The ultimate guide to subconscious beliefs and emotion
Have you ever felt that you would be fantastic at something but had a nagging feeling at the back of your mind holding you back from achieving the ultimate results? Or you could simply be trying to pick up healthier habits, so you can enjoy a more fulfilled lifestyle, but just can't seem to make the changes stick.
Nagging feelings are more likely a hidden, subconscious belief trying to keep you safe...you see, to the human brain, safety is defined as never changing. This is why it's so hard to create new habits and let go of old ones.
As a mother to two boys, one being neurodivergent, and one being atypical, I've been on a long journey learning about how the mind works and understanding what drives everything that we experience every day.
Having worked for over four years in a company that specialized in understanding thinking preferences, and the workings of the brain, and being a mother of an autistic child I've learned a lot about what influences our behavior, character, and ultimately the life that we experience every day.
I have learned that our subconscious beliefs are at the root of absolutely everything that drives us as human beings. Our beliefs influence so much about how we respond to situations, and how our character is shaped, which in turn, shows us what we will do and how we will respond to any given situation.
If we want to be able to change anything about our subconscious beliefs, we've got to understand the cycle that our emotions and energy have.
So how do you change or erase the subconscious beliefs that may not be serving you anymore?
This guide teaches you about the cycle that drives our beliefs and shapes our lives, so you can understand how to embrace or change them.
What are Subconscious Beliefs?
Subconscious beliefs are memories and emotions that have become embedded in the limbic region of our brain. They are ingrained memories or habits that we are not always aware of, but they affect everything that we do and belief.
According to Triune Brain theory, the human brain has multiple layers to it, kind of like an onion...you peel away a layer to expose more on the inside.
On the outer layer (neocortex) you have your cerebral hemispheres or intellectual brain.
If you peel away a layer to expose the next layer down, you encounter the limbic region of the brain.
This layer of the brain is the emotional center where our subconscious beliefs are formed and our character is formed.
Finally, just like an onion, we get to the smallest parts in the middle otherwise known as the reptilian brain. Don't worry, it's not actually a lizard in your brain!
This is the oldest part of the brain which works to safeguard you via your instincts.
It is the part of the brain where our brain connects to the spinal column and drives all of our physical functions such as making our hearts beat, and we continue to breathe!
To order to change our subconscious beliefs, we need to tap into our limbic system (a.k.a the midbrain) and effectively rewire our brains.
The Subconscious Belief Cycle
The idea of changing your subconscious beliefs may seem daunting, but don't worry...it's not as hard as you think to rewire your brain once you understand how those beliefs are formed! This is where the subconscious belief cycle comes into play.
1. Existing Subconscious Belief
This is the starting point for all of our actions.
Our existing subconscious beliefs stay hidden away and work in the background, kind of like an app on your phone working in the background. You don't really notice it until something happens that makes you uncomfortable enough to start paying attention.
2. Our Current Emotion
Emotion is just our energy in motion.
It's how we're physically feeling and interpreting that energy's action that creates emotion. This is the butterflies in your stomach when you're nervous about a job interview, or when you're feeling weightless because you're so excited about something coming up on your social calendar!
3. Situational Perception
Your situational perception is how you see the situation that you're in, the people that you're dealing with, or the importance of what is happening.
All of these affect how you perceive what's going on around you.
You could be working on an incredibly important project that determines the grades that you receive in school or you could be fighting for something that you believe in, such as your child's right to education.
If you see someone or something as helpful to whatever you're trying to achieve, then you automatically will have a more positive mental association with that external stimuli. If however, you perceive that something or someone is not helpful, you're going to perceive a different understanding of what is happening.
4. Combining Emotion with Situational Perception
The combination of emotion with whatever is happening determines how you think about whatever is going on.
The thoughts generated can be radically different depending on if you have a negative or positive vibe going on, and directly inspire how you respond and act in any given situation.
The best way you can respond to any situation is in a calm and relaxed manner. This allows you to think clearly about what actions are best to take in these circumstances.
This is definitely easier said than done. If you're preparing for something which you have past negative associations with, it can help to make a list of all the things that you can directly control or influence ahead of the event, so you can focus on things that you have power over.
5. Action Taken
Once you've got an idea of what to do, your character takes over and determines what actions you actually end up taking.
By thinking calmly, and acting with inspired action, you have the highest chance of coming away from the situation with either a positive outcome or a learning experience.
6. Thoughts Created based on Emotional Response
Depending on how you approached the situation and the actions that you have taken, you will end up with either positive or negative thoughts that you take away from the experience.
5. Memories Created
The more you think about the outcome or the situation itself, the more the situation and your perception of it will form in your memory.
This is where you can grow as an individual by looking at the situation from all sides and ensuring that you learn from the experience. Journalling becomes especially useful when you are trying to evaluate if the outcome is what you were looking for, and if there was anything that you could have done differently.
Finally, Your Subconscious Belief is Reinforced or Altered
I experienced this cycle personally when I was made redundant in 2020. Emotionally, I felt let down and furious at the company that I was with.
Looking back the situation after the fact, gave me a fantastic opportunity to learn how to find the positive in the situation. This was incredibly difficult at the time, but by looking at what else was affected in my life, the emotions I experienced changed and the anger lessened.
I realized that the situation gave me the time and space that I needed to work with my younger son, while he was having a hard time at school. By digging deep, I saw that the underlying result was positive and I learned that there is always something positive no matter how bad things feel at the time.
How to change your Subsconscious Beliefs
Now that you've got an understanding of how subconscious beliefs work, you can see opportunities to change them if you need to.
The two areas to focus on if you wish to change your subconscious beliefs are emotion and perception. These are the key areas where you have the opportunity for change at the start of the belief cycle.
Changing Your Emotion
Take note of what you are feeling and reflect on why you may be feeling this way.
If you know what's driving the emotion at the start, you can see if it is serving you well or if it is something that you can work on to improve.
Gain a Different Perspective
Take a step back from the situation and reflect on what is actually happening.
- Do you understand the situation the same as other people around you?
- Is there anybody you can talk to who can help with further information if you need it?
Talking to others and gaining clarity on the situation is a valuable tool that gives you the chance to take a different path of action. Different actions lead to different thoughts about the situation and help you grow personally.
Whatever the situation, remember to look for the lessons, and maintain a positive emotional outlook.
This generally leads to positive results and a vastly improved outlook on life.
Don't let your subconscious hold you back and embrace every moment as the learning opportunity it is!
