The Mind-Body Loop

I experienced some circumstances this week that catapulted me into old patterns of thinking.  It’s been a rough few days of feeling a bit sorry for myself, feeling unworthy and demoralized.  So, now I'm at a point where I recognise these thought patterns are not serving me. I am at the point where I need to, and I’m ready to, make a choice to change my thoughts about the situation, and myself.  

Negative things are going to happen.  People are going to treat us unfairly and circumstances will appear to conspire to keep us stuck.  The good news is, we don't need to stay stuck.  I think sometimes we justify staying in these thought patterns in order to validate our feelings, and I want to point out that while your feelings are always valid, you don't need to be controlled by them.  If we could get to a point where we could choose to be content regardless of everything around us–whoa, that would be sweet peace.  I gotta admit, I am not there at all, but I can intentionally change my thoughts and I don't need to make it worse by letting thought spirals carry me away.  

I also think it’s important to acknowledge that there is a time to grieve and there is space for sadness.  You cannot regulate your feelings away.  Sometimes it is completely sensible to sit with the feelings and process, particularly when it’s something that affects you profoundly.  There is no time restriction on grief, and this is not intended to be a shaming article.  It's meant to inspire you to try new things if you feel stuck in old patterns.

Here is what happens when we get caught up in patterns of negative thinking.  First of all, if you are accustomed to these patterns of negativity, it’s going to feel right and natural.  Maybe you easily slip into these thoughts because they have been ruling your mind and actions your whole life.  It’s not easy to disrupt a deeply engraved pattern like that!  Negative thoughts send out stress hormones to the body, such as cortisol.  Cortisol is a stress hormone that can be helpful in the right amounts, at the right times, but left unchecked, it creates inflammation, contributes to excess belly fat, and interrupts sleep patterns. All of these hormones influence the body which in turn sends signals back to the brain and it becomes a big messy loop, until we make the intentional choice to stop this process. 

How do we interrupt mind/body loops?

First, become aware of your thoughts.  You don't need to change them at first, just observe them.  The more you notice these thoughts, the greater your ability will become to nip them in the bud. We tend to repeat similar patterns of thinking, so it becomes easier to notice them over time.

Next, challenge your thoughts. Now that you have developed your awareness, you can challenge these thoughts as they come.  Is this true?  Where does truth come from?  For me, it comes from scripture.  What does God say about me?

Change the thought.  Once you have recognised the thought, you can intentionally change it. The scripture says, hold every thought captive.  Take that thought, integrate it thoroughly.  Replace it with truth.  Once you do this, the brain actually sends out different chemicals to the body like dopamine and oxytocin–which are happy neurotransmitters (that’s a spicy word for chemical messenger)

 Hey, I get it, it’s not always easy to change our thoughts.  Especially when they have become normal and weirdly comfortable.  If this seems impossible, try changing your actions.  If you cope by bed rotting and scrolling, do something out of the norm.  It’s not going to feel comfortable, and you're not going to want to, so don't wait until you feel like it.  Try going for a walk. If that is too much, try just going outside. Slip your shoes off and take a moment to appreciate the feel of the grass under your feet.  Every good and positive decision can be a springboard to another positive decision.  You are literally changing your brain one small thing at a time.