120: Tamar & Lindsay Go Neuro: Subconscious Mind120: Tamar & Lindsay Go Neuro: Subconscious Mind
You're Sober! Now What?
Tamar and Lindsay chat about the subconscious mind, showing how habits form and how tools like implementation intentions and mental contrasting can reshape behaviour in recovery. Through stories about exercise, eating and belief change, they share a science-based approach to making positive change feel more automatic.
39:31•29 Jul 2021
Rewiring Habits: Tamar & Lindsay Talk Subconscious Mind in Recovery
Episode Overview
- The subconscious mind gradually automates repeated actions, turning effortful behaviours like driving or gym sessions into second nature.
- Implementation intentions (if–then statements) help prime the brain to respond in healthier ways when specific cues or obstacles appear.
- Mental contrasting combines visualising a goal with honestly considering what might get in the way, making plans more realistic and sustainable.
- Challenging limiting beliefs about food and body can support intuitive eating and reduce the good/bad labelling that fuels binge–restrict cycles.
- Structured methods like the NeuroChange 90-day challenge give a clear framework for applying these tools to one focused goal at a time.
“If I go out for dinner, then I’m going to remember that I can order anything that I want, but I don’t have to eat to excess.”
What are the common struggles and victories in addiction recovery? This conversation between Tamar and Lindsay zooms in on the subconscious mind and how it quietly shapes habits, routines, and long-term change in sobriety and life. The chat has an easy, jokey feel (including a running joke about Lindsay looking naked on camera), but it’s packed with practical tools.
Tamar uses the classic driving example: at first, every mirror check and turn is a conscious effort; later, you’re pulling into the driveway thinking, “How did I even get here?” That’s the subconscious at work – and they show how the same process can be used to build healthier habits in recovery. They talk through real-life examples: Tamar shifting from diet culture to intuitive eating, and Lindsay working towards a plant-based lifestyle.
Both share how old beliefs around food and bodies showed up, and how they’re using science-based tools from the NeuroChange Method to rewrite those patterns.
As Tamar puts it, “If I go out for dinner, then I’m going to remember that I can order anything that I want, but I don’t have to eat to excess.” A big highlight is their breakdown of “implementation intentions” – those simple if–then statements that cue the brain into new behaviour – and “mental contrasting”, where you imagine obstacles ahead of time so you’re not blindsided when life happens.
They show how these skills can make early-morning workouts, running goals, and food freedom feel more automatic over time. Aimed at people in long-term recovery, as well as entrepreneurs and self-development fans, this episode blends humour, science, and honest personal stories. If you’ve ever wondered why change feels so hard even when you really want it, this chat might give you a fresh way to work with your brain instead of fighting it.
What habit would you love to make so automatic you barely have to think about it?
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