Choose Better Thoughts

Choose Better Thoughts

By Amanda DoyleEducationSelf-Improvement
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Choose Better Thoughts episodes

  • When "I Should" Stops Working

    If you're tired of using pressure and guilt to drive your goals, this episode is for you. I'm sharing a simple mindset shift, one that helped me go from “I should” to “what if I already was,” and how it completely changed the way I relate to my goals. We’ll talk about why “should” goals feel heavy, how “what if” identities create momentum, and how you can use this tool today to feel more aligned, playful, and in motion.


    What You Will Learn

    Why “I should” goals create pressure and what to try instead.

    How to use “what if” questions to reframe your goals with ease.

    The brain science behind why imagined identity creates real change.

    How to shift your mindset without forcing belief or motivation.

    A simple way to move toward the version of you you actually want to become.


    Want to Go Deeper Into Your Mindset?

    Watch "How to Exit Survival Mode" Free Training

    ⁠https://bit.ly/cbtsurvivalmode⁠


    Download the Study Guide:

    ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.choosebetterthoughts.com/podcast-study-guide-download⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


    Check My Coach Coaching Program:

    ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.choosebetterthoughts.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


    Follow Me On:

    Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/choosebetterthoughts/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


    ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandahuffmandoyle/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


    And if you like this episode, don’t forget to follow, subscribe, leave a review or send it to a friend who might need this!


    You've got this!

    12 min
  • Amazon Returns and Emotional Avoidance

    This episode starts with a return you’ve been avoiding and ends with a different way of seeing yourself. We’re exploring why small tasks feel emotionally loaded, what your brain is really doing when you procrastinate, and how the patterns you reinforce in the little moments shape how you show up in the big ones. No hacks. No pressure. Just a different way to respond to the part of you that wants to avoid.


    What You Will Learn

    Why tasks like returns trigger unexpected emotional resistance (it’s not about the task)

    How shame, guilt, or dread quietly fuel procrastination—even on things that “should be simple”

    The connection between small avoidance and your bigger identity patterns

    How to name the emotion under the delay—and relate to it differently

    A way to move forward that doesn’t require a breakthrough, just a different kind of self-leadership


    Want to Go Deeper Into Your Mindset?

    Watch "How to Exit Survival Mode" Free Training

    https://bit.ly/cbtsurvivalmode


    Download the Study Guide:

    ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.choosebetterthoughts.com/podcast-study-guide-download⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


    Check My Coach Coaching Program:

    ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.choosebetterthoughts.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


    Follow Me On:

    Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/choosebetterthoughts/⁠⁠⁠⁠


    ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandahuffmandoyle/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


    And if you like this episode, don’t forget to follow, subscribe, leave a review or send it to a friend who might need this!


    You've got this!

    18 min
  • The Power of Naming Your Mom Modes

    You are not one version of yourself. You’re a whole cast of characters, each one with her own wisdom, energy, and role to play.

    In this episode, we explore the power of naming your mom archetypes and choosing, on purpose, who leads throughout your day. From Efficient Household Manager to Netflix Scrunchie Mom, from Emotionally Patient Mom to Dancing Mom, every part of you matters. And when you let them take turns instead of fighting for control, everything softens.


    What You Will Learn

    How naming your everyday “mom modes” can help reduce mental overwhelm

    Why switching roles isn’t the problem, it’s doing it unconsciously that drains us

    The difference between choosing who leads vs. trying to be everything at once

    A simple three-step practice for shifting into the energy you actually need

    Why honoring your full cast of selves brings more presence, creativity, and ease


    Want to Go Deeper Into Your Mindset?

    Download the Study Guide:

    ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.choosebetterthoughts.com/podcast-study-guide-download⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


    Check My Coach Coaching Program:

    ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.choosebetterthoughts.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


    Follow Me On:

    Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/choosebetterthoughts/⁠⁠⁠


    ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandahuffmandoyle/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


    And if you like this episode, don’t forget to follow, subscribe, leave a review or send it to a friend who might need this!


    You've got this!

    13 min
  • The Pressure Triangle

    You can’t prioritize everything at once, and that’s not a failure, it’s life.

    In this episode, I share a practical tool for letting go of guilt when life feels stretched too thin. Inspired by a simple triangle framework, high-quality, efficient, and affordable, we explore how choosing two priorities often means letting the third take a backseat for now.

    Whether you’re feeling stuck around meals, marriage, movement, or just trying to do it all, this reframe can help you make peace with your tradeoffs and move forward with more clarity and grace.


    What You Will Learn

    A simple but powerful framework to help you release guilt around subconsciously trying to do everything well, fast, and affordably

    Why high-achieving women often feel like they’re failing, even when they’re doing everything right

    How to identify your two current priorities and name what’s taking a backseat

    Real-life examples of how this triangle shows up in meals, marriage, and movement

    How to use this lens to make fast, grace-filled decisions without shame


    Want to Go Deeper Into Your Mindset?

    Download the Study Guide:

    ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.choosebetterthoughts.com/podcast-study-guide-download⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


    Check My Coach Coaching Program:

    ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.choosebetterthoughts.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


    Follow Me On:

    Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/choosebetterthoughts/⁠⁠⁠


    ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandahuffmandoyle/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


    And if you like this episode, don’t forget to follow, subscribe, leave a review or send it to a friend who might need this!


    You've got this!

    18 min
  • Same Fight, Different Night: A Self-Coaching Journey

    This episode is about one of those nights. The kind where something small, like a missing safe food at dinner, turns into something big. The kind where you and your partner have the same argument you’ve had a dozen times, and afterward, you don’t like how you showed up.

    I take you inside a real-life moment where my thoughts led me into anxiety, anger, and shame and how I’m working through it now using the self-coaching tools I teach. Not to shame myself. Not to pretend it didn’t happen. But to understand it, learn from it, and soften my return to connection.

    This isn’t an episode about being right. It’s about what happens when we’re human and how we come back to ourselves and our people after that.


    What You Will Learn

    How one unspoken thought can quietly drive anxiety, reactivity, and shutdown

    The specific difference between showing up as a partner vs. prosecuting your partner

    What the self-coaching Model looks like in real life, not just in theory

    How to shift from shame to self-compassion—without bypassing accountability

    Why "repair" is more powerful than perfection, and how to start practicing it


    Want to Go Deeper Into Your Mindset?

    Download the Study Guide:

    ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.choosebetterthoughts.com/podcast-study-guide-download⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


    Check My Coach Coaching Program:

    ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.choosebetterthoughts.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


    Follow Me On:

    Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/choosebetterthoughts/⁠⁠


    ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandahuffmandoyle/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


    And if you like this episode, don’t forget to follow, subscribe, leave a review or send it to a friend who might need this!


    You've got this!

    22 min
  • When Adrenaline Wears Off: The Letdown Effect

    Have you ever reached the end of something big—hosting, moving, launching, caregiving—and instead of feeling relief or joy, you feel... foggy? Flat? Off?

    That’s not failure. It’s not brokenness. It’s called the letdown effect, and it’s a real, biologically-rooted phase where your nervous system finally catches up after being in go-mode.

    In this episode, I share two very personal moments where this hit me hard, once after a simple playdate, and once after six months of robotically getting my family settled post-move. We’ll talk about why rest can feel so unfamiliar, what’s really happening underneath that resistance to joy, and how to meet it all with more self-trust and less judgment.



    What the “letdown effect” is and why it feels so uncomfortable

    Why joy or rest can feel unsafe after high-stress seasons

    How to recognize the crash in yourself and in your kids

    The thought patterns that keep us stuck in momentum

    Practical ways to support your nervous system during recovery


    Want to Go Deeper Into Your Mindset?

    Download the Study Guide:

    ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.choosebetterthoughts.com/podcast-study-guide-download⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


    Check My Coach Coaching Program:

    ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.choosebetterthoughts.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


    Follow Me On:

    Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/choosebetterthoughts/⁠


    ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandahuffmandoyle/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


    And if you like this episode, don’t forget to follow, subscribe, leave a review or send it to a friend who might need this!


    You've got this!

    17 min
  • How to Care Less

    Caring is beautiful...until it becomes a unsustainable. When you tie your worth to outcomes, over-function to prove your value, or spin in fear of being misunderstood, you end up exhausted.

    In this episode, you’ll learn how to care differently. Not less because you’re disengaged, but less because you’re done outsourcing your peace to things you can’t control.

    We’ll explore the identity shift that happens when you stop managing perceptions and start leading from clarity, not fear. You’ll walk away with practical ways to take back your emotional power, one imperfect, intentional action at a time.




    The subtle line between care and control and how to know when you’ve crossed it

    • Why loosening your emotional grip on outcomes doesn’t mean you’re disengaged

    • How high-achieving women often confuse over-caring with effectiveness (and what to do instead)

    • Four strategies to protect your energy while still showing up with heart and integrity

    • Four simple ways to practice aligned care without over-functioning or over-apologizing


      Want to Go Deeper Into Your Mindset?

      Download the Study Guide:

      ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.choosebetterthoughts.com/podcast-study-guide-download⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


      Check My Coach Coaching Program:

      ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.choosebetterthoughts.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠


      Follow Me On:

      Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/choosebetterthoughts/


      ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandahuffmandoyle/⁠⁠⁠⁠


      And if you like this episode, don’t forget to follow, subscribe, leave a review or send it to a friend who might need this!


      You've got this!

    23 min
  • How To Want When You Never Learned How

    You’ve done everything right. The career. The family. The checked boxes. But you still feel… unfulfilled. A little numb. Like something’s missing, and you can’t name what.

    In this episode, we explore what happens when high-achieving women realize they never really learned how to want, they only learned how to please.

    We’ll unpack why this happens, how it shows up, and what it looks like to gently reconnect with your desire, without guilt, without proof, and without needing to justify it.


    What You Will Learn:

    • Why high-achieving women often feel unfulfilled, even when life looks “good” on paper

    • How early conditioning around approval and performance disconnects us from authentic desire

    • The subtle ways perfectionism and people-pleasing show up in everyday decisions

    • Four practical strategies to gently rebuild your relationship with wanting, without guilt or justification

    • How to begin honoring your preferences in low-stakes moments to restore self-trust


    Want to Go Deeper Into Your Mindset?

    Download the Study Guide:

    ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.choosebetterthoughts.com/podcast-study-guide-download⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


    Check My Coach Coaching Program:

    ⁠⁠⁠https://www.choosebetterthoughts.com/⁠⁠⁠


    Follow Me On:

    Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/choosebetterthoughts/⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandahuffmandoyle/⁠⁠⁠


    And if you like this episode, don’t forget to follow, subscribe, leave a review or send it to a friend who might need this!


    You've got this!

    15 min
  • "I Shouldn't Be Bored"

    Feeling bored? Whether it’s during a long meeting, another round of pretend play, or a whole season of life that feels a little flat—this episode is for you.

    We’re unpacking the belief that “I shouldn’t be bored” and exploring why it feels so hard to just be still. You’ll learn how boredom is often not the problem, but what we make it mean—and how allowing it (instead of fixing it) can actually be one of the most useful emotional skills you can build.

    We’ll also talk about why our fast-paced lives make boredom feel like a crisis, and what it really means when you’re craving constant stimulation.


    • Why we’re conditioned to believe boredom is a problem and how to spot that conditioning in yourself

    • What buffering is, why we do it, and how it sneaks into your day without you realizing it

    • How to allow boredom without guilt or urgency, and why that’s an emotional strength

    • How to notice the thoughts that add shame and pressure to an otherwise neutral moment

    • What to do when you’re craving action or change—but might actually need rest and stillness


    Want to Go Deeper Into Your Mindset?

    Download the Study Guide:

    ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.choosebetterthoughts.com/podcast-study-guide-download⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


    Check My Coach Coaching Program:

    ⁠⁠https://www.choosebetterthoughts.com/⁠⁠


    Follow Me On:

    Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/choosebetterthoughts/⁠⁠LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandahuffmandoyle/⁠⁠


    And if you like this episode, don’t forget to follow, subscribe, leave a review or send it to a friend who might need this!


    You've got this!

    19 min
  • "I'm Losing Myself"

    Do you ever look in the mirror and wonder, “Where did the old me go?” In this episode we unpack the brain-and-hormone remodel that’s quietly reshaping ambitious moms—and prove it means you’re upgrading, not unraveling.

    You’ll learn a neuroscience-backed pause-and-label trick, craft a bridge thought that melts “I’m losing myself,” and run a one-sticky-note experiment that turns everyday moments into solid evidence of your evolving strengths.

    By the end you’ll walk away with a calmer mind, concrete proof you’re still every bit as capable (just calibrated for a new season), and a clear micro-action plan you can start today.


    What You Will Learn:

  • How to spot the “identity-shift” fog and understand the hormone-plus-brain science behind it (nothing’s wrong with you!).

    Pause and label sneaky thoughts like “I’m losing myself” so they lose their power.

    Channel each body-breadcrumb—tight chest, snack-bin obsession, spreadsheet boredom—as data for building your new identity, rather than treating them like emergencies.

    Run the C-T-F-A-R + bridge-thought combo to rewire unhelpful stories into kinder, truer ones.

  • Test one tiny action a day to gather real-world proof that the new you is already emerging.


    Want to Go Deeper Into Your Mindset?

    Download the Study Guide:

    ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.choosebetterthoughts.com/podcast-study-guide-download⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


    Check My Coach Coaching Program:

    ⁠https://www.choosebetterthoughts.com/⁠


    Follow Me On:

    Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/choosebetterthoughts/⁠LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandahuffmandoyle/⁠


    And if you like this episode, don’t forget to follow, subscribe, leave a review or send it to a friend who might need this!


    You've got this!

    20 min

About Choose Better Thoughts

From the publisher's feed

Join Amanda Doyle, Certified Life and Leadership Coach, as she helps high-achieving moms break free from stress, overthinking, and perfectionism so they can finally experience more confidence, ease,…