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Why Upgrading Your Mindset Matters: Rania Kort on the Shift From Surviving to Thriving

Women's Journal Staff on December 9, 2025

By: Matthew Kayser

Do you feel like you’re meant for more, yet somehow feel stuck from achieving what you truly want? Have you faced a setback that has disrupted your life and felt difficult to overcome? What if those discomforts aren’t problems to fix — but invitations to grow? What if there are opportunities to upgrade your mindset so you can thrive, not just survive?

Rania Kort, a business advisor, transformation coach, and author, shares that if you want to achieve something new, overcome something big, or create a result you haven’t achieved before, you must first upgrade your mindset.  Your mindset is one of the most powerful assets you have — yet few people know how to use it as their superpower to grow, transform, and thrive. That’s because by default, we are wired to survive, not thrive.  The mind’s primary job is to keep us safe, not to propel us to expand and grow.

Through centuries of conditioning — from our education system, cultural norms, media, religious influences, and societal expectations — we’ve been taught to conform, play it safe, and “be careful.”  Anything beyond that conditioning can feel threatening and too risky to explore.  This survival wiring creates a fixed, limited mindset that keeps us in our comfort zone — until it begins to hold us back from our vision, dreams, and desires.

But the good news is, there is so much more to us than meets the eye. Within each of us lies an extraordinary power to choose our thoughts and change the lens through which we see the world.  By learning to think more expansively, you open yourself to new perspectives and possibilities. And that shift begins the process of rewriting your mental script and upgrading your mindset.

Rewriting Your Mental Script: An Art and a Science

Upgrading your mindset is both an art and a science.  The art lies in identifying and reprogramming old beliefs so you stop repeating patterns that hold you back. The science involves developing new neural pathways by replacing disempowering thoughts and scripts with beliefs and affirmations aligned with what you truly want — and who you want to become. When practiced daily — primarily through meditation, visualization, imagery, journaling, and intentional reflection — this process reconditions the subconscious, making a new, upgraded mindset your default. 

Rania reminds us that if you want to change something significant in your life, start by changing how you think — the mental scripts you rehearse and the habits you’ve formed. All transformation requires changing how you view things. Too often, people try to change their outer world without changing their inner lens.  But unless you shift how you perceive your circumstances, yourself, and others, you’ll continue repeating the same patterns — even if everything around you changes.  

Her approach is built on one powerful premise: actual growth, lasting change, and transformation are achieved through the power of vision and a daily shift in perspective. When directed with intention, these two forces become guiding principles for profound and sustainable change.

With over two decades advising Fortune 100 companies, leading teams, and helping individuals navigate change, Rania now writes about and teaches something far more personal: how to work with your mind consciously and deliberately to upgrade it — so you can experience more fulfilment, joy, and success in your life.

Rania says, “What you’ll find is that this shift in perspective can change everything.”

Why Growth Takes Courage

Rania doesn’t sugarcoat it: shifting perspective requires courage and the willingness to change. “We get attached to what we know even if it isn’t working,” she says. “But staying small to feel safe is a high cost to pay. Growth demands honesty. It asks you to meet yourself where you are and to focus from here on moving forward.”

In her view, the real breakthrough comes when we stop forcing change and start allowing it, when we stop clinging to control and start trusting our own inner wisdom, and when we get out of our heads and into our hearts.

Resilience, Redefined

If you ask Rania what resilience looks like, her answer might surprise you. It’s not about toughing it out —  It’s about softening enough to shift.  True resilience is staying dedicated to powering up your perspective daily, letting go of outdated mindsets, and releasing resistance so you can cultivate a higher energy — one that fuels your life force and empowers you to overcome anything.

“This kind of change doesn’t roar,” she adds. “It unfolds quietly, yet its impact echoes with an incredible strength that pulls you toward your vision, no matter the obstacles.”

Start Where You Are

If you’ve been chasing external fixes yet still feel like something’s missing, Rania invites you to pause. And ask yourself: “What if this challenge is actually a turning point? What might open up if I looked at my life through a different lens?”

Subscribe For More Powerful Shifts to Upgrade Your Mindset

For those ready to explore that shift, subscribe to Rania’s Power Up Newsletter, where she shares reflections, tools, and mindset practices to help you reprogram and upgrade your mindset one small shift at a time. You’ll also receive her free, complimentary ebook Why Mindset is Everything: Master Your Mindset, Power Up Your Life when you subscribe.

The Growing Trend of Women Using Steroids and What It Means for Health

Womens Journal Staff 2 on December 9, 2025

The topic of women steroid use trend draws increasing attention among health professionals and researchers. Evidence indicates that steroid use among women, while generally lower than among men, occurs in diverse groups, from competitive bodybuilders to recreational gym-goers. Yet wide variations in data and gaps in long-term research mean that understanding the scope and impact remains challenging.

What Data Suggests About Use Among Women

Recent systematic reviews estimate that the lifetime prevalence of anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS) use among women globally is around four percent. However, this rate hides strong differences depending on population group. Among women involved in bodybuilding, studies show pooled estimates of AAS use near seventeen percent. In contrast, surveys of the general population or recreational gym users tend to yield much lower rates, often below two percent.

Studies exploring contexts and motivations note that some women use AAS with the aim of increasing muscle mass or enhancing physical strength. Others cite aesthetic goals, the desire to alter body shape or appearance. However, researchers emphasize that such motivations exist on a spectrum, influenced by personal history, body-image concerns, and social environment.

At the same time, researchers highlight substantial uncertainty. Because studies often rely on self-reporting and vary widely in sample size, region, and methodology, it is difficult to draw a definitive conclusion on how many women use steroids globally or how use rates have changed over time.

Documented Health and Physiological Concerns

Medical literature indicates that AAS use among women carries notable health risks. Reported effects include androgenic or masculinizing changes such as increased body or facial hair, voice deepening, menstrual irregularities, and potential reproductive changes. Some users also report changes in mood, mood instability, and other psychological impacts.

Qualitative studies, though limited, show that for some women, using steroids can lead to tension between achieving desired physical results and coping with adverse effects. Researchers note that long-term risks remain under-studied, especially for aspects like cardiovascular health, hormonal balance, fertility, and mental-health outcomes.

Because evidence is patchy, it remains unclear how widespread serious long-term consequences are among women using steroids outside controlled medical settings. The lack of large-scale, long-term cohort studies focused on women limits understanding of the full risk profile.

Variation Across Populations and Uses, No Single Narrative

The data shows that steroid use among women is far from uniform. Use is significantly higher among bodybuilders and competitive strength athletes than among general gym-goers or the general population. This variation likely reflects differing motivations, from competitive performance or physique-building to recreational use with aesthetic goals.

The Growing Trend of Women Using Steroids and What It Means for Health

Photo Credit: Unsplash.com

Furthermore, drug use patterns differ: some women reportedly favor oral compounds, while others use injectables less frequently than men in comparable studies. These differences may influence both the short- and long-term side-effect profiles, complicating efforts to generalize findings.

The diversity of user backgrounds, from competitive athletes to recreational lifters, from younger to older adults, and across different countries, adds complexity. Because research often focuses on narrow sub-groups, sampling bias remains a concern. As such, caution is needed when interpreting findings or extrapolating to broader female populations.

What Research Still Needs to Be Done

Several critical gaps stand out. Longitudinal studies following women over years, tracking both health outcomes and patterns of use, are scarce. Without such data, it’s difficult to assess long-term risks or recovery trajectories. There is also limited data on fertility outcomes, long-term cardiovascular effects, and mental-health repercussions for female users.

Comparative studies, contrasting women who use AAS with comparable women who don’t, are rare. Such studies would help isolate the effects of steroids from other variables like diet, training intensity, or supplement use. Research with larger, representative samples rather than just athletic or bodybuilding sub-groups is also needed to understand true population prevalence.

Finally, more work should explore motivations, social factors, and decision-making processes behind AAS use in women. Understanding psychological and social drivers, including body-image concerns, peer influences, social media exposure, and access to accurate health information, may help shape relevant public-health or harm-reduction efforts.

What the Trend Could Mean, With Caution

As awareness of women steroid use trend grows, health professionals and communities might increasingly encounter questions about AAS, from users seeking information to those needing support for side effects. The intersection of growing interest in strength training and uncertain data underscores the need for better research and open, non-judgmental dialogue about risks, choices, and health.

If future studies succeed in filling current knowledge gaps, they could lead to more tailored health guidance, especially for women considering or using AAS. This could include monitoring of hormone levels, education on side-effect risks, and informed support for those wanting to discontinue or manage usage.

Meanwhile, for individuals and health practitioners, awareness of variability matters. Not all use patterns, demographics or substances carry the same risk. Understanding context, type of AAS, dosages, duration, and user health background, remains essential.

As interest in strength and physique training continues among women, the conversation around steroid use will likely remain active. Ongoing research, transparent reporting, and open communication will be key to understanding what this trend truly means for health.

Disclaimer

The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as medical advice. The research and trends mentioned reflect available data at the time of writing. Please consult a healthcare professional for advice on specific health concerns or decisions regarding anabolic steroid use.