10 lessons from You Are Not Your Brain

10 lessons I learned from the book You Are Not Your Brain by Jeffrey M. Schwartz & Rebecca Gladding

1. You are not the voice in your head. That harsh, critical narrator? It’s just your brain running old, unhealthy scripts. The truth is, your mind can observe those thoughts without becoming them. And in that gap—you reclaim power.

2. Your brain can lie to you—and often does. Obsessive worries, self-doubt, and toxic loops might feel true, but they’re often just faulty wiring. This book teaches you to spot those false messages and say, “Not today.”

3. Awareness is your first line of defense. Once you can name what’s happening (“This is my anxiety talking”), you create distance from it. Naming disarms the thought’s control and empowers you to respond with wisdom instead of fear.

4. The 4-Step Method is life-changing. Relabel. Reframe. Refocus. Revalue. These four actions teach you how to override destructive habits and guide your brain toward healthier patterns—without beating yourself up.

5. What you pay attention to, grows. If you focus on fear, it expands. But if you shift focus toward purposeful, life-giving action, your brain begins to rewire itself. Attention isn’t just a spotlight—it’s a sculptor.

6. Guilt and shame are brain traps. They pretend to keep you accountable, but often they just keep you stuck. True change doesn’t come from self-punishment—it comes from compassion and consistent redirection.

7. Habits are not identity. Just because you’ve done something for years doesn’t mean it defines you. Your brain likes routine, but your mind can choose new paths. Every moment offers a chance to begin again.

8. You can retrain your brain like a muscle. Neuroplasticity isn’t just science—it’s hope. Repetition of healthy actions literally reshapes your brain. That means the person you want to become? You can practice into existence.

9. Refocusing isn’t denial—it’s discipline. Shifting your attention from a destructive thought to a purposeful action is not ignoring reality. It’s reclaiming it. You don’t fight fire with fire—you walk away and water what you want to grow.

10. You are more powerful than your patterns. Even when your brain screams otherwise, there’s always a wiser voice within—your true self. The one who wants to heal, to love, to grow. This book helps you find that voice—and follow it home.