That’s just what minds do

(Or: Your Brain Is a Bit of a Drama Queen and That’s Okay)

After almost 20 years of being a dietitian — twenty years, people — in rooms, on Zooms, in sessions so private even the client’s shame wore a disguise…
After hearing every confession from “I eat when I’m sad” to “I ate all the birthday cake and it wasn’t even my birthday” —
I noticed something. Something oddly profound.

We are all…
Exactly the bloody same.

Yes, I know, shock horror!
Because sure — your stories are unique.
You’ve got your own playlist of trauma, family weirdness, allergies, unresolved issues with your Year 8 netball coach...
But underneath all that?

You run on the same dodgy operating system as the rest of us.
The same noisy, twitchy, craving, self-doubting, contradiction-riddled miracle that is…
The human mind.

And that thing?
It’s doing exactly what human minds do.

Your Mind: The Original Drama Llama

You see, your mind — clever little bastard that it is —
Talks. All day.
Narrating your life like it’s auditioning for a voiceover gig on a soap opera you didn’t ask to be in.

“You shouldn’t eat that.”
“You’ve ruined everything.”
“This will never work.”
“Look at Susan, she’s doing better.”
“Don’t even try, remember what happened last time.”
“Might as well eat the entire f*cking cheesecake now.”

Your mind doesn’t check in to ask what’s true.
It just spins thoughts — usually old, familiar, sticky ones — on loop.
It’s not trying to sabotage you. It’s just... doing its job.

And we believe it. Because it sounds like us.
But thinking something doesn't make it true.
(It just makes it familiar.)

The Donut Was Never the Problem

You eat the donut.
You feel off.
Then your brain pipes up with:

“You’ve wrecked it. Might as well order pizza and rebrand yourself as someone who doesn’t care.”

That’s not logic.
That’s just a well-worn mental habit trying to save face.

Same with the scale.
If it doesn’t budge, your mind offers a TED Talk titled:

“This is hopeless. Nothing ever works. Let’s binge scroll on Rightmove and cry into toast.”

None of this is truth.
It’s just noise.

The trouble starts when we confuse the noise for a personal failing.

You’re Not Broken. Your Thinking Is Just a Bit... Repetitive.

Here’s the plot twist most people miss:

It’s not what happens — it’s what you tell yourself about what happens.

That’s it.

You didn’t “fail” because you ate something.
You felt like you failed because of what your brain said next.

And that spiral?
That moment when you abandon yourself?
That’s not your fault.
It’s just what minds do when they hit the discomfort of change.

Change Feels Weird. Because You’re Wired for Sameness.

Here’s the thing:
Your brain isn’t built for growth.
It’s built for survival.

It doesn’t care if you’re thriving.
It cares if things feel familiar.

So when you try to do something new — eat differently, think differently, show up for yourself — your mind hits the panic button:

“This is hard!”
“Let’s go back to what we know!”
“Netflix and snacks now, please!”

And if you listen?
You get temporary relief...
...and a lingering sense of regret.

It’s not weakness.
It’s just a brain doing what brains do.

This Is Why Support Matters

Not because you can’t do it alone.

But because it’s really easy to believe your own mental commentary when no one’s there to gently question it.

A good coach won’t fix you (you’re not broken).
They’ll just help you see when your brain’s being a bit dramatic...
and help you stay in the game anyway.

That’s where the shift happens —
in the moment you notice the thought and don’t react like it’s gospel.

So Here’s What to Know (and Keep Coming Back To)

• You are not your thoughts.

• You don’t need to fix every craving or obey every feeling.

• You don’t need a perfect plan.

• You need a little space between you and the noise.

• And maybe someone to remind you: this is just what minds do.

When the scale doesn’t move, or you eat something you didn’t plan or your brain screams “You’re hopeless” — pause.
Breathe.
Notice the thought.
And remember: you don’t have to believe it.

You’re learning.
You’re growing.
You’re allowed to be in process.

And honestly?
That’s where all the good stuff happens.

Final thought:

You don’t need a different brain.
You just need a new relationship with the one you’ve got.

And that... is more than enough.

Who knows?
You might even learn to love that messy, marvellous mind of yours.