Do you ever feel like someone is always listening? I know I do I was telling my husband about wanting to get a new couch the other day. I logged in to my computer the next day and was doing my usual thing and what popped up but an ad for A couch. Was that Alexa listening? OR are they really that good at data analysis and algorithms to anticipate that I was going to want to shop for a couch.
Do you think it is creepy how that works? I don’t think our devices are the only thing that is listening to us. More on that but first. Welcome to the Saturday Morning Ritual. I am Deanna Your Host. I am not a weight loss coach and I am not going to pitch you to join my club.
I am just sharing information that I find fascinating in hopes that it somehow could help someone out there.
Welcome let us know if you are watching or listening and what was the last piece of furniture you bought?
When I was a kid my Saturday Morning Ritual was watching cartoons, now my Saturday Morning Ritual is to take time for me. To reflect on the past week and set strategies for the week ahead. When we come together as a community to support one another to hold each other accountable and support one another together each of us can overcome any obstacle.
I know that we have a ritual. Wake up the body, Celebrate Success and Journal then setbacks and journal - I as the CEO have made a programming change and we are no longer doing that part. I am adding a new segment at the end called Identity and Beliefs.
Brain Body Connection
Movement is considered the human being’s first language. Movements strengthen the neural pathways between the brain and body. Learning, thought, creativity, and intelligence are not processes of the brain alone but the whole body.
Movement Exercise -
Journal Exercise
Are you listening to social media and friends and family in regards to weight loss and is what they say true?
First Up - Let's take a look at the past week
Success - Share Your Victories
Journal Exercise -
How did you talk to yourself when that happened? Try and re-play all of the thoughts you had. Not just the yes!! All of the thoughts?
Did anybody write down any negative thoughts while we were journaling?
What Did You Say?
My husband always says that I am not listening to him. I don’t know if I am getting old, it, my hearing, or the way he talks but I find I ask him often What did you just say?
This was a phrase I heard a lot as a teenager as I would walk away from my mom mumbling my teenage disputes whenever she said something I did not like. I did not learn to keep those phrases in my head and said them under my breath and always got an angry look and tone What Did You Just Say?
It seems like at times we are all ears. Tell me what are the various inputs that we hear stuff from?
Friends, family media and other external influences, cultural and social conditioning, childhood messages and self talk and internal dialogue.
All of this information is stored in our brain and processed and then our subconscious uses that information. it plays a crucial role in influencing our behaviors, thoughts, and responses, often without us being fully aware of its impact.
Processing Information: The subconscious mind is adept at processing vast amounts of information at incredible speeds. It absorbs everything we experience, including memories, emotions, and learned behaviors, storing them away for future reference.
Automatic Responses: Many of our actions and reactions are driven by the subconscious mind's automatic responses.
Pattern Recognition: The subconscious mind excels at recognizing patterns. It helps us make quick decisions based on familiar cues and past experiences without requiring conscious thought. This ability to recognize patterns is essential for survival and efficiency in daily life.
Belief Systems: Our subconscious mind houses our core beliefs and values, which shape our worldview and self-image. These beliefs can impact our confidence, motivation, and overall outlook on life. They often influence our decisions and behaviors without us consciously realizing it.
Habit Formation and Change: Changing habits involves reprogramming the subconscious mind. It requires consistent effort to replace old patterns with new ones through repetition and positive reinforcement.
Intuition and Gut Feelings: Sometimes, our subconscious mind communicates through intuition or gut feelings. It can guide us in decision-making based on underlying knowledge and experiences that haven't reached our conscious awareness.
It also impacts our emotions, behaviors, intuition, dreams, and creativity.
The subconscious mind is very powerful. Thankfully there have been amazing advancements in psychology and neuroscience to help us understand its impact on behavior.
Think about your self-talk - have you ever said something negative to yourself?
"I'll never be able to stick to a diet."
"I'm so lazy when it comes to exercise."
"I can't resist junk food, I have no willpower."
"I always fail at losing weight."
"I hate my body."
"I'll never look as good as other people."
"I'm too out of shape to exercise."
"I'll never reach my goal weight."
"I'm destined to be overweight forever."
"I feel ashamed every time I eat."
"I can't control my cravings."
"I'm not disciplined enough to lose weight."
"I'll just gain all the weight back anyway."
"I'm too old to change my habits."
"I'm not worthy of being healthy."
"I don't deserve to feel good about myself."
"I'll never fit into those clothes I used to wear."
"I always sabotage my weight loss efforts."
"I'm too busy to prioritize my health."
"My metabolism is just slow, I can't lose weight."
"I've tried everything and nothing works for me."
"I'm embarrassed to exercise in public."
"I'll never be able to resist emotional eating."
"I'm not strong enough to resist temptations."
"I'm just destined to be overweight because of my genetics."
It's important to recognize these negative thoughts and challenge them with positive affirmations and a supportive mindset. Changing self-talk and cultivating self-compassion are essential for achieving long-term success in weight loss and overall well-being.
Luckily for all the unhelpful things we hear, we see, we say we believe we can overcome and adapt (Misty is influencing me here) That is her phrase.
Journal Exercise - Belief Exploration
What are some beliefs you hold about yourself that might be limiting your potential?
How have these beliefs influenced your behaviors and decisions in the past?
Are there any beliefs you would like to challenge or change to better align with your goals and aspirations?
Today I want to focus on one important tool that I think we often overlook or believe it is not an important habit or ritual.
Affirmations
Affirmations work with the subconscious mind by repeatedly feeding it positive messages that can gradually replace negative or limiting beliefs. Here's a breakdown of how this process works:
Repetition and Consistency: Affirmations involve repeating positive statements about yourself or your goals consistently. When you repeatedly affirm something, it starts to sink into your subconscious mind. This repetition helps reinforce new beliefs and overwrite old, negative patterns.
Positive Framing: Affirmations are framed in a positive and present tense, as if the desired outcome has already been achieved. For example, instead of saying "I want to be confident," you say "I am confident." This framing signals to your subconscious mind that this is your reality.
Creating New Neural Pathways: When you consistently use affirmations, you're creating new neural pathways in your brain. This process, known as neuroplasticity, allows your brain to adapt and change based on your experiences and thoughts. Positive affirmations help strengthen these new pathways associated with empowering beliefs.
Subconscious Acceptance: Over time, your subconscious mind starts to accept the affirmations as true. Even if you initially doubt the statements, continued repetition helps break down resistance and builds a sense of internal alignment with the affirmations.
Changing Self-Image: Affirmations can shift your self-image and self-concept. By affirming positive qualities or desired outcomes, you're reshaping how you perceive yourself on a deep, subconscious level. This can boost self-esteem and foster a more positive outlook.
Emotional Association: Affirmations often evoke positive emotions when repeated consistently. Emotions are powerful triggers for the subconscious mind. When you feel good while affirming something positive, your subconscious mind becomes more receptive to integrating these statements into your belief system.
Overcoming Limiting Beliefs: Affirmations are particularly effective in challenging and overcoming limiting beliefs. By affirming new possibilities and capabilities, you're challenging old beliefs that may have held you back.
Integration During Relaxation: Affirmations can be especially effective when practiced during relaxed states, such as meditation or before sleep. During these times, the subconscious mind is more receptive to suggestions, allowing affirmations to penetrate more deeply.
To maximize the effectiveness of affirmations, it's important to choose affirmations that resonate with you personally and to practice them consistently with focus and intention. While affirmations alone may not produce instant changes, they can gradually shift your mindset and pave the way for positive transformation over time.
Journal Exercise - Positive Affirmations:
Write down three positive affirmations that resonate with you and reflect your desired self-image.
How do these affirmations make you feel when you repeat them? What impact do they have on your mindset?
How can you integrate these affirmations into your daily routine to reinforce positive beliefs about yourself?
We Are Not Failing We Are Planning
What's the Plan for the week?
Any Challenges?
Any Outings?
Weather things?
Wrap Up
Today, we explored the power of our subconscious mind and the impact of beliefs on our weight loss journey. Remember, positive affirmations can reshape our self-image and transform our mindset. Let's embrace the practice of affirmations to nurture self-love and achieve our goals!
Start incorporating affirmations into your daily routine. Choose positive statements that resonate with you and repeat them with conviction. Together, let's harness the power of our subconscious to cultivate a healthier, more empowering mindset!
Stay curious, stay determined, and until next time, keep writing, keep exploring, and keep losing those pounds!
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