The Yoga of Mindset
The First 5 Tools
TOOL 1: Delete.
As soon as we become aware of a negative thought, we can
mentally say, “Delete." This stops the myelin process in the brain that hardwires patterns of thinking, and also sends a clear message to our brain about what we want and do not want hardwired in our brains.
TOOL 2: Get the bud. Timing matters.
Timing matters. This tool reminds us that it is infinitely easier to remove a negative thought when it is first formed than when it has been allowed to grow strong through the myelin process; neurons plus myelin coating adds speed and automaticity to the thoughts we have the most - both positive AND negative.
TOOL 3: I can choose not to believe a thought, whenever I want.
Our perception and experience in each moment is determined by whatever thought we are currently thinking. One BIG problem with believing all our thoughts is that we can occasionally think some pretty negative things about others or ourselves. And somewhere inside us, if only for a moment, we feel that we are the kind of person who has that kind of thought. To help us not identify as the thinker of those kinds of thoughts, we make a conscious choice to not believe them.
TOOL 4: I can replace a negative thought with a positive thought.
Not only can we rid ourselves of negative, self- limiting patterns of thinking, but we can also choose to replace them with positive thoughts. This process begins when we learn to recognize a negative thought, and then we come up with its positive. Writing both negative and positive thoughts down without censoring is an excellent starting point.
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EX: I am going to fail this test. OR I can use this test as a map for what I still need to study in order to get better.
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EX: I can’t win this race. OR I can’t win this race, yet. But right now I will choose not to give up, and then I’ll train for the next race.
TOOL 5: I can prove that I can do without “it.”
What does it mean to be “addicted” to something? People with addiction have an intense focus on using a "certain substance” to the point that it can take over their lives. Increased access to social media and screens (phones, computers, video games) is processed in the same subcortical network as drug addiction. Therefore, it is vital to grow the mindset muscle of willpower, practicing individual small acts of refusal, and proving to oneself that I can do without “it” whenever I want.
