We all understand algorithms these days, those clever little systems working quietly behind social media and search engines. Watch one video about sourdough bread and suddenly your feed is full of flour, starters and people proudly showing off crusty loaves. Search for holiday cottages once and every advert seems to be waving a hot tub at you.
Algorithms do one simple thing… They give you more of what you look for.
And here’s the fascinating part… our brains do something very similar.
I hear a version of the same sentence from many of the anxious drivers I work with.
“I can’t do that.”
“I could never drive on the M25.”
“I just know I’d panic.”
It sounds like a statement of fact. Solid. Fixed. Case closed.
But what’s actually happening is that a personal algorithm has been set running in the background.
Once the brain hears “I can’t do that”, it quietly starts gathering evidence to support the claim. It scans for memories of difficult moments. That hill start that went wrong, the busy roundabout that felt confusing, the motorway that looked far too fast and overwhelming.
Bit by bit it builds a case.
Before long you’ve got a closed loop:
Negative thought – uncomfortable feeling – avoidance behaviour – more “proof” that you can’t do it.
Your brain loves a tidy story. Even when the story isn’t helping you.
But here’s the really hopeful bit.
You can reprogramme your algorithms.
Thanks to the wonderful thing called Neuroplasticity, the brain is constantly adapting and rewiring. It isn’t fixed. It changes based on what we repeatedly think, say and do.
In other words, the stories we tell ourselves matter.
Just like changing what you search for online slowly changes what appears in your feed, changing the story you tell yourself begins to shift what your brain starts looking for.
Not overnight. But think gentle course correction rather than a dramatic U-turn.
Instead of saying:
“I can’t do that.”
Try:
“I can’t do that… yet.”
That tiny word changes the entire algorithm. Now the brain isn’t searching for evidence of failure. It actually starts noticing signs of progress.
Instead of:
“I hate that road.”
“I can’t stand that bridge.”
“I avoid that hill.”
Try:
“I’m not keen on that… but I’m changing that.”
It’s honest. It acknowledges the discomfort. But it also leaves the door open.
And that’s where things begin to shift.
When the story softens, your brain’s internal algorithm starts picking up different data. Small wins, moments of calm, the fact you drove a little further this week than last. The roundabout that felt slightly easier than it did before.
Those small pieces of evidence start feeding a new loop:
Supportive thought – calmer feeling – small action – growing confidence.
This is how confidence rebuilds.
Not through one giant leap, but through hundreds of tiny updates to the algorithm running in your mind.
Change the story.
Reprogramme the algorithm.
And thanks to neuroplasticity, your brain will start gathering evidence for a different ending – one where driving becomes possible again. 🚗