How to Manage Your Mind

Have you ever noticed that some of your thoughts show up so often and so automatically that you just believe them to be true?

I can’t lose weight

I will never find love again

I’m a hot mess

I need to get my life together

I have too much going on

I don’t have time to workout

I’m not good/pretty/skinny/smart/fun/important/special enough

We have around 60,000 thoughts per day. They come at random and we can’t control them. But we can decide which thoughts we choose to believe. Because it’s our thoughts that cause our feelings, not our circumstances.

So it makes sense that if you are thinking you don’t have enough time and you have too much piled onto your plate, you might feel stressed or anxious. If you are thinking your diet isn’t working or that you don’t have time for exercise, you might feel defeated or demotivated. If you are thinking you are not good enough or that everyone else has it all figured out, you might feel inferior or insecure.

The first step in managing your mind is to start to become aware of the thoughts that keep showing up for you. Without judgement, just get curious. When do these thoughts appear? Are these thoughts serving you? How is it possible that they might not be true?

It’s important to differentiate between thoughts and facts.

Thoughts are beliefs, ideas, opinions and interpretations. They can vary from person to person. Facts are measurable, quantifiable data that can be proven in a court of law. Everyone in the world can agree on them.

Here is an exercise you can try:

1. Fill a journal page, a computer screen or a blank piece of paper with your thoughts. Just keep writing, without overthinking or worrying about making sense. Just do what is called a thought download, getting all of your thoughts our of your head and onto the page.

2. Once you have finished, go back and circle the phrases or sentences that are 100% true. Stick to facts such as a date on the calendar, a number on the scale, a quote from a text or a conversation.

3. Now underline the phrases or sentences that are purely your thoughts. These will be your opinions about yourself, other people, or situations that others might disagree with or that cannot be proven.

4. Notice how many thoughts and opinions you have and how few facts there are. Get curious about the thoughts that you are thinking. Decide which thought or thoughts are not actually serving you or that are making you feel emotions that you don’t want to feel.

Managing your mind does not mean replacing your current thoughts with fake, cheerful thoughts that are not believable to you. It does not mean telling yourself you love your body when you don’t or that everything is going to work out when it feels like it’s falling apart.

Managing your mind means bringing awareness to those old, habitual thoughts that may have once protected you but don’t serve you anymore. Be gentle with yourself. None of us were taught how to feel our feelings or to care for ourselves this way.

You’ve got this. I believe in you.

Suzanne

If you could use some support in any area of your life, you can schedule a private coaching session with me HERE. If you are not sure if coaching is right for you, or if you would like to learn more about my coaching style and how I might help you, you can schedule a FREE 30-minute consultation HERE. I can’t wait to work with you.