From combat to calm ; on a mission to empower others.

I’m Chris Norris, MSW founder of Cognitive Fitness Coach, a U.S. Navy veteran, endurance athlete, and mediation teacher.

For 24 years, I provided direct combat support for Naval Special Warfare Operators, navigating some of the most challenging environments on Earth; from dark waters off foreign shores to snow-covered peaks.

Those years forged discipline, resilience, and adaptability. They also revealed the costs of burnout, stress, and mental fatigue — struggles I had to face head-on before I could fully heal.

The Turning Point

After nearly a decade of military service, I hit rock bottom.

Burnout, alcohol addiction, and depression nearly cost me everything.

With professional help, rehabilitation, and a deep commitment to change, I began rebuilding from the inside out.

A decade later, I earned a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Arizona State University and trained as a Mindfulness Meditation Teacher.

These steps became my bridge from military intensity to a life of purpose, service, and teaching.

Healing and Growth

Over the past 10+ years, I’ve leaned on meditation, breathwork, and neuroplasticity-based practices to heal from trauma, manage stress, and rewire my patterns. These tools transformed me, not only as a veteran, but as a husband, father, and coach.

Today, they are the foundation of my coaching work:

• Mindfulness Meditation → calm the mind, sharpen focus

• Breathwork → regulate the nervous system, manage stress

• Cognitive Fitness Training → habits, resilience, and emotional clarity

Today and Beyond

Now, I live with a slower rhythm but continue to push limits through physical and mental challenges. I’m married to a wonderful woman, raising two beautiful daughters, and deeply committed to helping others build resilience, emotional intelligence, and sustainable wellbeing.

Through Cognitive Fitness Coach LLC, I work with:

• Veterans, navigating life transitions

• First Responders,

• Corporate Teams, battling burnout and remote work stress

• High Performers and Parents, seeking balance, clarity, and energy

Join Me on This Journey

Thank you for letting me share my story.

My mission is to help you train your mind like a muscle; to build strength, clarity, and resilience that lasts a lifetime.

Schedule Your Free 30-Minute Strategy Call to start your journey.

— Coach Chris

What Is Coaching

Coaching is not about fixing what’s broken. It’s about unlocking what’s possible.

As a Cognitive Fitness Coach, I help people strengthen the connection between body, brain, and behavior so they can stay calm, clear, and capable under pressure. Coaching is a collaborative process that builds self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and sustainable performance in work, relationships, and daily life.

Think of it as fitness training for your mind. Just as physical training builds endurance and strength, cognitive fitness training builds clarity, focus, and resilience. Through guided conversations and practical tools, coaching helps you notice the patterns behind your thoughts, habits, and stress responses—and then reshape them in ways that support your goals and values.

How Cognitive Fitness Coaching Works

Every coaching relationship begins with a conversation. We start with a consultation and assessment to understand what success looks like for you — not just in your career or performance, but in how you want to feel, think, and live day to day.

From there, we design the path together. I stay aware of what I call the through line — the thread that connects your goals, challenges, and growth from one session to the next. Coaching becomes a partnership centered on alignment, clarity, and consistent progress.

Our work blends practical tools and embodied training: breathwork to regulate the nervous system, mindfulness to sharpen attention, and structured reflection to build emotional agility. Each session helps you move from reaction to response, from stress to strategy, and from effort to presence.

This is where performance psychology meets mind-body awareness — building the inner stability needed to handle outer demands.

Coaching and Therapy

Coaching is not therapy. It’s not about diagnosis or treatment — it’s about awareness, action, and integration.

While therapy often focuses on healing deep wounds, coaching explores how past experiences continue to influence the present. We look at where old patterns still show up and learn to meet them with a wiser, more grounded part of yourself. The work isn’t about erasing the past; it’s about leading your past self with the strength and clarity of your present self.

This approach brings together neuroscience, mindfulness, and emotional regulation. Growth becomes both forward-looking and restorative — helping you respond to life’s challenges from awareness rather than reaction, carrying your history with compassion instead of resistance.

The Goal of Cognitive Fitness Coaching

The goal isn’t perfection. It’s progress — steady, intentional, relentless forward movement.

Through this work, you’ll learn to manage stress, regulate emotions, think clearly under pressure, and build habits that support focus, recovery, and balance. Each step builds mental, emotional, and physical capacity.

Cognitive Fitness Coaching is where mindfulness meets performance science. It’s about training calmness like a skill, focus like a muscle, and purpose like an endurance practice.

When you can stay grounded in chaos, steady under stress, and intentional in your actions — that’s real strength.

That’s cognitive fitness.

Ready to Begin?

If you’re ready to train your mind like you train your body, schedule your free consultation today. Together we’ll define what success looks like for you — and create a plan to make it real.