Ana is a researcher, consultant, and systems thinker exploring the intersection of work, neuroscience, and human behaviour. Leading 99-Day Rewire, she investigates how autonomy and structure shape performance, resilience, and fulfilment in work and life.
Taking some breathing space and allowing my mind to settle, I can’t help but notice the residual thoughts and beliefs that shape my reactions. A couple of years ago, as an independent researcher focusing on neuroscience and behavioural psychology, I spent over a year intensely working through my limiting belief systems, digging deep, questioning everything, and actively rewiring mental scripts that no longer served me.
I thought once I had done the work, that was it I was free. But beliefs don’t just vanish overnight.
What I didn’t anticipate was how easy it is to slip back into old thought patterns when exposed to stress, exhaustion, and external influences. My research indicates that rewiring isn’t a one-and-done process; it’s a practice requiring ongoing awareness and adjustment.
From birth, we're immersed in a web of cultural norms, familial expectations, and societal rules that shape our perceptions. These belief systems, often operating beneath our conscious awareness, script the narratives of our lives, influencing how we see ourselves, interpret experiences, and navigate the world.
Over time, these foundational beliefs become deeply entwined with our identity, so much so that we stop questioning them. We mistake them for absolute truths, though they are programmable scripts we have the power to change.
Yet the brain is wired to resist change, even beneficial ones. If you've felt stuck in repetitive patterns, struggled with imposter syndrome, or experienced internal battles between logic and emotion, you're experiencing belief science in action.
In this article, I’ll break down:
How beliefs are neurologically hardwired and why they feel so real
Why the brain resists change (even when it’s good for us)
7 steps to consciously rewire limiting beliefs and create real transformation Let’s dive in.
Science of entrenched beliefs: Why the brain prefers familiarity over truth
Your brain is a prediction machine; it doesn’t seek truth; it seeks what’s familiar.
Familiarity & accuracy
Once a belief is formed, the neural pathways associated with it strengthen over time, making it increasingly resistant to change (Klemm, 2010). This is why even false beliefs feel undeniably real your brain has reinforced them so much that they become part of your identity.
Cognitive dissonance
The brain’s “error warning” system. When you encounter new evidence that contradicts a core belief, your brain perceives it as a threat, activating the amygdala (emotional center) and the default mode network (DMN), the part of the brain linked to self-identity and internal narratives (Kaplan et al., 2016).
System justification
Why do people defend broken systems? Even when beliefs no longer serve us, we rationalize them to maintain cognitive stability (Jost C Banaji, 1994). This is why people cling to outdated workplace hierarchies, stay in unhealthy relationships, or avoid change; challenging beliefs is psychologically uncomfortable.
Your brain prioritises stability over growth, and unless you consciously disrupt outdated thought patterns, they reinforce themselves indefinitely.
Illusion of quick fixes: Psychedelics alone won’t rewire the mind
There’s a trend toward instant transformation via psychedelics or peak spiritual experiences. Psychedelics like psilocybin temporarily dissolve entrenched neural patterns, altering the default mode network (Carhart-Harris et al., 2012).
This means you temporarily have a clear canvas empty of all the spiralling thoughts and what ifs and what could have been; they provide a sense of unity and freedom instantly. However, such breakthroughs fade unless reinforced with consistent daily practice.
True rewiring occurs through consistent, intentional micro-decisions not just in fleeting "aha!" moments.
Breakthrough experiences fade unless they are actively reinforced through practice.
The brain defaults back to its old programming if new neural pathways aren’t strengthened.
While supportive in the rewiring process of thought patterns, it is not the only solution but a propeller in the right direction.
7 steps to rewire your beliefs & transform your mindset
If your beliefs shape your reality, then changing them means reshaping your experience of life. Here’s how to do it.
1. Identify the root belief
Before you can change a belief, you need to name it.
What thought patterns keep showing up in your life?
What is the core fear or resistance behind this belief?
Where did it originate from: childhood conditioning, societal expectations, past experiences?
Example:
"I can’t start my own business because I lack experience."
Action step: Write down a limiting belief that you’ve noticed holding you back.
2. Access the subconscious through a theta brainwave state
Your subconscious mind holds the deepest belief patterns to access them, you need to slow down brainwave activity.
Techniques to activate the theta brainwave state (4-8 Hz) include:
Guided meditations
Binaural beats
Breathwork (such as holotropic breathing)
Action step: Spend 10 minutes in deep relaxation and observe what memories, emotions, or thoughts surface related to your belief.
3. Capture subconscious insights immediately
After meditating or practicing breathwork, write down everything that surfaced without overanalysing.
Example:
“I kept seeing a memory of my teacher telling me I wasn’t ready for leadership roles.”
Action step: Keep a journal and track recurring themes that emerge.
4. Challenge the thought using CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy)
Now, break down the belief logically:
Is this belief always true?
What evidence contradicts it?
Have others with similar limitations succeeded?
Example Reframe:
Old belief: “I lack the experience to start a business.”
New belief: “I have successfully learned new skills before I can learn as I go.”
Action step: List three pieces of evidence against your limiting belief.
5. Create emotionally grounded affirmations
Your brain rejects vague affirmations that don’t feel true. Instead of:
"I am confident." (Too generic.)
Try:
"I know what it feels like to confidently lead a small project."
Affirmations work best when they reference past experiences for stronger neural reinforcement.
Action step: Write three affirmations that feel real and emotionally grounded.
6. Prove the new belief through action
The fastest way to rewire a belief is to prove to your brain that the new belief is real.
Example: If you believe you "lack leadership skills," volunteer to lead a small project. Your brain needs evidence, so give it proof.
Action step: Identify one action to challenge your limiting belief this week.
7. Reinforce & repeat for 21+ days
Neuroscience shows that repetition strengthens new neural pathways.
Spend at least 21 days actively challenging & replacing limiting beliefs.
Track progress in a journal and celebrate small wins.
Keep reinforcing new beliefs until they feel natural and automatic.
Ready to rewire?
What’s one belief you’re working on shifting right now? Comment below!
Join the 99-Day Rewire (99DayRewire), the ultimate blueprint for lasting change. Let’s rewire together.
Read more from Ana Gioarsa
Ana Gioarsa, Independent Research & Advisory | Work, Mind & Future Systems
Ana is a researcher, consultant, and systems thinker investigating how work, neuroscience, and human behaviour intersect. With over a decade of experience leading complex projects, she now explores how autonomy and structure can coexist for sustainable high performance. Through 99-Day Rewire, Ana conducts real-time research on behavioural, cognitive, and biological shifts, examining how individuals and organisations can rethink work, creativity, and self-directed systems. She believes true transformation happens at the intersection of structure and autonomy, creativity and function, science and lived experience.
By blending research, consultancy, and writing, Ana challenges conventional work models, offering new ways to think about human potential and resilience in evolving work landscapes.
References:
Carhart-Harris, R. L., Erritzoe, D., Williams, T., Stone, J. M., Reed, L. J., Colasanti, A.,.. C Nutt, D. J. (2012). Neural correlates of the psychedelic state as determined by fMRI studies with psilocybin. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 10S(6), 2138-2143.
Gazzaniga, M. S. (2008). Human: The science behind what makes us unique. HarperCollins.
Jost, J. T., C Banaji, M. R. (1994). The role of stereotyping in system-justification and the production of false consciousness. British Journal of Social Psychology, 33(1), 1-27.
Klemm, W. R. (2010). Free will debates: Simple experiments are not so simple. Advances in Cognitive Psychology, C, 47-65.
Rahula, W. (1959). What the Buddha taught. Grove Press.
