Overthinking the Awesome with David Cosgroup. Welcome back. You're thinking too much. Good. So am I. Let's put that big brain of yours to work. Before we get started, I want to give a quick thanks to this episode's sponsor, Westwood Provisions, handmade candles out of Simsbury, Connecticut. When I'm recording or writing, the right atmosphere matters. These folks get that. Connect with Westwood Provisions on Instagram and Facebook. Tell them that the Overthinkers sent you. Ah, the setup. If your mind feels chaotic sometimes, congratulations. You're basically running an unfiltered social media feed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Every memory, worry, and random shower thought is a post fighting for engagement. And your attention? That's the like button. Your brain's internal algorithm is simple. Whatever you agree with, it shows you more of. Every time you replay a thought, good or bad, you're boosting its reach. That's why one awkward comment can trend in your head for a week while a heartfelt compliment disappears by lunch. The algorithm isn't mean, it's just efficient and calculating. It assumes that anything you think about repeatedly must be important content. So if you keep analyzing the bad, the bad goes viral in your mind. But if you start overanalyzing the awesome, the awesome does. Let's talk about curating your feed and how to become the community manager of your own mind. First, curate your feed. Scroll through your inner thoughts like you would for your for you page. Which ones deserve a follow? Which ones need the block button? Things to keep. Thoughts that inspire your curiosity, gratitude, humor, or creativity. Mute. Thoughts that start with what if I'm not enough? Unfollow. Past mistakes that keep posting the same repeated, recycled negativity. Second, use microengagements. Every time something good happens, give it five seconds of intentional attention. That's a like. Three times a day, replay a micro moment and add a mental comment. Uh saving this. More of this, please. Your brain starts recognizing that tone as a priority tag. Third, flag what you don't want to see. When a recurring negative thought shows up, don't argue with it, just tag it. Mm-hmm Not interested. That label tells your subconscious, we've seen enough of that content. After enough consistent downvotes, it stops showing up so often. The highlight reel. This is great. Here's my favorite hack. At the end of each day, ask yourself, what were the top three highlights of today's feed? They don't have to be epic. Sometimes it's nailed the parking spot, texted a friend and felt connected, or didn't yell at the printer. Write them down and say them out loud. That daily recap becomes the algorithm's overnight learning data. During sleep, your brain consolidates what it thinks matters most from the day. If you end your day replaying gratitude instead of dread, your subconscious literally rehearses that positive state overnight. You can't stop the algorithm, but you can train it. Feed it awe, humor, curiosity, kindness, and creativity. Starve it of pointless self-critique. Before long, your mental for you page will look wildly different. Still busy, still human, feel tilted towards wonder instead of worry. This has been Overthinking the Awesome. I'm David Cosgrove. Stay safe out there, and remember, your mind isn't too much. You're just learning how to play it. Overthinking the Awesome, how to turn anxiety, spiraling, and self-doubt into clarity and confidence is available on Amazon and Audible. And if you want to share your journey, reach out. I am at DavidCosgrove.com. Thanks for listening.