The Real Reason You're Anxious (It's Not What You Think)
By Dr. Leaf Show: Neuroscience & Mental Health
Summary
Topics Covered
- Mind Drives Brain Rewiring
- Anxiety Signals Misread Danger Alerts
- Separate Raw Signal from Label
- Reconceptualize Thought Meanings
- Action Seals Neuroplastic Change
Full Transcript
By the end of this episode, you will understand why the thing you have been calling anxiety may be something completely different. Over 284 million
completely different. Over 284 million people worldwide report anxiety each year. That's nearly the population of an
year. That's nearly the population of an entire country. Meta analysis found that
entire country. Meta analysis found that the strongest spikes didn't show up during high pressure tasks. They
appeared during moments when people were interpreting uncertainty as danger.
Not the events themselves, the interpretation. If that sounds familiar,
interpretation. If that sounds familiar, it's because many people walk around convinced they are trapped inside anxiety. When the mind is actually
anxiety. When the mind is actually sending a different message altogether, you are not imagining the experience.
You are absolutely having it. But there
is a different explanation for why it's happening. In this week's episode, I'm
happening. In this week's episode, I'm going to show you why your anxiety isn't what you think it is. how your mind uses signals to guide you and the five steps
of the neurosycle formula you can use to change your experience with precision and confidence. This is the part most
and confidence. This is the part most people never hear. [music]
[bell] People use the word anxiety to describe everything from tension in the chest to an uneasy feeling before a conversation.
The label gets applied really fast. And
when a label gets applied quickly, the conscious mind, the workhorse part of the mind, begins to react to the label, not the actual signal underneath it. I
have spent decades studying how the mind sends signals to the brain and how the brain responds as a physical structure.
The mind is your driving force. It
processes your experiences, the meaning you give those experiences, and the way you choose to move through the world.
The brain is a responsive computational machine. Sophisticated, sure, but it
machine. Sophisticated, sure, but it doesn't think. It adjusts, reshapes, and
doesn't think. It adjusts, reshapes, and reorganizes according to the signals that it receives from your mind. And
those signals come from your thinking, your feeling, and your choosing to the experiences that you are having of life.
There's actually a sequence happening inside you all day. The profound
intelligent and creative non-concious mind is constantly processing all the information around you from the experiences you have. When it perceives something, it processes the meaning into
a thought, a literal cloud of energy. It
then determines your next steps and incorporates this direction into the thought cloud. This energetic thought
thought cloud. This energetic thought cloud is then immediately placed into your body and your brain. And the body and the brain receive this instruction like a code building the energy cloud
into physical neural wiring that reflects the experience. At the same time, simultaneously the non-conscious mind sends the cloud to the subconscious
mind which generates signals, emotions, behaviors, perspectives that rise into your conscious awareness. And this
entire process is constant, not occasional, happens all the time and happens at incredible speeds. You
actually only become consciously aware of these signals bubbling up from the subconscious, mind, brain, and body about half a second after all this has happened. The nonscious mind operates on
happened. The nonscious mind operates on two additional levels. As it constructs your experience, it simultaneously links them to existing thoughts and their
corresponding memories. And then it also
corresponding memories. And then it also generates potential solutions to these problems, which is great. So finds the problem and the solution. Consequently,
the signals you perceive in your body or the patterns evident in your reactions are never just random events. They
actually originate from the way your non-conscious mind has processed your current circumstances and how your conscious mind perceives these messages from the non-concious. We first become
conscious of the initial interpretations of our thoughts, the experiences themselves.
Accessing the actual solutions, however, necessitates a bit of deeper investigation. So if the conscious mind
investigation. So if the conscious mind only responds to the initial sensation without digging deeper then it will get stuck and this is where the
misunderstanding around anxiety becomes clearer. What people often call anxiety
clearer. What people often call anxiety is not the original experience. It's the
conscious mind's interpretation of a signal that it has amplified, repeated or misunderstood because it bypassed the embedded solution part of the message
from the nonscious mind. So you feel something happening inside you and the conscious mind quickly searches for a category and since the category of anxiety is very familiar, the mind drops
the experience into that category even when the meaning doesn't match the label. So you can think about it like
label. So you can think about it like this. Imagine a fire alarm in a
this. Imagine a fire alarm in a building. If it goes off, everyone
building. If it goes off, everyone immediately checks for danger. But there
are multiple reasons why that alarm could activate. Think about this. It
could activate. Think about this. It
could be steam from a shower, a technical issue, a burnt piece of toast, or an actual fire. The sound is the same, but the meaning is not. So now
consider the experience that you call anxiety. The sensation may feel intense
anxiety. The sensation may feel intense but the meaning behind the intensity is not always what you assume which is why we always need to look for the
additional embedded messages that is the solution focused concepts from the non-concious mind. So to recap when the
non-concious mind. So to recap when the non-concious mind detects uncertainty change or unresolved thoughts it sends signals through the subconscious mind brain and body and these bubble up into
the conscious mind. These signals are meant to draw your attention to the thought that they are attached to. They
are reminders that this toxic thought needs evaluation.
Something needs clarity in your thinking. Something needs direction. But
thinking. Something needs direction. But
when you have been influenced through the constant media indoctrination and the messaging of the biomedical model to always categorize these signals as problems of anxiety, the focus moves
away from the actual message and settles on the emotional intensity the misconstrued concept of anxiety generates. So if the conscious mind has
generates. So if the conscious mind has misinterpreted the signals and missed the embedded solutions from the nonscious, this creates a chain of reactions. First, the conscious mind
reactions. First, the conscious mind misreads the signal. Then it attaches a meaning to it that may not reflect what actually is happening. And once the meaning is attached, the physical
reactions in your brain and body follow because they just do what the mind tells them to do. They don't think. Your
muscles tighten. Your breathing changes.
Your stomach shifts. Your brain begins to build networks that reflect the intensity of that interpretation.
And if this cycle repeats, the pattern becomes familiar and fast and turns into a habit. But familiar doesn't
a habit. But familiar doesn't necessarily mean it's accurate or correct or healthy. And that distinction is important. Your mind is so powerful
is important. Your mind is so powerful and it processes more information than you ever consciously could notice. The
non-concious part of your mind is constantly working, sorting through your history, your memories, your habits, your beliefs, and your unresolved experiences. And it stores everything,
experiences. And it stores everything, every interaction, every memory, every interpretation, and every solution to every problem. And when something in
every problem. And when something in your current environment activates one of these stored experiences, your non-concious mind sends a signal upward into your awareness. This signal is not
the problem. The misunderstanding by the
the problem. The misunderstanding by the conscious mind of the signal is what creates the emotional storm that people describe. The nonscious mind is trying
describe. The nonscious mind is trying to get your conscious mind's attention.
It's surfacing a piece of information that needs to be addressed, evaluated.
But instead of examining this embedded message that will bring balance to the situation, people often react to the sensation. They get sucked into the
sensation. They get sucked into the sensations and that reaction builds tension inside the brain and the body and the physical expression becomes even stronger and not because the message is
growing but because the distorted interpretation is growing. Let me give you a simple example to make this clearer. Imagine a child who hears a dog
clearer. Imagine a child who hears a dog bark loudly for the first time. The mind
captures the sound, the intensity, and the surprise. Then later in life, that
the surprise. Then later in life, that child might hear another loud noise and feels sudden internal shift. The body
reacts fast, but the meaning behind the reaction isn't always danger. It's an
incorrect association. The non-concious
mind pulls stored information forward.
Problems plus solutions to help you understand what you're actually experiencing. But without slowing down
experiencing. But without slowing down to evaluate the meaning of the signal.
So the problem plus the solution, the sensation can get misinterpreted.
Every dog bark is a problem which is not always the case. This is how many people begin to believe they are living inside anxiety when in reality they are living
inside an incorrect interpretation cycle by the conscious mind that has used incorrect logic. The non-conscious mind
incorrect logic. The non-conscious mind is always on your side, giving you good logical information and reasons to change. The skill comes in recognizing
change. The skill comes in recognizing the difference between the signal and the story that you attach to that signal. The signal may show up as
signal. The signal may show up as tension in your chest, a shift in your breathing, or a sudden burst of energy in your stomach. These sensations are not labels. They are alerts. They're
not labels. They are alerts. They're
warning signals. They're like the fire alarm we talked about. They tell you to pay attention. They don't tell you the
pay attention. They don't tell you the meaning. They just tell you to pay
meaning. They just tell you to pay attention. The meaning comes from your
attention. The meaning comes from your interpretation.
And when that interpretation is only done by the conscious mind, it becomes misinterpreted. And the physical
misinterpreted. And the physical experience can feel overwhelm. But the
sign shows something encouraging. These
signals can be redirected. They can be understood. They can be reorganized. And
understood. They can be reorganized. And
this is not just guesswork. It's based
on decades of clinical research on how the mind rewires the brain. And your
brain is constantly changing according to the way that you think, the way that you feel, and the way that you choose.
Let's take another simple example to make sure you're getting this. Imagine a
filing cabinet. The non-concious mind is the storage room with every file you've ever created of your life experiences, plus all the solutions and reconceptualizations attached to those
stories.
The subconscious mind is the cabinet sitting next to you with the files you're actively working through. And the
conscious mind is the desk where you open one file at a time. So when your subconscious mind sends signal upwards, it's pulling a file from the storage room in your cabinet, the unconscious
mind. If you only examine the content of
mind. If you only examine the content of the problem file, so you only open that file and you ignore the solution file, your imagination shifts into an illogical mode and fills in the gaps
based on previous experiences. And this
is how misinterpretation forms. The subconscious mind hands you two files from the nonscious, the problem and the solution. Instead of reading both files,
solution. Instead of reading both files, you assume it's the same type of file you've seen before. And once that assumption locks in, the body reacts immediately. But when you slow the
immediately. But when you slow the process down and examine what's actually inside both files, the reaction changes.
The signal calms, the pattern shifts, the brain builds a new network based on your mind's updated interpretation.
And this is why the idea of anxiety being a fixed part of you is very misleading. You are not defined by the
misleading. You are not defined by the intensity of your sensations. You are
responding to signals that have meaning.
When you understand the meaning, the intensity changes. And once the
intensity changes. And once the intensity changes, the pattern changes.
Your mind is adaptable and your brain is changeable. And your patterns are
changeable. And your patterns are flexible. Nothing about your experience
flexible. Nothing about your experience is permanent. The science of
is permanent. The science of neuroplasticity shows this so clearly.
When you learn to evaluate your signals instead of categorizing them instantly, you open the door to reconceptualization and rewiring.
You create new wiring. In fact, you build new interpretations. You
reconstruct those networks. You shift
your internal landscape. You change the structure of your brain. You do your own brain surgery. You direct
brain surgery. You direct neuroplasticity. And this is the most
neuroplasticity. And this is the most important part. You're not trying to
important part. You're not trying to eliminate the signals. You can't. You
are trying to understand them so you can reconstruct them. Because once you
reconstruct them. Because once you understand them, you now gain the ability to direct your reactions with intention. You shift from reacting to
intention. You shift from reacting to guiding. You move from confusion to
guiding. You move from confusion to informed action. This is the groundwork
informed action. This is the groundwork for the five steps that we are going to work through. Each step builds on this
work through. Each step builds on this principle that I've just explained. Your
signals have meaning. Your
interpretations shape your experience.
When you learn how to work with your signals, you change the way that you move through the world. So, let's get into the first step. Step one is simple in structure, but powerful in impact.
You are going to identify the exact signal that your non-concious mind is sending via the subconscious mind before you place any meaning on it. Not the
emotion your conscious mind thinks it represents, not the label you've used in the past, but the actual signal itself.
Most people collapse the signal and the interpretation into one moment. They
feel the shift inside them and immediately attach a category to it.
That category might be fear, worry, dread, or what they've called anxiety for years. But before you can reshape
for years. But before you can reshape anything, you need to separate the raw signal from the story that you attach to it to find the embedded message from the non-concious. Remember, that's the
non-concious. Remember, that's the solution file. You don't want to just
solution file. You don't want to just read the problem file. You want to read the solution file as well.
Let's look at how this works in real time. Imagine your mind is tapping you
time. Imagine your mind is tapping you on the shoulder. The tap shows up as a shift in your breathing, a sensation in your stomach, a tightening of your
chest. The tap is neutral. It's
chest. The tap is neutral. It's
informationational. It's your mind saying, "Look here." But because the sensation feels familiar, your interpretation from your conscious mind jumps in first. You focus on the feeling
instead of on the potential message behind it. and the meaning gets lost.
behind it. and the meaning gets lost.
This step that you're going to do actually interrupts that automatic jump.
You're going to slow the sequence down and instead of reacting to the intensity of the sensation reading only one file, you are going to describe the raw signal. You're going to open the other
signal. You're going to open the other file with as much precision as possible.
And precision in the simplest terms, okay? You're not writing a report or a
okay? You're not writing a report or a thesis. You are identifying what the
thesis. You are identifying what the signal feels like without naming it as an emotion. Let me give you an example.
an emotion. Let me give you an example.
A patient once told me they felt an anxious wave every morning before work.
When we broke it down, the wave was actually a lightness around the ribs, a burst of energy through the stomach, and a slight shift in focus. Those signals
weren't an emotional label. They were
alerts tied to thoughts about unfinished tasks, unclear expectations, and a habit of preparing for challenges before they happened. Those were the roots. Once
happened. Those were the roots. Once
they described the signals without labeling them, the entire pattern changed. They could finally see the
changed. They could finally see the difference between the physical sensations and the meaning they had been attaching to those sensations.
Here's what you do in step one. When you
feel that internal shift, pause the interpretation and identify only one of the raw components. Ask yourself, what
exactly am I experiencing in my body right now? Is it pressure in my head? Is
right now? Is it pressure in my head? Is
it an energy flow? Is it temperature shift? Is it a sense of momentum?
shift? Is it a sense of momentum?
You are listing physical indicators, not emotional categories like anxiety. This
is so import Oh, this is so important because physical indicators carry information directly from your nonscious. Remember that thought energy
nonscious. Remember that thought energy cloud I was telling you about earlier?
They are like signposts. If you label the signal too quickly, you skip the signpost and jump to the conclusion. But
if you identify the components accurately, the meaning becomes easier to understand. Here's another simple
to understand. Here's another simple analogy. Think of your mind as someone
analogy. Think of your mind as someone handing you a small box. That box is the signal. If you immediately assume you
signal. If you immediately assume you know what's inside, you are reacting to an imagined version of the box's contents. But if you take the box,
contents. But if you take the box, notice its weight, feel its texture, study its size. You get real information. You are engaging with the
information. You are engaging with the actual signal instead of the imagined meaning. So in this step, your job is to
meaning. So in this step, your job is to become familiar with the structure of your signals. You are learning the
your signals. You are learning the language of your mind. You are reading both files. And like any language, you
both files. And like any language, you have to recognize the letters before you can understand the words. Now, let's
quickly connect this to neuroscience.
When you separate the signal from the interpretation, you start to consciously collaborate with a non-concious mind. And this
thinking slows the escalation of the physical reactions. The brain responds
physical reactions. The brain responds to the signal with a set of physical adjustments. It rewires its structure.
adjustments. It rewires its structure.
The moment you start identifying the signal accurately, you look deeper at both files from the non-concious. You
shift the way the brain organizes those reactions, the intensity decreases because the interpretation becomes grounded. This isn't positive thinking
grounded. This isn't positive thinking by any means. This isn't pretending everything is fine either. Toxic
positivity. This is pure mind management. It's a mind management
management. It's a mind management technique grounded in decades of research. you are in effect intercepting
research. you are in effect intercepting the interpretation process before it spirals into a reaction that doesn't match the original message. To make this
easier, practice describing signals during moments when you are not overwhelmed. You might notice a quick
overwhelmed. You might notice a quick jolt of energy when you hear a notification sound. You might notice a
notification sound. You might notice a small release of pressure when you complete a task. These moments help you build the skill in low stress conditions so it becomes easier to use them when
the intensity is higher. So step one is not about controlling the signal. It's
about listening to it as accurately as you can. And accuracy gives you leverage
you can. And accuracy gives you leverage because it's evidence you are tapping into those files from the unconscious.
You're thinking deeply and intelligently. When you know what your
intelligently. When you know what your mind is actually sending forward, you no longer chase interpretations that don't fit the situation. This step builds the base for every other step in this
episode. If you don't separate the
episode. If you don't separate the signal from the story, the next steps won't hold. Once you master this, you'll
won't hold. Once you master this, you'll notice something so powerful. The
sensations you used to fear stop feeling like threats. They feel like
like threats. They feel like information. How amazing is that? And
information. How amazing is that? And
information gives you direction. The
non-concious mind is your infallible wise information provider. So before we move to step two, practice this.
Identify the raw signal. Describe it
clearly. Hold the interpretation back for a moment. This single adjustment begins to reshape the way your mind and brain communicate. Now, let's move to
brain communicate. Now, let's move to the next step. Step two moves you from identifying the raw signal to understanding what triggered it. So, you
start reading the foul from the nonscious even more. Once you know the signal, the next question is simple.
What activated the signal? What's the
trigger? The mind doesn't send a signal without a reason. There is always a source. Your nonscious is brilliant. And
source. Your nonscious is brilliant. And
the source is not random, which the nonscious mind knows. Most people try to manage their experiences without examining what sent the signal or set
the signal in motion. They try to calm the feeling, redirect their attention, or push through it. But this is a band-aid approach. When the trigger
band-aid approach. When the trigger stays unidentified, the pattern will repeat. Bottom line,
the mind brings the same signal forward again because the underlying issue was never addressed and it's trying to get your attention to address it. Your goal
in step two is to trace the signal back to the initiating moment. Not with
judgment, not with self-criticism, but with curiosity. You are becoming an
with curiosity. You are becoming an investigator of your own internal world.
a thought detective. And when you take this role seriously, you gain clarity that most people never access because you are learning how to read the files in the non-concious, the problem and the
solution files. Let's quickly remind
solution files. Let's quickly remind ourselves of what I explained earlier.
The non-concious mind gathers enormous amounts of information every second.
Most of it never reaches your conscious awareness. But when something in your
awareness. But when something in your environment and your thoughts with the embedded memories needs attention, then your nonscious which is on your side sends the thought with signals to the
body, the brain and the subconscious mind which then bubble up into the conscious mind. The signals didn't
conscious mind. The signals didn't appear in isolation.
They came from thoughts in the files that need evaluation. So to uncover the trigger, here's what you do. Ask
yourself a sequence of questions. What
was I thinking about right before I felt the signal? What was happening around
the signal? What was happening around me? Did I recall a conversation? Did I
me? Did I recall a conversation? Did I
anticipate something? Did I imagine an outcome I wasn't ready for? One of these will usually reveal the activating moment, the trigger. Here's a simple example. Someone might notice a sudden
example. Someone might notice a sudden shift in their stomach while opening their inbox. The signal rs fast. The old
their inbox. The signal rs fast. The old
habit is to label it as anxiety. But now
after step one, they describe the signal instead. Then they look for the trigger.
instead. Then they look for the trigger.
They realize they were thinking about an unresolved message or anticipating a response from someone important. That
anticipation triggered the signal. So
once they identify the trigger, the experience starts making more sense.
Another example might be a feeling or a sensation in a person's chest when they walk into a specific room. I'm sure
you've experienced this before.
Identifying the signal reveals it as pressure around the rib cage, for example. Looking for the trigger shows
example. Looking for the trigger shows that the room is associated with unfinished responsibilities or memories that still need some attention or some work. The signal didn't come from
work. The signal didn't come from nowhere. It came from meaning connected
nowhere. It came from meaning connected to that space. Triggers are not always dramatic. They can be very subtle. A
dramatic. They can be very subtle. A
tone of voice, a shift in someone's expression, a sudden change in your own thought pattern. The non-concious mind
thought pattern. The non-concious mind picks up on these micro moments long before you consciously process them. So
step two teaches you to recognize the moment when the signal originated. So
let's connect this a little bit to neuroscience.
When you identify the trigger, you activate deliberate structured thinking.
And then what that means is that you connect into the non-concious mind. You
read the file. This slows reactive patterns in the brain and shifts you into a more controlled state and the mind continues to lead which is what you want. The nonscious mind working with
want. The nonscious mind working with collaboratively with a conscious mind.
You are guiding the interpretation rather than letting it just run automatically and you react. So each
time you identify a trigger, you weaken the old pattern. You stop associating the signal with the label and start associating it with its actual source.
The brain requires according to this new understanding because the brain just does what the mind tells it to do. The
meaning becomes clearer and as meaning becomes clearer the physical intensity decreases. And this is why someone can
decreases. And this is why someone can feel such a strong internal reaction even when nothing dangerous is happening. The trigger was not danger.
happening. The trigger was not danger.
It was the information.
And meaning and information always matter. If this feels abstract, here's
matter. If this feels abstract, here's another analogy. Think of the signal as
another analogy. Think of the signal as a notification on your phone. It grabs
your attention, but if you don't check the app that sent it, you can't understand what it's telling you. Step
two is the moment you open the app, you identify the source. Once you know the source, the notification stops feeling mysterious. You know exactly why it
mysterious. You know exactly why it appeared. The same principle applies to
appeared. The same principle applies to your conscious mind. When you check the source of the signal, you connect with a non-concious and you gain clarity on
what needs to be addressed. you stop
fighting the sensation and you start understanding it. Here's a practical
understanding it. Here's a practical exercise you can try. The next time you identify a signal, take your steps backward by 30 seconds. That small
little window often holds the trigger.
Something you saw, heard, remembered, or anticipated activated the signal. Trace
it with honesty, not self-criticism. The
goal here is getting information, not blame. Triggers also reveal important
blame. Triggers also reveal important patterns. If the same type of situation
patterns. If the same type of situation repeatedly activates a signal, that thought pattern is pointing you towards unresolved toxic thoughts with their beliefs that need attention. This is
valuable information. Step two gives you access to it. So once you understand the trigger, you can move forward with intention. You are no longer reacting
intention. You are no longer reacting blindly. You are responding from
blindly. You are responding from insight. And this shift alone can reduce
insight. And this shift alone can reduce the intensity of your physical reactions. Clients always tell me they
reactions. Clients always tell me they feel a sense of relief just from identifying the trigger. That relief
comes from reorganizing the interpretation. The non-concious mind
interpretation. The non-concious mind rejoices that you finally listening to the message behind the signal. Step two
strengthens your internal framework. It
teaches you to follow the signal back to its origin so that you can understand what the mind is trying to draw your attention to.
Now you're ready for the next part of the process. Step three is where
the process. Step three is where everything starts to connect. You've
identified the signal. You found the trigger. Now you're going to evaluate
trigger. Now you're going to evaluate the thought behind the trigger. So
signal, trigger, thought that the trigger is attached to and the signals are attached to. This step gives structure to the interpretation so you can understand the message your mind is
surfacing. Every signal points to a
surfacing. Every signal points to a thought always. not a random idea, but a
thought always. not a random idea, but a specific thought that your non-concious mind wants you to examine. The
non-conscious mind brings this thought forward because it contains information and meaning connected to your current experience. And when you evaluate the
experience. And when you evaluate the thought, instead of reacting to the signal, you take control of the internal sequence. Let's walk through what this
sequence. Let's walk through what this looks like. You begin with a simple
looks like. You begin with a simple question. What thought was active when
question. What thought was active when the trigger appeared? Sometimes the
thought's really clear. Sometimes it's
layered. Either way, your job is to bring the thought into focus. For
example, if the trigger was seeing a message you hadn't answered, the thought might be, "I'm behind." If the trigger was anticipating a meeting, the thought
might be, "I want this to go so well."
If the trigger was a shift in someone's tone, the thought might be, "Something's changed." These thoughts aren't
changed." These thoughts aren't judgments. They're information. So when
judgments. They're information. So when
you evaluate the thought, you're not trying to make it positive. You're just
looking at the data. You're not trying to push it away. You're examining what your mind is presenting the information.
And this examination slows the automatic jump from sensation to emotional overwhelm. And here's where the
overwhelm. And here's where the neuroscience comes in. When you evaluate a thought, you activate deliberate thinking pathways that help you access the files of information and solutions
in the non-concious. You create a collaboration between the conscious mind and the non-concious which is excellent.
This in turn restructures information in the brain much more effectively. The
brain will work better and be healthier.
This lowers the intensity of the physical reaction because the interpretation becomes structured and organized. The mind continues to lead
organized. The mind continues to lead but you are now actively guiding the meaning. To make this practical, I use a
meaning. To make this practical, I use a simple format. Describe the thought in
simple format. Describe the thought in one sentence. Keep it straightforward,
one sentence. Keep it straightforward, guys. This isn't about perfection. It's
guys. This isn't about perfection. It's
about accuracy. Accuracy brings order.
And order helps your brain reorganize the experience or your mind tell the brain how to reorganize the experience through coding. Let's look at another
through coding. Let's look at another example. A listener once told me that
example. A listener once told me that every time they walked into their workplace, they felt a sudden shift inside their body. When we broke it down, the signal was a burst of energy
in the stomach. The trigger was seeing a specific hallway and the thought behind the trigger was there's a lot waiting for me. So once that thought became
for me. So once that thought became clear, everything else made sense. The
non-conscious mind wasn't creating chaos. It was sending a message about
chaos. It was sending a message about preparation and load was helping you.
Step three helps you uncover this message. When you see the thought
message. When you see the thought clearly, the reaction becomes easier to understand. Another example I can give
understand. Another example I can give you is that someone feels a quick shift in their breathing before answering a call. The signal is physical. The
call. The signal is physical. The
trigger is the ringtone. The thought
behind it might be, I hope this conversation goes smoothly. That thought
contains expectation and preparation. An
unconscious mind is prompting you to evaluate. But without identifying the
evaluate. But without identifying the thought, the person might label the experience incorrectly. So thought is
experience incorrectly. So thought is very key. Finding the thought is very
very key. Finding the thought is very key. Remember, signals are attached to
key. Remember, signals are attached to the thought. Once you identify it, the
the thought. Once you identify it, the intensity of the signal will begin to shift. The brain will then respond by
shift. The brain will then respond by reorganizing because the meaning is no longer ambiguous. Now, let's make this
longer ambiguous. Now, let's make this even simpler. Think of the thought like
even simpler. Think of the thought like a headline. Headline in a news article.
a headline. Headline in a news article.
The signal is the notification. The
trigger is the moment the headline appears on your screen. And the thought is the headline itself. When you read the headline, you understand what the notification was about. Without reading
it, you're left with tension and speculation.
This step removes the speculation and the assumptions. It turns the experience
the assumptions. It turns the experience into something you can work with. You
open the file and begin reading. You're
getting data and information. Here's a
practical way to evaluate the thought.
After identifying the signal and the trigger, ask yourself, what is the thought my mind is bringing forward as a result of the signal and the trigger?
Write it down or say it aloud, one sentence. No analysis yet, just
sentence. No analysis yet, just identification.
Then you can ask, does this thought match the level of intensity I'm feeling? Most times, often the answer is
feeling? Most times, often the answer is no. The thought may be simple, but the
no. The thought may be simple, but the reaction feels intense in comparison because the signal went unadressed for so long. And this mismatch is so common.
so long. And this mismatch is so common.
And once you see it, the experience starts to shift. Evaluation creates
space because it's tapping into the non-concious. It slows the internal
non-concious. It slows the internal process. It creates collaboration. It
process. It creates collaboration. It
helps you engage with the thought intuitively and insightfully. Instead of
getting swept into the physical reaction, the thought becomes something you can explore instead of something that you fear. This step also reveals patterns. If similar thoughts appear
patterns. If similar thoughts appear repeatedly, your non-conscious mind is showing you a theme that needs attention in your life. Themes are important because they represent thoughts that
have become habits. They point to deeper thoughts with their beliefs and memories stored in the non-concious part of your mind. And identifying these themes gives
mind. And identifying these themes gives you insight into what needs reconstructing.
When you evaluate the thought, you gain access to clarity that was previously hidden under the intensity of the signal. Powerful. You shift from
signal. Powerful. You shift from reacting to understanding. And once you understand the thought, you are ready for the next step in this process. Step
four is where you begin to reshape and reconstruct the meaning of the thought you identified. You work through the
you identified. You work through the signal, the trigger, and the thought behind it. Now, you're going to update
behind it. Now, you're going to update the interpretation. You're going to
the interpretation. You're going to deconstruct and reconstruct that thought based on the guidance from the non-concious. So, in the solution file,
non-concious. So, in the solution file, this is one of the most transformational parts of the process because it shifts the way that your internal world actually organizes itself. Most people
stay stuck because they never question the meaning that they attach to the thought, which is what we're going to do in this step. They just accept the first interpretation that appears, even if it comes from an outdated belief in an old
memory. Step four asks you to examine
memory. Step four asks you to examine the meaning with precision so you can choose a healthier, more accurate, reconceptualized interpretation.
Let's break this down into what it means. The thought you uncovered in step
means. The thought you uncovered in step three has a story attached to it. That
story might be recent. It might be something you learned years ago without realizing how much influence it had on your reactions. Your task now is to look
your reactions. Your task now is to look at that meaning your conscious mind originally attached to the thought and ask whether that meaning truly fits.
What meaning did I attach to this thought? For example, if the thought was
thought? For example, if the thought was there's a lot waiting for me, your mind may have attached the meaning of pressure or difficulty.
If the thought was, I want this conversation to go smoothly, your mind may have attached the meaning of uncertainty or threat, these meanings really do matter because they shape your
experience, your response, how you're going to handle this, and how you feel about anxiety. So, now that the meaning
about anxiety. So, now that the meaning is clear, ask the next question. Does
this meaning match the reality of the situation?
This question interrupts the automatic interpretation.
You're not dismissing the thought at all. You are evaluating whether the
all. You are evaluating whether the meaning is accurate. And this is crucial this distinction. You are not trying to
this distinction. You are not trying to talk yourself out of it and your experience. You're trying to understand
experience. You're trying to understand it fully. So let's use this as an
it fully. So let's use this as an example. Someone who feels a shift in
example. Someone who feels a shift in their body when they see an incoming message might interpret it as danger or criticism. But when they evaluate the
criticism. But when they evaluate the meaning, they realize the message is from someone supportive or neutral. The
meaning doesn't match the situation.
Once this becomes obvious, the internal reaction starts to shift. Another
example, a person walks into room and feels a burst of energy in their stomach. The old interpretation might be
stomach. The old interpretation might be something bad is going to happen. But
step four helps them identify a more accurate meaning, a reconceptualized meaning. This roomhold tasks I need to
meaning. This roomhold tasks I need to complete. That's why I felt that
complete. That's why I felt that feeling. The space activates memories I
feeling. The space activates memories I haven't worked through yet is another example. The mind wasn't sending a
example. The mind wasn't sending a danger alert. It was sending a reminder.
danger alert. It was sending a reminder.
And so this step moves you towards alignment. Your non-conscious mind wants
alignment. Your non-conscious mind wants you to understand the information and its meaning behind the thought. This is
your intelligence operating. When you
update the meaning accurately, the body then adjusts its physical response. The
tension will decrease, the intensity softens, and you feel more in control.
Here is a helpful analogy. Imagine
you're reading a headline, but you misinterpret it. You assume that the
misinterpret it. You assume that the headline says one thing, but when you read the full article, you realize the story is completely different to what you assumed. Step four is your moment to
you assumed. Step four is your moment to read the full article. You are looking at the true meaning behind the thought.
Instead of reacting to an old headline, you read both files, the problem and the solution. So in this step, you're not
solution. So in this step, you're not replacing the meaning with something unrealistic. You are replacing it with
unrealistic. You are replacing it with something accurate or you're reconstructing it with accurate details.
Accuracy is the goal in reconceptualization.
Accuracy helps your non-concious mind and conscious mind communicate clearly.
When your interpretation reflects what's actually happening, everything inside you begins to shift and you rewire the shift into your brain and body and you feel so much better. So, how do you
update the meaning? So, once you've identified the original interpretation, you ask yourself, what is a more accurate meaning based on the signal,
the trigger, and the thought? Keep it
simple, one sentence. You're not
rewriting your entire life story. You're
refining your understanding of a situation.
This is reading the solution file in the non-concious mind filing cabinet. You're
reading the whole solution, the whole file. So, for example, maybe the
file. So, for example, maybe the original meaning, this message is going to be stressful. The updated
reconceptualized meaning could be this message requires a response and I can handle it. Another example, original
handle it. Another example, original meaning, this room feels overwhelming.
Updated, reconceptualized, meaning this room holds responsibilities. I haven't
organized yet. Can you see these updates shift your neurohysiology because the brain responds to the meaning you choose. You feel better with the
choose. You feel better with the reconceptualized one. And this step is
reconceptualized one. And this step is just so powerful because it weakens old patterns. When your conscious mind
patterns. When your conscious mind recognizes that you are updating the meaning with accuracy, you're reconceptualizing. In other words, it
reconceptualizing. In other words, it builds new networks into the brain to support that interpretation. It
reconstructs those networks. Over time,
the updated meaning becomes habituated into the automatic response, which is a good thing. And here's something
good thing. And here's something important. You don't need the updated,
important. You don't need the updated, reconceptualized meaning to feel perfect. You need it to just feel
perfect. You need it to just feel accurate. Accuracy creates a feeling of
accurate. Accuracy creates a feeling of stability. Stability leads to
stability. Stability leads to confidence. Once you start working with
confidence. Once you start working with the updated meaning, you'll notice some shift inside you. The signals stop feeling like threats. They start feeling like cues for understanding even more.
You're consciously engaging with your internal world, your non-conscious mind in a more intentional and intelligent way and activating your natural intelligence and growing it. And when
you do that, the entire pattern reorganizes.
Step four prepares you for the final step. You have identified the signal.
step. You have identified the signal.
You found the trigger. You've uncovered
the thought and you've updated the meaning. Now you're ready to translate
meaning. Now you're ready to translate that understanding into action. I want
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will thank you. Let's move to step five where understanding becomes action. You
have identified the signal, traced the trigger, uncovered the thought, and updated the meaning. Now you're going to translate that updated meaning into a deliberate response. This is the step
deliberate response. This is the step that completes that internal sequence and begins shaping a new pattern that's going to be sustainable. The mind
doesn't stop after interpretation. It
continues into choice. And choice
creates direction. The step is about selecting a small intentional action that aligns with the accurate meaning you uncovered and reconceptualized in step four. The action doesn't need to be
step four. The action doesn't need to be dramatic or long. It needs to be simple and consistent. That consistency helps
and consistent. That consistency helps the brain reinforce the updated reconceptualized interpretation. Let's
reconceptualized interpretation. Let's break this down into something practical.
So once you've updated the meaning, ask yourself what action reflects this. If
the updated meaning is, this message requires a response and I can handle it.
The action could be something like responding to the message or organizing your thoughts before replying. If the
updated meaning is this room holds responsibilities I haven't organized yet, the action might be choosing one small task to complete. These actions
are not random. They communicate to your conscious mind that you're engaging with the reality of your situation instead of reacting to outdated interpretations.
You're reading the solutions file from the nonscious. Here's why this works.
the nonscious. Here's why this works.
When your action matches the accurate information and its meaning, the brain strengthens the networks that support the meaning. And this is how
the meaning. And this is how reconceptualization becomes a lived experience, a sustainable change. You're
not just thinking differently, you are living differently at the habit now. And
the non-conscious mind responds to that alignment by sending signals that reflect clarity instead of confusion to basically seal the deal. Someone feels a shift in their body before answering a
call. They identify the signal as a
call. They identify the signal as a physical sensation. They recognize the
physical sensation. They recognize the trigger as the ringtone. They uncover
the thought, I want this conversation to go smoothly. They update the meaning to
go smoothly. They update the meaning to this call matters and I can prepare for it. The action they choose is taking a
it. The action they choose is taking a slow breath, reviewing what they want to say, and then answering. That small
intentional action reinforces the updated meaning. It's the non-concious
updated meaning. It's the non-concious mind teaching the conscious mind that the situation is manageable. It teaches
the brain to build networks that support confidence. Another example, someone
confidence. Another example, someone walks into a space that activates tension around your ribs. They identify
the signal. They find the trigger. They
uncover the thought. They update the meaning to I can work through these tasks one at a time. The action they choose is to pick one small task. Begin
it. Complete it. Over time, the non-concious mind begins sending signals that reflect progress instead of overwhelm. The conscious mind
overwhelm. The conscious mind reorganizes the brain around this new approach and the person begins to feel more in control and less anxious. This
step is powerful because it completes the internal loop. Signals gain clarity, meaning becomes accurate, interpretation becomes stable, and action becomes intentional. And this is how patterns
intentional. And this is how patterns form over time. thought patterns, not by forcing your mind or suppressing your reactions, but by working with the signals, the triggers, the thoughts, and
the meaning. To make the step easier,
the meaning. To make the step easier, think of it as choosing the next right move, like a chess move. That move is always tied to the updated meaning. It
might be writing something down, organizing a plan, completing a small task, visualizing a flower, speaking with someone. The size of the action
with someone. The size of the action doesn't matter. The alignment does. And
doesn't matter. The alignment does. And
here's a useful analogy. Imagine you're
adjusting the direction of a ship. You
don't need to turn the ship dramatically to change its course. A small tiny adjustment creates a new trajectory.
Step five is that adjustment. It's the
shift that turns understanding into movement. And something important
movement. And something important happens once you take action. The
non-concious mind recognizes that you are building a new pattern. It responds
by reducing the intensity of the signals. You are no longer caught in the
signals. You are no longer caught in the old interpretation loop. You are moving with intention. And over time, these
with intention. And over time, these small actions build confidence.
Confidence builds momentum. And momentum
creates lasting change. You start
trusting your ability to interpret signals accurately. You start trusting
signals accurately. You start trusting your ability to respond with intention.
And that trust becomes the foundation of your new internal pattern. This step
brings everything together. You've done
the internal work. Now you're applying it. You're showing your mind and brain
it. You're showing your mind and brain that your updated understanding has direction. Step five completes the
direction. Step five completes the cycle. Now that you've walked through
cycle. Now that you've walked through all five steps, I want you to take a moment and acknowledge something important. You didn't just learn a
important. You didn't just learn a technique. You learned a new way of
technique. You learned a new way of relating to the signals inside of you, specifically anxiety. For many people,
specifically anxiety. For many people, those signals felt confusing for years.
They felt overwhelming. They felt like something was wrong. But today, you saw what those signals actually are.
Information, messages, and invitations to understand yourself with more accuracy. And that alone is a
accuracy. And that alone is a breakthrough. Think back to how we
breakthrough. Think back to how we started this episode. Most people carry the belief that anxiety sits inside them as a fixed part of who they are, like they're a broken brain or something. But
now you know that what feels like anxiety can often be a misread signal. A
signal that becomes louder when it's understood. And you've learned exactly
understood. And you've learned exactly how to walk through that understanding.
You have identified the signal. You have
found the trigger. You uncovered the thought. You updated the meaning. You
thought. You updated the meaning. You
took deliberate action. That sequence
didn't just help you interpret your experience differently. It showed you
experience differently. It showed you something powerful about yourself.
You can work with your internal world instead of reacting to it. This is one of the most freeing realizations a person can have. I saw this in my practice working with patients. I see
this with millions of people around the world because once you recognize that your mind is trying to guide you and not punish you, everything begins to shift.
You move from fear to understanding and you move from confusion to clarity. You
move from feeling pulled by your reactions to choosing your responses with such intention. And that shift is not small. It's transformational. It's a
not small. It's transformational. It's a
life change. And I want to say this clearly. You are capable of this work.
clearly. You are capable of this work.
You prove that by staying with me through this long episode and each step.
You proved it by allowing yourself to see your signals with new eyes. You
proved it by recognizing that your internal experience is not just a verdict. It's a conversation. And you
verdict. It's a conversation. And you
don't need perfection to continue this conversation. You need consistency. You
conversation. You need consistency. You
need curiosity. You need the willingness to slow down when the signal appears and walk through the steps you've just learned today. So imagine what your life
learned today. So imagine what your life begins to feel as this becomes your default approach. Signals arrive and
default approach. Signals arrive and instead of reacting with fear, you investigate them. Instead of assuming
investigate them. Instead of assuming the worst, you examine the meaning.
Instead of falling into an old pattern, you choose a new intentional action.
That is the foundation of internal stability. That is the foundation of
stability. That is the foundation of resilience and good mental health. Your
mind is adaptable. Your brain is changeable. Your patterns can shift. And
changeable. Your patterns can shift. And
you now have the tools to guide that shift. Before we close, I want you to
shift. Before we close, I want you to take one thought with you. Every signal
that surfaces inside of you is an opportunity, not an obstacle, not a threat, an opportunity to understand yourself better, to direct your reactions with intention, and to build
the internal patterns that support the life you want to live. This is your work. This is your power, and you can
work. This is your power, and you can begin using it today. Thank you for being here with me, and I'll see you in the next episode.
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