Babe, I have a really huge announcement coming at the end of the month. I think you're gonna be really psyched on it!To help us prepare, I hereby proclaim May to be...

Mental Optics May!

It's Mental Optics May, boys and girls!I know we're a little late to the party, but we're doin' it anyway 'cause this is important stuff!All month, we're looking at Mental Optics by going through how my technique - Reading and Freeing the Situation - can help you through your relationship to change, movement and eating. If you haven't already read the defining post, click here to go give it a read, then come back and let's get on it!Today, let's start by looking at how Mental Optics affect our relationship with change.

How Mental Optics Affect Change

Tell me if any of these sound familiar:

I want to change my health routine, but I've never done it before so I don't know if it's possible.
Change is hard, so it must not be worth it.
I just can't change. Every time I try, I fail.

Every single one of those thoughts are what I call "Cloudy Lenses." It's what happens when the filters through which we see the world get all mucked up by past experience (or lack of it) and what we've been taught or shown. It is NOT reality, but it is how we perceive our reality.When your Mental Optics are skewed, we form blocks and fears that aren't necessary. These blocks and fears can keep us from making the changes we want in our lives.Anything that keeps you from rocking this lifetime the way you deserve is an absolute no-no in my book. So let's get down and dirty with your relationship to change, and free you up for the changes you desire!

Read It (save the weeping)

How to Break Through Change Blocks by Reading & Freeing the Situation by @stronginsideout

The first step of the process is Reading The Situation, which means that we just become aware of the specific blocks, fears, stories, distortions or thoughts that are keeping us from the mindset we want.

Cloudy Lenses

These blocks, fears, stories, distortions or thoughts are what I call "Cloudy Lenses." They muck up our perceptions and keep us from making the changes we wanna make.As an example: If I wanted to believe that change was possible for me, but if I had the story that it wasn't, I'd be in a bit of a pickle. Or, if I wanted to make a change, but didn't think I was worth the effort, that would definitely be an obstacle on my way to making it happen.

To identify your Cloudy Lens, do a bit of journaling through the prompts below:

When I've tried to change in the past, what's happened?
Have I ever made this change before? Do I know of someone else who has?
What do I want to change?
Are there blocks, fears, stories or thoughts that say the changes I want aren't possible? Write them down.
What do I want to believe about change?
When I write what I want to believe about change, are there any thoughts that argue with it? What are they?

After journaling through these prompts, read back over your writing and pull out the Cloudy Lenses that are keeping you from making your desired changes.

Default Actions

Cloudy Lenses often times lead us to take default actions that sabotage our efforts to change. Becoming aware of these default actions is another key part of Reading the Situation.

This next step is to determine the actions you take after each of your Cloudy Lenses pipes up. Write them down so you don't forget!

Write down the actions that come after your Cloudy Lens pipes up. Here are some examples:

I don't think change is possible for me so I don't try.
I don't think I'm worth the time it takes, so I give up.
I'm afraid that when I change I'll lose my friends, so I sabotage myself with ______.

Knowing these default actions is essential to changing them. Make sure you write them down! I know, I said it a lot, and there's a reason for it! Keep reading to learn how to Free the Situation!

How to Free That Ish

Now here's the fun/not-so-easy part. Every time you become aware of your Cloudy Lens piping up, do this:

Acknowledge how you’re “Reading the Situation.”
Take a deep breath.
Acknowledge what your default reaction would be.
Take another deep breath.
Choose how you want to respond, then do it.

Remember when I told you to write all of this down? Writing your Cloudy Lenses out helps the mind to remember that you're on the lookout for them. Also, having your default reactions down in writing is super helpful if you have trouble with early awareness around your Cloudy Lens. If you miss the initial "reading" (aka, when the Cloudy Lens first pipes up), you can usually catch it with awareness around the action.

SO, Step 5 is a doozy, eh? Well, it is and it isn't.Through your journaling in the first step of Reading the Situation, you learned what you want to believe about change. The best way to start figuring out how you want to respond is by asking yourself:

"What would someone who believes [insert the belief you want here] do to create the change I want right now?"

This is an open-ended question on purpose. There are so many actions that can lead to the changes you want. I'm not here to limit you, but to free you!

What I recommend is to go through a few different options in your mind: one small action, one medium one, and one big one. Then, ask yourself what you're willing to do today without feeling like you're forcing yourself to do it.

There are no right or wrong answers here, so tell shame to eff off from this process. This is all about meeting you where you are and opening that door to change a little wider.

Here are just a few examples of actions that you can take:

You could use a mantra to start standing up to the voice that says change isn't possible.
You could take one positive action that helps you recognize change immediately such as making breakfast for yourself instead of buying one, or taking a walk if you want to move more frequently. This also boosts confidence thanks to self-efficacy!
You could schedule a therapy appointment to start working through the stories that are keeping you locked in a place of fear around making change happen.

There are so many more to choose from, but you get the idea.

When it comes down to it, choose what feels right to you in this moment. Not what you think is right. Not what you think others would do. Just what feels right to you.

If you find yourself procrastinating on the action you decide, then the action you're thinking of is too big for your willingness level right now. Chunk it down a bit. Pick something that's doable for where you're at, no judgments.

Wrapping Up

This is just a taste of how you can start rewiring your Mental Optics around change. Reading and Freeing the Situation is such an essential part of my practice. I hope it helps you, too!

Stay tuned for more this month on how you can Read and Free the Situation around Eating and Movement! Ooh, have I got some juicy stuff to share with you on those!

See you soon,

Amy

How to Break Through Change Blocks