Remember that time you were sure that speaking in front of a crowd would be a disaster? Yeah, me neither. (Except for every single time I was asked to present my views, before I learned to chill out!) I used to be a black belt in Worst-Case-Scenario-Jitsu, mentally rehearsing every possible way things could go wrong.
Being fluent at catastrophising and ensuring I was ready for the tough times life might have in store for me were exhausting!
I used to be a black belt in Worst-Case-Scenario-Jitsu
As I progressed on my self-actualisation journey, I learnt that my brain was helping me to create doomsday scenarios. One of the brain's job is protection, if it can successfully detect and prepare for stressful scenarios then it can keep me alive. Unfortunately this meant that my body was flooded with stress hormones every time I visualised worst-case scenarios.
Stress has the ability to interfere with the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for planning, problem-solving, and decision-making and it can lead to impaired decision-making. Catastrophising was not only not helping me to prepare for what's to come (not all 739 scenarios will come true, right? But they all take up valuable real estate in my mind), but it was making me less able to find creative solutions to the given problems.
That's when I discovered a fancy new word: neuroplasticity. It means that our brains are capable of change. If imagining worst-case scenarions was equipping my brain to become more anxious, then focusing on possible good outcomes would make the opposite. A fascinating idea, I thought.
So, I decided to take action. I started meditating. I started shifting my views to notice when things worked out great. I started practicing self-hypnosis. As I continued to meditate and practice hypnosis, I noticed a significant shift in my mindset. I became more able to calm my nerves and stay curious about the possible outcomes of any situation. I began to think, "Maybe the outcome will be better than I anticipated," or "Maybe the universe has my back."
Maybe the outcome will be better than I anticipated. Maybe the universe has my back.
When I signed up for becoming a certified hypnotherapist, the last piece of puzzle finally arrived: catastrophising is a learnt behaviour. I wasn't born with this but acquired a habit of thought that lead to bracing for the worst. This lightbulb-moment changed everything because now I could shed beliefs that weren't mine to begin with. Understanding is power and being able to see how others' mental programming were affecting my perception offered clarity and hope.
If my mind could learn a set of beliefs so easily, then it should be able to adopt better, healthier beliefs as well. The key element is to do it at a subconscious level, where all beliefs reside. Meditation and hypnosis combined, a more positive and resilient mindset is inevitable.
If you resonate with this and want to create a powerful synergy helping you achieve your personal goals and live a more fulfilling life, give Mental Leap Hypnotherapy a try. Learn how to incorporate these practices into your daily routine, and see the transformation for yourself.