Is there a voice inside your head that never stops?
Do you suffer from overthinking? Does it feel like a running commentary making you feel anxious or overwhelmed?
It's only in recent years I've recognised I have an overbusy anxious mind quite a lot of the time. I was talking to an old friend about it and she replied, "I remember when we attended that Beginners course in Astrology and your workbook was covered from head to toe in notes and I thought to myself, that's a lot of thinking going on right there!"
Perhaps there is and was, but what I do know is this, that despite a much calmer outer life in recent years, since peri-menopause (mid 40s) I am much more susceptible to anxious thoughts and the negative feelings that accompany them.
It's why I have adopted regular mindful practices (see below).
Note: Want to skip to the solutions? Scroll down.
If you can be with your emotion and allow it to move through you, your heart re-opens to life again bigger and quicker each time returning you to joy, serenity and all those feel-good feelings that help you to get the best out of life. By adopting self-regulating practices your nervous system decompresses enabling your physical and mental bodies to relax and rebalance.
And that is why I'm here to support you and pass on my tried and tested techniques because honestly, it's worth it, I promise.
For the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual benefits IT IS WORTH IT
After countless years in the study of psychology regarding personal development and clinical experience, I know we all have a voice inside our heads and probably several different ones.
Check out Transactional Analysis for the commonly known Parent, child and Adult parts and probably a teenage part too.
You may also wish to consider US psychotherapist Richard Schwartz Internal Family Systems therapy explained in this article. He believes there are "different parts within us operating much like families interact. Sometimes, your different parts are squabbling; sometimes, they’re working together; and sometimes, they’re fiercely protective of other members." (Derek Scott)
Here’s an example. Say you were out and about and you spot a good friend. You don’t say Hi and you get in your car. How likely is it that you’ll have one voice saying things like, ‘you should have said hello, what if they saw you, they’re going to think you don’t like them. (critical part) You might lose the friendship. You know how many times you’ve worried you don’t have enough friends (fearful part) That was silly.’ Then another voice pipes up defending your actions. ‘I’m feeling really introverted today, don’t want to see anybody’ (defensive part). Could the 1st and 2nd part win and potentially ruin the rest of your day? This is a fairly light example but imagine if it was something bigger such as an issue with your partner or boss, you can see how it could play havoc with your health and wellbeing right?
If this strikes a chord with you, I also recommend Michael Singer's The Surrender Experiment. A book written on the basis of one moment when he suddenly became aware of this voice and what happened next.
Alternatively, discover my personal techniques below or get in touch for a complimentary call or 1:1 consultation.
Whatever your goal, whether physical, emotional or a life change, it's harnessing your mind that gets you from A to B which is why I speak so often about the work that needs to be done here.
Remember obstacles to your dreams begin with the thoughts in your mind followed by your emotional responses to those thoughts and your behaviour is a direct result of both of these.
If you really want to shift that excess weight, feel happier and more at ease or be free of a chronic health symptom, you need to address your mind stuff because it causes so much dis-ease, so much stress that your body simply can not re-balance and heal.
It knows how to do this but we need to get out of the way to let it and that's the problem. We feel uncertain, unsafe, untrusting because things haven't always gone well. We've had some bad experiences and they are a constant reminder to us that we haven't got this, that we're not ok, that something bad is going to happen and it's this, our mindset, that needs to be addressed to create the change we want.
Then everything unfolds magically until we come across the next obstacle, the next realisation that we have another different negative belief system that is stopping our dreams from coming true. And so our inner work, greater self-awareness practice must continue. And that's ok because ultimately we're never done with our Soul growth. As long as we are moving forward, it's ok. When we feel stuck/stagnant it's unbearable for us!
So here are my regular morning practices below to navigate the running commentary in my head, one of my biggest obstacles but please feel free to adapt and simplify such as Inhale/exhale, check-in (how am I feeling) and a glass of water for eg.
Soph's Morning routine
Gradual wake-up (20 min)
Feed cat
Hydrate + refresh (wash face)
Morning Affirmation:
I am the presence filling my world with perfection this day.
I qualify everything in my world this day with perfection, because I am perfection.
I qualify this mind and body with absolute perfection, and refuse acceptance of anything else.
AND/OR
I am the master within governing and controlling all my thought processes in full Christ perfection as I wish them to be.
I am perfect health now manifest in every organ of my body.
Excerpt from the I am Discourses by St Germain (yes I did listen to 91/2hrs over many months but if you'd like my notes with the gist of the affirmations, let me know). These statements encourage you to tune into the commanding presence within - Source, God - whatever you wish to call it and not let the critical part, fearful part or other low vibration part of the egomind be in charge.
Journalling 10min Meditation 10min or Kyoga mantra*
*Repeat 3 minutes each, total 9 minutes
Perhaps do Breath-work and yoga first to prepare.
1. God and me, me and God, are one.
2. I am thee, thou is me, me is thou.
3. All things come from God and all things go to God.
(Courtesy of Kaypacha New Paradigm Astrology)
Gratitude journal and Plan the day
Qi-gong or yoga or general fitness (jumping jacks)
Shower, dress + breakfast
As you can see I'm focused and determined to address my mind gremlins, to be with them, to allow them and also to put them to bed through daily practices and by simply observing without judgement. Why? Because it feels gooood y’all, to serve from a place beyond the ego-mind.
Would you like this too? Try my top tip below..
Top tip: When it or they get too much, literally imagine being firm with them and putting a duvet over its, his or her head. Do not let yourself be hoodwinked into thinking this part of you, your mind, your ego-self is your true self. It is part of you and a very useful part of you when it's the passenger not the driver in your life. It is not all of you. It is and must be your servant not your master if you are going to act from your true, wise, strong, brave self, able to navigate life's up and downs and live life and feel good on all levels.
Big hug until next time,
Sophie xox