Why Thinking in English Feels Impossible (and How to Hack Your Brain to Do It Anyway)

“My brain just freezes. I know the words, but… they don’t come out.”

Sound familiar?

You’re sitting in a café, surrounded by fluent conversations. The waiter asks, "Still or sparkling?" and instead of smoothly replying, you panic. Your brain scrambles, translating from your native language:

→ Still is… hmm… like not moving. But in my language, we say ‘flat water’… do they say that here?

By the time you’ve finished this internal debate, the waiter has moved on, assuming you didn’t hear him. Meanwhile, your friend—also an expat—just breezes through: “Still, please. And can we get the menu?”

How?

How does she make it look so easy while you feel like you're mentally assembling IKEA furniture with missing instructions?

Here’s the secret: She’s not translating in her head. She’s thinking in English.

And I know what you’re thinking (in your native language, of course):

“Thinking in English? Pfft. Easier said than done.”

Well, buckle up, because by the time you finish reading this, you’ll know exactly how to rewire your brain to stop overthinking, start thinking in English, and speak with ease—without translating every word like a walking dictionary.

Why You’re Stuck in Translation Mode

If you’ve been living abroad for months (or years!) and still feel like your brain plays ping-pong between languages every time you speak, you’re not alone.

This is not about intelligence. You’re smart. You’ve built a life in a foreign country, navigated paperwork, made new friends, maybe even started a business.

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