Mindset Red Flags: How Delusional Thinking Can Keep You Stuck in Unhealthy Patterns
By Coach Elle Jolie | Elle Jolie Wellness
Ever feel like you’re stuck in a cycle—whether it’s with fitness, relationships, or your health? You set goals, promise yourself you’ll do better, and yet… here you are again, facing the same roadblocks.
It’s not just about habits—it’s about mindset. Certain red flags in the way you think can keep you locked in unhealthy patterns. And at the extreme, some of these thought patterns veer into delusional thinking—clinging to beliefs that simply don’t align with reality, despite all evidence.
So, let’s break down the biggest mindset traps that may be keeping you from real progress.
1. All-or-Nothing Thinking
🚩 “If I can’t do it perfectly, there’s no point in trying.”
This perfectionist mindset is one of the biggest barriers to success. If you believe that anything less than 100% effort is failure, you’ll constantly start and stop rather than building consistency.
Reality check: Progress happens in the messy middle. A short workout is better than none. A mostly healthy diet is better than an extreme one that burns you out. Doing something is always better than doing nothing.
2. Negative Self-Talk & Shame-Based Motivation
🚩 “I’m lazy. I have no discipline. I’ll never change.”
If you talk to yourself like this, is it any surprise that change feels impossible? Shame isn’t a motivator—it’s a trap. It convinces you that you’re fundamentally flawed rather than just someone who needs a better strategy.
Reality check: Instead of beating yourself up, ask: What’s one small thing I can do today to feel better? Change happens through small, compassionate steps, not punishment.
3. Seeing Fitter, Stronger Women as Competition Instead of Inspiration
🚩 “She has it easier than me.”
🚩 “She probably doesn’t have the same struggles I do.”
It’s easy to look at women who are fitter, stronger, or more disciplined and feel resentment instead of motivation. But comparison is a mindset killer.
Reality check: Fit, strong women aren’t your competition—they’re proof that it’s possible. Instead of letting their success make you feel less than, use it as inspiration: What can I learn from her? How can I apply that to my own journey?
4. Closed-Mindedness About Research
🚩 “I don’t care what the studies say—I’ll do what I want.”
Being unwilling to accept new research—especially when it challenges what you’ve always believed—is a dangerous mindset trap. Whether it’s fitness, nutrition, or mental health, science evolves.
Reality check: Trust credible research, not influencers pushing pseudoscience. Be open to adjusting your approach based on the best available evidence. Growth happens when you stay curious, not defensive.
5. Delusional Thinking: Ignoring Repeated Patterns in Your Life
🚩 “It’s just bad luck.”
🚩 “This time will be different—without me actually changing anything.”
This is the biggest red flag of them all—holding onto beliefs that don’t match reality, even when you have overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
If you’ve had multiple toxic relationships with the same type of partner, but believe “this one will be different” without doing any personal work, that’s delusional thinking.
If you keep yo-yo dieting but believe the next extreme cleanse will finally “fix” your body, that’s delusional thinking.
If you believe manifesting alone will bring you health, success, or love—without taking real action—that’s delusional thinking.
Reality check: Your patterns don’t change unless you do. If you keep getting the same results, it’s time to stop blaming external factors and start looking at your own decisions. Example of Delusional Thinking in the Context of Abuse and Pseudoscience Thinking:
A woman who has been in multiple abusive relationships believes that each of her partners was just “misunderstood” or that she’s simply unlucky in love. Despite clear patterns of emotional or physical abuse, she refuses to acknowledge that she is choosing the same type of partner over and over again.
Instead of seeking therapy, support, or working on personal boundaries, she turns to pseudoscientific self-help content that tells her she just needs to “raise her vibration” or “manifest a better partner” without doing any real self-reflection or behavioral change.
Even when friends, therapists, or research on trauma bonding and attachment theory suggest she needs to break the cycle, she dismisses the evidence and believes that her next partner will be “different” without making any real changes.
This is delusional thinking because it denies reality: the repetitive pattern of choosing abusive partners and the refusal to acknowledge that without personal change, the cycle will continue.
6. Not Prioritizing Exercise as a Non-Negotiable
🚩 “I’ll work out if I have time.”
If fitness isn’t a priority, it won’t happen. And when life gets busy (which it always does), your health will be the first thing to go.
Reality check: You don’t “find” time for exercise—you make time. Your future self depends on the effort you put in today. Schedule it like a meeting with yourself—because that’s exactly what it is.
Final Thought: Mindset is Everything
The way you think dictates the way you live. If you recognize yourself in any of these red flags, don’t beat yourself up—just acknowledge it and start shifting your mindset.
🚀 Progress over perfection.
🚀 Compassion over criticism.
🚀 Action over excuses.
Your health, strength, and future self depend on it. So, which mindset shift will you start today?
Ready to Break the Cycle? Work with a Coach Who Can Help.
If you’re tired of starting over, getting stuck, and repeating the same patterns, you don’t have to do this alone. At Elle Jolie Wellness, I help women just like you rewire their mindset, build sustainable fitness habits, and take action backed by science—not fads.
🔹 Personalized coaching designed for your goals
🔹 Science-based strategies that actually work
🔹 Mindset shifts to break through plateaus
👉 Apply for coaching today and start building the strong, resilient, and healthy body (and mindset) you deserve.
📩 DM me or visit Elle Jolie Wellness to get started!