If change were easy, there wouldn’t be a billion-dollar self-help industry. Wanting to change and actually changing are often at odds. Sometimes we consciously avoid change while other times we subconsciously hijack our plans without even realizing it. We have three parts of our brain our conscious and subconscious mind, as well as primitive mind.
Our minds love to protect us from pain and suffering. Our conscious and subconscious minds register our experiences and categorize them as positive or negative. Our minds prefer to experience happiness, fun, and overall positive things. When our minds are triggered into recalling something negative, they can work against us without us being fully aware of it. If you’ve ever been triggered by a smell, sound, or vision that reminds you of something bad you know what I mean.
Our conscious and subconscious mind operates without us fully being aware of them. It’s what helps us or hurts us when we react to things. When it comes to making change, our subconscious can prevent us from making progress. Two ways our subconscious thoughts hijack change include-
Triggering fear of loss
Triggering fear of inadequacy
Fear of Loss:
Our minds work against us if we stand to lose something perceived as good, even when it’s healthier or better for us to change. For example, our subconscious mind can resist or hijack breaking the habit of unhealthy foods. This can be for a wide variety of reasons, including but not limited to
Unhealthy foods tend to taste delicious
Eating out is a social activity people enjoy
Eating comfort foods offers stress relief
Convenience foods are easily accessible
Processed foods are easy to prepare and often more affordable
Consciously, we may know unhealthy foods aren’t good for us, but subconsciously we may not hold the same beliefs. In order to shift our mindset and begin to make changes, we have to override the belief that unhealthy foods offer more benefits than healthy foods and internalize the benefits of healthier eating.
Fear of Inadequacy-
Our subconscious loves the status quo. It broadcasts messages like we don’t have what it takes, we can’t change, we don’t deserve what we say we want, we won’t be able to keep it up for good. That’s because it’s easier to live with the current situation than risk putting ourselves on the line.
It’s important to tune out the negative voice in your head. You do have what it takes to make a change and you’ll be better for it. It is worth the risk and though you may stumble a bit along the way, you can make changes when you commit to them whether your subconscious is on board or not. Our conscious and subconscious minds can work in concert with each other if we train them.
How to train your brain to stop the fear response is a simple three-step process. This process may take time to master but works with a little persistence.
Step 1 of how to train your brain to stop the fear response is to observe. Simply observe your conscious mind and subconscious mind. Try not to change anything just yet, just simply observe. Do you react when you are triggered, do you say things, do you run away? How do you respond to an external trigger?
Step 2 of how to train your brain to stop the fear response is to breathe. Breathing resets the nervous system as well as the hormonal system. Breathing slows everything down and allows for the body to be still. Try and take 10 deep breaths, inhale to the count of ten, hold the inhale to the count of ten, exhale to the count of ten, and hold the exhale to the count of ten, ten times. This helps reset the adrenal glands our stress glands that become activated when we are triggered.
Step 3 of how to train your brain to stop the fear response is to use the mantra I am safe. This mantra begins to reframe and let the conscious and the subconscious know that you are no longer experiencing the trauma or trigger and that you are safe. This begins the process of slowing the mind down and allowing your emotions to settle.
Healing your body, and mind takes some time learning how to train your brain to stop the fear response can take some time but with a little practice, you can do it one step at a time.
Our mind is made up of three parts
Our conscious mind- logic, voice, reason
Our subconscious mind – experiences, memories, beliefs, core beliefs
Our primitive mind is the part of the mind that regulates our fight or flight mechanisms
In this video, we will discuss how to rain your brain to stop the fear response in 3 easy steps
As a recovered trauma survivor I have mastered the ability to stop the fear response. The fear response is when your amalgyal the part of your brain that controls the emotion fear gets hijacked and you become paralyzed. During this time you can think unhealthy thoughts, say unhealthy things, and behave in unhealthy ways. The responses can be triggered from memories, smells, noises, pretty much anything at any given time and can be debilitating.
As you are learning how to be self-aware, practice observing yourself. When you feel your re-triggered – 1. Observe, stop activity, behavior, even words. 2. Find your breath 3. Repeat the mantra you are safe. It takes about 60 seconds and maybe even longer for the chemicals to filter through your body. This will take some time to master so be easy on yourself but is very helpful in learning how to train your brain to stop the fear response.
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