How your Conscious and Subconscious Minds Work Together
As many of us may know, the conscious and subconscious minds are wired together. New neural pathways and connections are continually forming in your brain and old ones are continually breaking. They’re like the tracks on the old vinyl records. You’re playing one song (or thought pattern), then you pick up the needle and put it on another track or song (a different thought pattern). One of the things that determines how these connections are formed are your thoughts (and repetition of them).
You can actually use your conscious mind to help shape your unconscious mind. This is not an easy process because it entails overriding your unconscious mind. You must change the image of yourself that’s stored in the subconscious (unconscious) mind. It means rewiring your brain and it requires awareness and consistency. It’s about training your brain for success---your version of success.
To put it simply, the brain is divided into two distinct yet connected systems: the conscious mind and the subconscious mind.
CONSCIOUS MIND:
This is your logical, rational, every day, get things done in your life mind. It receives information from your five senses. Logic rules here and this is the mind we are aware of but this conscious mind does not really control our behaviors and actions…………..the subconscious mind does.
SUBCONSCIOUS MIND:
This is our ‘storage center,’ where all that we learned early on, from our families, society, school, institutions (between 0-7 years) was absorbed. These are the beliefs and thought patterns that we continue to live with today, unless we make the effort to make changes. This mind is largely ruled by instinct and emotions. It’s where your intuition and creativity live.
The subconscious mind is quite powerful and is much stronger than the conscious mind. This mind doesn’t reason or judge. It just acts and is often leading and commanding your actions.
You can’t just outperform your subconscious mind’s stored image of yourself. If your subconscious mind’s image of success does not match your conscious mind’s image, then achieving success is just about impossible.
These two minds work together to determine your behaviors and your actions. To bring you more happiness, achievement and success, you have to know how to use them and how to connect them.
NEUROSCIENCE:
With our present-day research in neuroscience and epigenetics, there is the concept of NEUROPLASTICITY, or brain plasticity, which is the brain’s ability to reorganize, restructure or rewire itself by forming new neural connnections (pathways) throughout life, no matter your age or stage of life.
Neuroplasticity lets the neurons (nerve cells) in the brain compensate for disease and injury and also, to adjust their activities in response to changes in their environment or new situations.
It’s great to know that you can always be changing or rewiring (reprogramming) your mind/brain.
So, let’s go over some ways to do it. You have to TRAIN YOUR BRAIN. You begin to train your unconscious mind to support your goals, desires, dreams and then, you’ll be on your way to success.
1)First thing is to decide what you want in your life. What’s your definition of success? What are the goals, intentions and desires that will make you successful, fulfilled and bring you joy?
This step is vital because without knowing this, you may be on a path to success but not necessarily the one you want or are meant for.
You may need the help of a coach or other practitioner to get you to your specific and unique goals.
2)See yourself and your life as though you’ve already obtained these goals, desires, dreams. Techniques like: visualization, mental imagery and others, are quite helpful.
3)Find and use the tools and techniques that work for you. With my coaching clients, we use exercises such as: the morning routine (including 13 codes of conduct), evening routine, PTT: positive thinking time, NTT: negative thinking time and many more. Meditation, mindfulness, mental imagery and others, are also helpful.
4)Be your own Objective Observer: look at your own thoughts and behaviors as if you’re an impartial observer. See what words you are using, what thoughts you are thinking and if they’re helping you or not. Are you repeatedly telling yourself you’re: stupid, ugly, worthless, not deserving, etc. (you get the idea)? If you are, tell yourself STOP aloud, at least 3 times, with increasing volume and emotional intensity, until your mind goes somewhere else. Doing this repeatedly will start changing the patterns in your brain and will start organizing new and better ones for you.
5)Start moving towards your goals and desires. Take action, whether you’re ready or not (you never feel ready )or you think things are perfect (they never are) or not. Remember to celebrate your progress and yourself along the way; ie: do the exercise: give yourself a pat on the back and smile (refer to blog post: It’s Time for A ‘Pat on the Back’………For You and From You!)
6)Be kind to yourself, don’t judge and don’t compare. Remember------what you call failures are simply ways for you to learn and grow and teach your mind to pursue your success.
These steps above are necessary and they are also a bit general. If you’re needing help or an ally to get more specific about your definition of success and your best life, in formulating your specific goals or are needing the momentum, follow through or accountability, please feel free to be in touch……….
Once you begin and then continue training your unconscious mind to support your conscious goals and desires, you’ll be on your way to success. Your brain will start building the connections (new neural pathways) that will empower you to pursue your goals, intentions and the life you are really meant to live.
You’ll find your fear, anxiety and inner conflict diminishing and you’ll build up your confidence, resilience and self-love.
Your subconscious mind can not be at odds with your conscious intentions; they must be in tune with each other!
Like it or not, this is a process that never ends, so you must stay active, keep it going and give yourself some kindness and compassion on the way. Eventually, you’ll see and feel your life changing, as the neural pathways in your brain are changing.
You’ll start to develop mind mastery, which will lead you to self-mastery, which is your power to control your actions, impulses and emotions, and to do it in a responsive way instead of in a reactive one.
It may not be an easy journey but it’s one that’s well worth it!
With smiles and love,
Dr Gigi
PS: If it’s your time and you’re ready to learn how your conscious and subconscious minds can work together, for your success, then, Sign up for your Free Clarity Call with Life Coach NYC & Mindset Coach: @www.gigiarnaud.com and get my blog posts and free guide: 3 Mindset Hacks for your Best Life, too.
I really look forward to meeting you!
Change your Thoughts, Change your Life, Change your World