We all live with an endless stream of thoughts. 

Some are practical and helpful: “I need to pick up the shopping.” 

Others are fleeting and random. And some feel so heavy that they start to shape how you see yourself and the world around you.

But here’s the logic that changes everything:
You are not your thoughts. You’re the one noticing them.

That single shift — moving from being inside the thought to being the observer of it — is often the turning point that allows real freedom.

Thoughts Aren’t Facts

It’s easy to confuse thoughts with truths.

“I can’t do this.”
“Something bad is bound to happen.”
“I’ll always be this way.”

When those words run through your mind, they feel convincing. But thoughts are not facts. They’re patterns. They’re shaped by old wiring in the brain, past experiences, fears, habits, and sometimes even by mood, fatigue, or stress levels.

The brain is designed to repeat what it knows — even if what it knows isn’t helpful. That’s why the same thought can keep cycling on repeat, even when you wish it wouldn’t.

The breakthrough comes when you realise you don’t have to believe every thought that appears. Noticing that truth creates space. And in that space, you can respond differently.

How Hypnotherapy Helps

At Phoenix Hypnotherapy in Cheltenham and Gloucester, I see many clients who arrive feeling consumed by their thoughts. For them, thoughts aren’t background noise — they’re front and centre, dictating emotions, decisions, and behaviours.

Hypnotherapy helps by working with the unconscious mind — the part that stores those automatic patterns. Instead of fighting with thoughts at the conscious level, hypnotherapy helps rewire the old programming that produces them in the first place.

• A thought like “I can’t cope” becomes easier to step back from, replaced with a calmer, more balanced response.
• An anxious “what if” thought loses its intensity as your nervous system learns it no longer needs to stay on high alert.
• A craving thought that once pulled you in to gain attention becomes just something you can notice and let pass.

This isn’t about stopping thoughts completely — that’s impossible, as we have approximately 60,000 thoughts each and every day. It’s about changing your relationship with them so those negative ones lose their grip.

Everyday Examples

This logic applies across so many areas of life:

• Anxiety: Instead of being swept up in “what if” thoughts, you learn to observe them and let them pass, reducing the spiral.
• Weight reduction: The thought “I’ll never stick to this” can be reframed as “That’s just an old story — I can still make the next choice differently.”
• Habits like smoking or alcohol: The “just one won’t matter” thought can be seen as a passing urge, not a command you have to follow.
• Confidence: The thought “I’m not good enough” loses its authority when you realise it’s just a leftover message from the past, not a reflection of who you are now.
• Stress at work: The “I can’t handle this” thought becomes a signal to pause and reset, not proof that you’re failing.

Two Useful Practices

Here are two simple ways you can work with your thoughts today:

1. Name It for What It Is

When a strong thought appears, add this phrase: “I’m having the thought that…”
For example:
Instead of “I’ll never cope with this,” replace with “I’m having the thought that I’ll never cope with this.”
That tiny shift creates distance — the thought becomes something you’re noticing, not something you’re trapped inside.

2. The Sky and Clouds Exercise

Picture your mind as the sky. Thoughts are clouds passing through — some heavy and dark, some light and drifting, some fast, some slow. But no matter what clouds appear, the sky itself remains steady. 

You are the sky. The thoughts are just the weather.

Final Thought

Thoughts come and go. They’re shaped by old wiring, fears, and habits. But they are not who you are.

You are not your thoughts. You are the one noticing them.

And that’s where change begins. Because once you notice them, you can choose differently.

At Phoenix Hypnotherapy in Cheltenham and Gloucester, my work is about helping clients build that space — so they’re no longer swept away by old thought patterns and can instead live life on their own terms.

If you would like a FREE consultation to dicscus how hypnotherapy can help you, please click here and find a convenient day and time to suit your, its very informal and I usually have a cup of tea on my desk as we chat!