What is the subconscious mind? Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung referred to the subconscious as a storehouse of all the experiences, knowledge, and emotions not held in our conscious, active brain. The famous Sigmund Freud viewed the’subconscious’ as a combination of the ‘preconscious’ and the ‘unconscious.’
Why seek to control it?
Some incorrectly believe that we are not responsible for our subconscious mind, and so cannot control it. This is simply not true
- CBT aims to impact how you make decisions by changing the thought processes in your subconscious brain
- Other benefits include: making you more effective in work, increasing your career success, improving your happiness levels, helping you focus
Mantras
These are affirmations that help redirect your thought processes from the negative to the positive
- Over time, these will become deeply ingrained into your subconscious and form the basis for any future decisions you make
- The Serenity Prayer
- A mantra of Christian origin that helps you find peace with your situation and gain the strength to overcome it
- Self-assurance mantra
- I am enough
Yoga
Gentle exercise releases feel-good chemicals known as endorphins, which can reduce stress, improve sleep patterns, and aid in control of anxiety.
Stop and Breath
Our subconscious works to aid our decision-making, using heuristics, experiences, knowledge, and emotions it draws conclusions, sometimes incorrectly.
- To reset how you think, it is essential first to stop and take a deep breath or five, to clear your body and mind for what comes next.
Take time to yourself
Environmental influences such as stress have an incremental effect on your mental health, and especially on your decision-making skills, which draw from your subconscious mind.
Meditation
To regain focus, visualize and focus on what you want, bring your mind and body together, and enable you to get to your goal
- At first, it may seem difficult to set time aside each day just to meditate, but over time it will become a habit
