Eileen Gu - Can we really control our thoughts?

I have never tried skiing!

Olympic freestyle skiing champion Eileen Gu said something in a recent interview that really caught my attention: "I can control how I think and what I think." It really got me thinking about what she meant by this. Certainly, for those of us who struggle with overthinking, rumination, or have racing minds, these words might sound almost impossible.

So, is there any truth to her claim?

The thought control paradox

Firstly, can we actually control our thoughts? Decades of psychological research suggest the answer is more nuanced than Gu's confident claim might imply.

The famous ‘white bear’ studies by Wegner demonstrated the ironic process theory - that trying to suppress a thought makes it more likely to surface (Wegner et al., 1987). Tell someone not to think of a white bear, and that's exactly what they'll think about (N.B. I prefer the pink elephant option). This research has been replicated extensively, showing that direct thought control is not only difficult but can be counterproductive.

However, I don’t think Gu is completely wrong. This got me thinking about what she means by ‘control’. I don’t think she means necessarily controlling the content of her thoughts moment by moment. Instead, I suspect she’s developed some very effective metacognitive skills, i.e. thinking about thinking.

Metacognition: Thinking about thinking

Metacognition involves awareness and understanding of one's own thought processes, and research has shown that metacognitive awareness is crucial for learning, problem-solving, and emotional regulation (Flavell, 1979). Research has also shown that people with higher metacognitive awareness experience better emotional regulation and performance outcomes (Fernandez-Duque et al., 2000).

When Gu talks about controlling her thoughts, it seems to me that she’s referring to her metacognitive skills. She says:

“I break down all of my thought processes”

“I apply an analytical lens to my own thinking”

“And I [kind of] modify it"

“Yes, I think a lot… it’s in a tinkering, scientist kind of way. I’m always trying to modify, I’m thinking how can I be better, how can I approach my brain in the way I approach my skiing.”

This speaks to her ability to observe, understand, and respond to her thinking processes. And I am obsessed with her for shining a light on this. Probably more obsessed than her eight year old self would be with her right now! 😊

Deliberate practice of skills

Elite athletes like Gu have spent years deliberately practicing not just physical skills, but mental ones. Sports psychology research consistently shows that top performers develop specific cognitive strategies for managing attention, pressure, and performance anxiety.

For example, research on flow states reveals that athletes achieve peak performance when they can maintain focused attention on relevant cues while letting irrelevant thoughts pass by (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990). This isn't about eliminating thoughts, it's about developing selective attention and cognitive flexibility.

These are all learnable skills. Gu, like all of us, will undoubtedly experience uncomfortable thoughts, it’s just that she has developed and honed the skills necessary to manage those thoughts and how she responds, especially when under pressure.

Enter ACT - Acceptance and Commitment Theory

This brings me to Acceptance and Commitment Theory (ACT), which can offer further understanding as to what Gu might actually be doing mentally. ACT suggests that you cannot control your thoughts and that attempting to do so often intensifies them. ACT, instead, helps individuals change their relationship with their thoughts, through psychological flexibility. Psychological flexibility is made up of six interconnected skills:

1. Cognitive defusion – the ability to view thoughts as words, not facts.

2. Acceptance – Making space for uncomfortable thoughts and emotions.

3. Present moment awareness – Focusing and engaging in the here and now.

4. Self-as-context – Knowing that you are not your thoughts or emotions.

5. Values – Knowing what truly matters to you.

6. Committed action – Taking action aligned with values, despite unhelpful thoughts being present.

For the overthinkers among us, Gu's approach offers valuable insights.

Overthinking often involves getting caught in unhelpful patterns – endless analysis, predicting (often unlikely) worst-case scenarios, worrying, and avoidance of action. This is the opposite of psychological flexibility.

Research has shown that people who struggle with overthinking often have good metacognitive abilities. They're very aware of their thinking. The problem isn't awareness; it's a belief that they can (over)think their way out things. ACT research demonstrates that trying to think your way out of overthinking is often counterproductive. Instead, developing the ability to notice thinking patterns while maintaining a focus on valued action creates better outcomes (Ruiz, 2010).

For example, consider how this applies in a professional context:

Traditional Approach: "I must eliminate my anxiety about this presentation before I can perform well."

ACT/Psychological Flexibility Approach: "I notice I'm feeling anxious about this presentation, and I can give this presentation while feeling anxious because it aligns with my values of professional growth and sharing knowledge."

I wonder which camp your thoughts sit in…

How can we be more like Gu?

So, what can we take away from Gu’s approach and current research?

• Develop your metacognitive skills – start by noticing your thinking patterns without immediately trying to change them. What thoughts arise under pressure? What cognitive habits do you default to when facing uncertainty? How does this influence what you do or how you behave?

• Practice cognitive defusion – Create distance from your thoughts by viewing them as just that. “I’m having the thought I’ll fail”, is very different to “I’ll fail”. The former creates some space, the latter keeps you trapped.

• Focus on workability, not truth – Don’t waste energy on determining whether thoughts are true or false. Instead, ask yourself “Is this thought helpful for what I want to accomplish right now?”

• Build psychological flexibility – Like any skill, it improves with practice. I can help you with this through my coaching! #shamelessplug 😊

• Redefine what’s in your control – Stop trying to control what thoughts arise and start developing skills to help you choose how you respond to your thoughts.

So, can we control how and what we think?

I suspect Gu’s confidence in her ability to control how and what she thinks likely reflects years of honing her cognitive skills, and a misplaced use of language. The research suggests we cannot always control how and what we think, and that we don't necessarily need to.

What she does describe in terms of her approach to thinking aligns though with much of sports psychology research and evidence-based practices from ACT.

For overthinkers specifically, I hope this article offers a different way forward. Instead of trying to control, or suppress, our thoughts, we can develop metacognitive skills and psychological flexibility that allows us to perform effectively regardless of what our minds are generating.

I don’t know about you, but in a world that promises quick-fixes and ‘mind-hacks’, what Gu talks about offers something more sustainable – a way of working with the mind you actually have. And perhaps that’s it. The conclusion. We can learn to work with our mind rather than against it. And that’s available to any of us, not just the elite athletes.

If you're curious how coaching can help you develop your psychological flexibility skills, please reach out. I'd love to chat.

Thank you for reading - it means a lot.

Shona