Changing Our Unhealthy Patterns Through Conscious Living: Mastering the Mind

We are creatures of habit and we are creatures of deeply rooted internal programs, including most of the things that cause us suffering.

An obese person knows that eating chocolate cake isn’t going to help with weight loss. Someone who is depressed knows that exercise might elevate their mood, but they can’t seem to get out of bed.

If it was so easy to do the things we know are good and right for us, then we would just do them.

This is the phenomenon we see at play when certain individuals have been in therapy for years, have tons of insight around the why of the issue, but the issue still remains.

Why do we repeat the things we have decided we don’t want to repeat?

Part of the answer has to do with something called the “multigenerational transmission process.” This is the process by which our ancestors (potentially dating back hundreds of years) passed down beliefs, norms, attitudes, values, and behaviors to us, which we then continue to pass on to our children.

Our DNA contains this ancestral programming and it influences how we react to circumstances on a subconscious level.

When we set a conscious intention to act differently, it starts off as nothing more than an ethereal thought. In the beginning, our centuries-old instinct will over power the thought.

It takes some time and intentional effort to reprogram ourselves so that, eventually, our subconscious instincts match our conscious intentions. Repetition is key. Repetition of the healthier thought. Repetition of the healthier action.

Tips and Tricks for Living More Consciously: How We Can Take Control Over Our Thoughts

It’s often less effective to focus on what we are giving up (or trying to quit), and more effective to focus on what we are adding into our lives.

For example, if I get a craving for a cigarette, I can focus on how I will not smoke a cigarette even though I really want one because I quit smoking! When I think this way,

then my mind is still in the energy of smoking and even reinforces the old/unhelpful program.

In order to start reprogramming my automatic thinking, when hit by a craving to smoke, I might intentionally introduce a thought like, “I take care of my body” and an aligned action, like going to a Yoga class. In this way, I train my focus and attention to be in the energy of solution.

Depending on how disciplined I am in this process, or how many times I’ve made the attempt- I may or may not actually go to the Yoga class. And I may or may not actually smoke the cigarette.

Either way, the fact that I am intentionally introducing healthier thoughts (regardless of what I do with those thoughts) creates momentum in the new direction.

If we are concerned with making this inner change as quickly and efficiently as possible, we might try any form of Subconscious Reprogramming. Subconscious Reprogramming works on making changes on the level of craving and instinct (rather than just thoughts) which is why it is so powerful.

Subconscious Reprogramming: When We Have the Desire to Live More Consciously, But We Don’t Have the Motivation

Subconscious reprogramming takes about as much effort as laying down and doing nothing.

Here’s how it works:

Our subconscious mind is paying the most attention when we are half asleep, in that liminal in-between space. Some people can activate this state through meditation. And all of us experience it right when we wake up in the morning and as we are falling asleep at night.

When I say “Subconscious Reprogramming” I am referring to any technique that uses the liminal space to intentionally reprogram old habits. This includes things like hypnotherapy, Yoga Nidra, deep imagery journeys, to name a few.

If you want to do some Subconscious Reprogramming work on your own, here’s a technique you can play with…

Find a free online video (a long one) of a talk given by someone who inspires the kinds of thoughts/ emotions you want to have. Listen to the video first thing in the morning and/or when you are going to sleep at night. If you do this every day for 30 days, you will experience significant results within the first week.

If you really want to throw fuel on the flames, you can work with a professional hypnotherapist or someone trained in subconscious reprogramming to guide you.

Liat Alon is an integrative coach best known for her eclectic approach that combines traditional therapy with more out-of-the-box methods. You can read more about Liat and her integrative approach (as well as book an online session with her) at www.wildandauthentic.com. Connect with Liat on Instagram @wildandauthentic.