Our minds and habits shape our lives. We are what we think and believe. Research has shown that there is a mind-body connection so powerful that the mind can help us heal health problems. (The Biology of Belief by Bruce Lipton is a great book on this.)
There are many ways to reprogram your mind: NLP, hypnosis, visualization, EFT, affirmations and coaching. The method you choose will depend on your mindset and budget.
Let me go back a bit. Years ago (like 20 years!), I was managing a big box gym in Texas. I was in fitness sales and I had a Regional Manager who was an awesome – a serious closer, but so, so smooth and elegant.
He was a teacher of NLP, and taught us managers the basics of it. Since then I’ve always had an interest in NLP and continue to study it. Okay, let’s continue…
You may feel able to make positive changes on your own with a little knowledge and some resources. You can find a ton of information online or by going to your local bookstore.
If you want help then there are NLP practitioners, and coaches that can be hired to work with you if you’d like to go that route.
Whichever route you choose one element that is crucial is your attitude. For any method to be successful in creating change in the subconscious you have to want the change and to believe totally in its success. You cannot succeed without this belief.
While every method is different there a three steps that each uses to reprogram your mind.
1. Relax. To achieve relaxation you have to take your brain to Alpha level. This is the level where you are able to tap in to your subconscious. Alpha level brainwaves are experienced first thing in the morning as you wake up and then last thing at night just before you go to sleep. In the Alpha state, you are awake (conscious) and aware of your surroundings but your subconscious is fully alert and you are most responsive to learning and accepting new ideas.
You can achieve Alpha state by practicing relaxation techniques.
2. Visualize. Picture your goal as an image or movie with you ‘in the moment’. It must be in the present so you must be living it. Use all of your senses to make it as real as possible. Tell a story and if you can add some humor even better. Your subconscious loves stories and it loves humor. By fully engaging your senses it becomes more real. Make the scenes really bright and colorful. Hear the sounds, feel the emotions. Touch and taste things.
When visualizing always answer these questions:
What can you see?
What can you hear?
What can you feel? (Physical touch as well as emotions.)
What can you smell?
What can you taste?
3. Affirm. While visualizing yourself living your goal it is also important to affirm this. You can either say your affirmations out loud or just think them. To make them even more powerful and effective you can write them down and display them wherever you will see them regularly throughout your day. You can also record yourself saying them out loud and listen to them first thing in the morning and last thing at night.
Affirmations must be:
In the present tense.
Said with positive conviction. (You must believe in what you are saying.)
Include emotion.
For example: I am giving a fitness workshop to an audience. I am standing at the front of the room. I feel confident and calm. I am speaking with authority. I know my topic. My presentation is fun and engaging. The audience is listening intently and participating. They are smiling and nodding their heads as I speak and demonstrate. My voice is confident and easy to hear. I am walking confidently and fit.
Knowing these three simple steps can help you successfully program your mind for positive change.
