Change Your Thinking, Change How You Feel

Last week, I had the privilege to deliver Masterclass 1 to the Supply Chain team at Rolls-Royce, led by Phil Marsh, the Quality Manager for Supply Chain. The engagement in the room was exceptional.
 
People listened closely, reflected, and engaged with the ideas, the kind of energy that tells you something meaningful is landing.
 
One moment in particular stayed with me.
 
We had just completed a short gratitude exercise. There was a buzz in the room as people discussed things they were grateful for. After a couple of minutes, I asked a simple question:
 
“What do you notice?”
 
They agreed they felt calmer, more positive, and more energised.
 
Deadlines hadn’t disappeared. Pressures were still there. But internally, something had shifted in minutes.
 
That moment perfectly captured a powerful truth:
 
What we think is what we feel.
And what we feel affects our physical and psychological well-being.
 
 
Why Gratitude Works, Fast
 
Gratitude isn’t a fluffy concept. It’s a practical, evidence-based tool.
 
When we intentionally focus on things we’re grateful for, the brain releases dopamine and serotonin, neurotransmitters linked to motivation, emotional regulation, and well-being.
 
Dopamine helps us feel focused and driven. Serotonin helps us feel calmer, more balanced, and emotionally steady.
 
Research in positive psychology shows that even short gratitude practices, such as writing down three things you’re grateful for, can improve mood almost immediately.
 
When practised regularly, gratitude is linked to lower stress, better sleep, and increased resilience.
 
Gratitude doesn’t deny challenges. It simply changes the lens through which we view them. When the brain looks for positives, it interrupts stress-driven thinking and brings the nervous system back into balance.
 
 
Mindfulness: Responding Instead of Reacting
 
We also explored mindfulness, both observational mindfulness and deep breathing.
 
Observational mindfulness helps us notice thoughts and emotions without judgment. Instead of being dragged around by our thoughts, we learn to observe them. That small pause creates space, and in that space, we regain choice.
 
Deep breathing has an immediate physical effect. Slow, controlled breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, lowering heart rate and blood pressure and reducing stress hormones such as cortisol.
 
Studies consistently show that mindfulness reduces stress while improving energy, focus, and motivation.
 
Brain imaging research shows that mindfulness strengthens the prefrontal cortex (decision-making and emotional regulation) while calming the amygdala, the brain’s threat centre. In simple terms, mindfulness helps us stay calm and think clearly under pressure.
 
 
Thoughts Create Feelings, Feelings Drive Outcomes
 
A simple idea resonated strongly during the session:
 
When we think positive thoughts, we tend to feel good.
When we think negative thoughts, we tend to feel bad.
 
Those feelings don’t stay in the mind. They show up in our energy levels, our health, our behaviour, and our performance. Chronic negative thinking increases tension, fatigue, and stress. More constructive thinking supports clarity, motivation, and resilience.
 
 
The encouraging news is this: we can train our thinking.
 
Practices like gratitude and mindfulness literally rewire the brain through neuroplasticity, making calmer, more supportive mental states easier to access, even under pressure.
 
 
3 Key Takeaways

• Gratitude works quickly, improving mood and motivation through dopamine and serotonin.
• Mindfulness calms the nervous system, reducing stress and improving focus and energy.
• Thoughts drive feelings, and feelings drive results. Change the thought, and everything downstream changes.

 
A Simple but Powerful Shift
 
If we change our thinking, we change our feelings.
If we change our feelings, we change our energy.
And when our energy changes, so does our performance, at work and at home.
 
That’s not motivational talk.
That’s neuroscience, experienced in real time in a meeting room.
 
 
Thoughts for the Week

1. What can I feel genuinely grateful for today?
2. Where could I pause, breathe, and respond rather than react?
3. If my thinking were more supportive, how would my week feel different? 

 
Well, that’s it for this week. Have a wonderful week ahead, and keep believing.
 
Warm regards

John

https://jdmindcoach.com/product/off-the-wall-how-to-develop-world-class-mental-resilience/