Grow a new mindset
What to do when you are stuck in the loop of anxiety. When your brain has gone crazy trying to find the way out.
We tend to get lost in our thoughts. We forget that thoughts believe to be, to exist, but they’re just… thoughts. Mental pictures, mental messages.
Thoughts are fun when are creative, imaginative, light… When they come from a place of freedom and expansion.
Funny, though, how easy it is to identify thoughts with imagination when we are happy - we allow ourselves to dream. We know, we are dreaming. However, when we are feeling anxious, sad, or scared, we generate negative thoughts. We play negative thoughts. And, in those moments, we forget, that those, too, are part of our imagination. We believe those negative thoughts speak the truth.
We identify ourselves with those voices, those ideas, those messages.
In those anxious moments, it is important to recognize that we are not our thoughts. That is why I want to share an exercise with you, to help you jump out of the narrative you are stuck in and gain time and space to create a new mindset.
This is how you do it.
We play with two different physical objects.
Pick up an object (you can also use one of your hands). This could be a plant, a cup, or a pencil. Anything. I like using my hands because they can move in different ways as they adopt a personality.
Give your hand -or the object - a name. Imagine they have their personality and let them talk. Listen to what they say. Let them talk without interruption for at least 3-4 minutes. The longer you do it, the easier and more honest the monologue will flow. Be patient, and curious, and try not to control what is happening.
Once the monologue of the first hand is finished, let the second one reply. This second object needs to contradict whatever the first one said. Get creative.
Once the exercise is over - you can practice it for as long as you want - reflect on the outcome:
What is the first voice trying to protect you from?
How did you feel during the first intervention?
How do you feel after the second intervention?
What new perspective have you acquired?
The purpose of this exercise is to teach you to understand your thoughts and connect to your current truth by becoming the observer. You will notice this exercise gives you the space to create new thoughts. Consciously, you can learn new ways to foster a healthier relationship with yourself. Remember: you are not your thoughts - the brain is trying to hold you in the reality you have always known. That is what the brain is here to do: to keep you safe in the reality that you are most familiar with.
My job is to help you reconnect with your inner world so you finally feel free from fear and judgment. Learn to experience and communicate your truth healthily and responsibly. As a certified coach, mediator, and trauma survivor, I believe that every single person carries the power to heal themselves and the strength to change their lives.
If you feel called to get some guidance on your journey, I am here to help. Within a short time, you can achieve big changes.