Limited Beliefs

Limited beliefs are omnipresent in our lives. They can affect the way we eat, exercise and work. They can influence our relationships and family lives. They hold us back and keep us stuck in some way. They are stories we tell ourselves, often about ourselves. They are deeply ingrained because we develop them to help us make sense of our early experiences. Something happened to us and we create meaning by drawing conclusions. They can become part of our core identities. They can feel safe but they can constrain and prevent us from moving towards our goals and the lives we envision for ourselves.

“Safety” is tricky because it is often related to patterns that feel familiar to our nervous systems. We behave or think in a way that does not feel good but that feel familiar to our nervous system. Familiar feels safe. Yet, we are stuck into survival mode.

To move beyond that survival mode, we need to teach our nervous systems that unfamiliar does not mean unsafe.

Curiosity and self-awareness are keys.

Journaling Exercise: Limited Beliefs with FOOD

However you might feel, your body is trying to tell you something. This journaling exercise is here to help you being curious and self-aware. You are performing self-care.

1) Each time you are about to eat something: write down what is in your plate.

Example: if you chose a wrap for lunch, you can write “wrap - hummus, falafels, tomatoes, cucumber, yogurt”.

2) Next, write down the reasons why you chose that specific wrap for lunch. This is where you need to be curious AND honest with yourself.

Example: convenient / not too big / healthy / everyone else chose this option

3) After 2 or 3 days, you will notice a pattern of thoughts around your choices (and that is OK, remember that limited beliefs are stories that help us cope with life). Now, pick the belief that stand out and question it: