So what’s all of this talk about mind-shift? How do I shift my mind? Why is this even important?

If you are the least bit curious about this mind-shift lingo. This post is for you.

We know from research and study that our mind is the motherboard of our being. Our mind and intellect are what control our thoughts and even more cool is that they transmit information from the outside and make conclusions and opinions about that information. The conclusion and opinion that our brain makes is then transmitted to our body in the form of a physical reaction. Pretty crazy cool, right? The tricky part is that not all of the information transmitted to the brain is truth…therefore not all of the information transmitted to the body from the brain is truth. This is where the Mind-Shift comes in.

Here’s an example for you…

Someone is telling you a story about head-lice. While they are talking to you about little bugs that make a home in your scalp and hair – your brain begins to transmit this information – the brain transmits the information and your body’s physical reaction to the information is to begin itching and scratching at your scalp. The truth is there are not actually bugs crawling in your scalp, but the brain’s conclusion of this information causes your body to react. See how this works?

Why is a Mind-shift important?

In the example above with head-lice scenario. Our brain processed the information of the head-lice possibility and our body reacted to the information. We naturally came to a mind-shift when our brain told us the truth which is that we don’t actually have the head-lice in our scalp and so we can stop itching and reacting as we do. Without the mind-shift we may carry out the remainder of our day actually believing we have head-lice. We may even feel them crawling in our scalp and react to this by scratching and itching our scalp throughout the day. How crazy would we be? We may even tell other people about the head-lice scenario and cause them to have the same response. How long would we continue to live in this state of denial or non-truth until our mind convinced us otherwise? We could even go a lifetime thinking about the head-lice – we would ultimately become overtaken with this non-truth that we lived in this state for the remainder of our life.

Sounds extreme, right?

This is the power of the mind.

The head-lice scenario is obviously an example. Silly or extreme – the concept is the same for any information transmitted through our mind. Some information is absolutely truth and some is absolutely false. It’s how we process this information that is KEY.

The most amazing news is this: We have the ability to control the mind.

We have the ability to take the information – evaluate fully – then make a conscious decision as to what the mind does with it. We can file it away as false or unnecessary or we can believe it as truth. Whichever decision we make will dictate our physical response to the decision.

This is why mind-shift work is an absolute necessity.

We live in a world full of information, opinions and voices. We receive information at such a high-rate throughout our day. Our minds are working overtime to transmit and process all of this information. Some of the information is truth and some of it is false. We must take serious the action of processing the information and distinguishing what is truth and what is not. If we claim all of it as a truth we become hung in the head-lice scenario trap and we live our lives clinging to a false-hood. Our physical reactions to this are evident in our lives and manifest in many different ways which keep this falsehood dominating us and ultimately owning our entire existence.

Help! What do I do?

Sounds a little crazy and confusing – I know. The reality is this: we can work with a very simple process to help us distinguish truth from false and create an immediate response to all of the information that is thrown at us. Yes, I mean a mind-shift.

5 steps to an immediate mind-shift:

Below are a 5 exercises we can do to create a mind-shift. This is a practice we must make routine throughout our day and in our lives. This entire 5 step process can be done in a matter of a few minutes. Use this as a guide and as often as needed throughout your day as you cultivate a space for a renewed mind-shift.

• Turn off the noise. Take a moment to quiet your surroundings. With so many voices and sources coming at you it’s imperative that you find a space to work through the information. This includes audio and visual noise. Turn off the music, podcasts, news outlets, social media, text and phone and allow yourself time to just be in the moment.
• Breathe. Deep breathing will allow oxygen to flow to your brain. Taking a moment to focus solely on your breath will increase your attention to detail and promote the growth of new neural connections. This will allow you the space to make a more informed decision regarding the information that has just been transmitted to your brain from an outside source.
• Ask Questions. We’ve been conditioned not to ask questions, but asking questions will get you answers. This is a judgement free space – this is a space where we can evaluate the information that is being transmitted to us before making a decision with how to process. Is it True? Is it False? Asking the right questions will lead our minds to focus on the truth rather than a judgemental assumption of the information.
• Write it Down.  Take a moment to write your thoughts and findings down on paper. This is a ‘brain dump’ of sorts. Write anything that comes to mind. Really commit to this exercise and allow your brain to release any information you are storing. This release will be of great benefit in your mind-shift.
• Set your Intention. By now you have quieted your mind, you’ve allowed space to breathe, you have asked questions regarding the information and you have written down your thoughts and findings on paper. It’s time to set your intention. You may or may not have a complete answer, but you will most likely have a greater perspective on the information that is being transmitted to your brain. The goal here is to decide what you will do with the information. How will you move forward from here? What do you visualize being the outcome? It does not have to be major, but from here you should be able to focus on one thing that will lead you to a complete mind-shift.

Be consistent in your practice of this exercise. When you feel that ‘head-lice scenario’ rising up throughout your day – remind your mind that it is in control.