7 Things to Tell Yourself Every Night for More Happiness and Positivity
Episode of The Mel Robbins Podcast · June 15, 2026 · 1 h 3 min
In a solo episode, Mel Robbins presents seven sentences to tell yourself at bedtime, backed by clips from Alia Crum, Lisa Damour, Rangan Chatterjee, and Rebecca Robbins.
Summary
Mel Robbins opened by describing how anxious, self-critical thoughts surge the moment her head hits the pillow, arguing that nightly rumination becomes part of a bedtime routine like brushing one's teeth because the distractions of the day disappear. She framed the episode around changing the "settings" of the mind, drawing on Stanford psychologist Alia Crum's two-step approach: acknowledge the problems or goals one faces, then ask what mindset would help address them.
Robbins then presented seven sentences. The first, "It's okay for me to feel overwhelmed based on everything that's going on," drew on Lisa Damour's view that distress can be evidence of mental health. The second, "I can manage this," was tied to Crum's cancer research, which she said found that seeing cancer as manageable and the body as capable reduced symptoms such as nausea and fatigue; a clip from Rangan Chatterjee added that even modest gains in sleep make a physiological difference. The third, "I don't need to solve this right now," came from Damour's advice on interrupting teenage rumination, illustrated by Robbins's story of worrying about her husband Chris's mood.
The remaining sentences were "I did my best today" (inspired by Jim Kwik), "Now is my time to rest" (from sleep researcher Rebecca Robbins, who also described writing down intrusive thoughts, linked to a Baylor University to-do list study), "Tomorrow's going to be a good day" (adapted from Daniel Amen's morning ritual), and "I give myself permission to drift off to sleep." Robbins closed by running through the full list, followed by a blooper, a legal disclaimer, and a sponsored segment on preparing the night before.
Chapters
- 0:00
Why the brain turns on at bedtime
Robbins introduces the episode and describes the rush of worries that arrives when she lies down.
- 5:28
Rumination as a bedtime routine
Robbins dramatizes her old negative nighttime thoughts and argues rumination has become a habitual part of the routine.
- 11:13
Alia Crum's two steps to change mindset
Robbins introduces Crum and plays her advice to acknowledge problems and goals, then choose a helpful mindset.
- 16:59
Sentence one: it's okay to feel overwhelmed
Drawing on Lisa Damour, Robbins argues that distress matching one's circumstances is a sign of mental health and shares a mammogram scare.
- 25:12
Sentence two: I can manage this
Crum explains research showing a 'manageable' mindset improves cancer patients' experience, and Robbins applies it to her own stressful logistics.
- 32:53
Chatterjee on small sleep gains
Rangan Chatterjee explains that even 20 to 30 extra minutes of sleep produces a physiological difference.
- 34:59
Sentence three: I don't need to solve this right now
Damour's advice on postponing rumination is paired with Robbins's story of worrying about her husband's mood.
- 40:17
Sentences four and five: best effort and time to rest
Robbins cites Jim Kwik on giving what you have and plays Rebecca Robbins describing her 'not now, now is my time' wind-down.
- 46:00
Writing down unfinished tasks
Robbins describes a Baylor University study in which writing to-do lists helped people fall asleep faster.
- 47:09
Sentence six: tomorrow's going to be a good day
Inspired by Daniel Amen, Robbins argues that worrying is betting on the negative and recommends expecting a good day.
- 50:28
Sentence seven and full recap
Robbins presents giving oneself permission to drift off to sleep and walks through all seven sentences.
Key points
What was said, by whom, with the exact words. Timestamps jump to the moment.
- Mel Robbins
Robbins argues that letting negative thoughts loop at night has become a habitual part of people's bedtime routine.
“This has now become part of your bedtime routine, just like brushing your teeth, just like putting on your pajamas”
- Mel Robbins
Robbins argues that negative thought loops strike at bedtime because the day's suppressed worries catch up once distractions disappear.
“the reason why you and I get plagued by these negative loops is because the second you and I lay down, Oh my God, all those thoughts catch up with you”
- Alia Crum
Crum recommends beginning a mindset shift by acknowledging one's current problems and goals.
“To start by acknowledging the problems that you're facing. Start by acknowledging the goals that you have”
- Lisa Damour
Damour argues that distress in response to difficult circumstances is often evidence of mental health rather than a problem.
“But I'll give you several examples, it's so easy, of where the presence of distress is actually evidence of mental health, right?”
- Mel Robbins
Robbins recounts lying awake worrying after a mammogram found something concerning, and using Damour's framing to calm herself.
“I remember when I got a mammogram and they found something in the breast scan and they didn't know what it was”
- Alia Crum
Crum reports that adopting manageable and capable-body mindsets reduced chemotherapy side effects in her studies.
“it also reduces physical symptoms like nausea and fatigue and upset stomach and other things when they're going through chemotherapy”
- Alia Crum
Crum says the best mindset for a cancer patient is that the illness is manageable, rather than denial or catastrophizing.
“The best mindset to be in when you have cancer is the mindset that this is manageable. Contrast that to the mindset of this is a catastrophe”
- Alia Crum
Crum says an ongoing trial is measuring immune markers and she expects mindsets to affect the body's physiological response.
“But I would bet a lot of money that these mindsets don't just stay above the skin”
- Alia Crum
Crum advises people struggling with weight to focus more on a mindset of indulgence and enjoying food than on nutrition alone.
“focus more on adopting the mindset of indulgence. eating while enjoying the pleasure of doing so”
Linked moment · 34:19Skip to 34:19 using a listen link in the info box.
Rangan ChatterjeeChatterjee argues that even small increases in sleep produce measurable physiological benefits the next day.
“If you can actually get 20 minutes more, 30 minutes more, there will be a physiological difference in your body meld the following day”
- Lisa Damour
Damour advises caregivers to interrupt a teenager's rumination by pausing the conversation and scheduling it for later.
“talking about feelings usually helps. But what I'm noticing is the more we're talking, the worse you feel. So let's do this. Let's put a pin in this”
- Mel Robbins
Robbins argues that telling yourself you don't need to solve something now teaches the brain that thoughts are not emergencies.
“you're teaching your brain that every thought is not an emergency. Every thought does not need to be acted on”
- Mel Robbins
Robbins cites Jim Kwik's view that giving all you have on a low-capacity day counts as full effort.
“He said, on those days when you only have 40% to give and you still give 40%, you just gave 100% of what you had to give, right?”
- Mel Robbins
Robbins argues that worrying amounts to betting on a negative outcome and that one might as well expect a good day instead.
“we might as well bet on the positive instead of worrying about it because that's what worrying is. You're betting on the negative when you worry”
- Mel Robbins
Robbins says Baylor research found people who listed unfinished tasks fell asleep faster, which she compares favorably to medication.
“And they fell asleep faster making a list of all the unfinished things that are on their mind than taking some sort of medication”
Listen from 46:51 · Baylor University to-do list sleep study
- Mel Robbins
Robbins argues that giving oneself permission to sleep works by handing control to a body designed to fall asleep.
“this works because you are telling your body, I trust you. You have been designed to fall asleep since the beginning of time”
People
In the conversation
- Mel RobbinsAmerican author, podcast host and former lawyer who hosts The Mel Robbins Podcast
- Alia CrumStanford associate professor of psychology and director of the Stanford Mind and Body Lab, heard in archival clips
- Lisa DamourClinical psychologist and New York Times bestselling author, heard in archival clips
- Rebecca RobbinsSleep researcher and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, heard in an archival clip
- Rangan ChatterjeeBritish physician, author, and podcast host known for BBC's Doctor in the House, heard in an archival clip
Discussed
- Jim KwikBrain coach and author of the bestselling book Limitless
- Daniel AmenPsychiatrist cited by Frisella on the effects of marijuana on brains under 25
- Chris RobbinsMel Robbins's husband
- David SpiegelStanford School of Medicine psychiatrist who collaborated with Huberman on breathwork and meditation research
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From the publisher
This episode gives you a reset you can use tonight. In today’s solo episode, Mel shows you how to end your day right, with 7 simple sentences that reset your mindset and rewire your brain for a better night’s sleep and a great day tomorrow. If you’re like Mel, nights are when your anxiety shows up. Because when the world gets quiet, your thoughts get loud: The regrets. The pressure. The to-do list. The fear that you’re failing. And if you fall asleep in that headspace, of course you wake up tired. Instead, tonight, when you climb into bed, you will start to change the settings in your brain so you can rest, wake up happier, more positive, and look forward to your day. In this episode, you'll learn: -What 5 top medical and scientific researchers say to repeat when your mind won't stop racing at night -The simple 2-step protocol from Stanford researchers to change the settings in your mind -Why your brain “turns on” the second your head hits the pillow -How negative rumination becomes part of your bedtime routine (like brushing your teeth) and what to do to break the loop -A simple phrase that reduces panic, pain, and even creates better outcomes for cancer patients -How to stop treating every thought like an emergency -What to say when you’re spiraling in negative thoughts at night You deserve to have a good night’s sleep and create a good day tomorrow. These 7 sentences, along with the science so you know how to use them, helps you get the good start to tomorrow morning that you deserve. For a list of the 7 sentences, as well as all of the studies shared and where to hear the full episodes with each of the experts quoted today, click here for the podcast webpage. If you liked the episode, check out this one next:: Get Back on Track: 5 Evening Habits to Wake Up Focused, Recharged, and in Control Connect with Mel: Order Mel’s product, Pure Genius Protein Get Mel’s newsletter, packed with tools, coaching, and inspiration. Get Mel’s #1 bestselling book, The Let Them Th…
Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on September 29, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.