Creating a Mindset of Love

 

Chronic fear permeates our society and our lives. It can manifest in many ways but until it turns into a full-blown panic attack most people dismiss it as stress. Typically there is some life shift that happens to switch our brain in the way it responds to change. Instead of perceiving change as an exciting thing it becomes a scary one. Once the change happens it becomes difficult to switch back. That’s where some of the re-patterning exercises come in.

You may be surprised to find that feeling stressed comes from the same well that produces the feelings of fear.

The stress response comes from a fear response.

Some typical fear based thoughts sound like this:

There isn’t enough
I have to struggle
Life is hard
I can’t do it all
Oh, No what if…this terrible thing happens.

In order to shift away from the fear we have to re-condition our brain towards more of what we do want.

What four-letter word is so powerful that it pushes out all fear?

LOVE

That’s right, Love

The opposite of Fear is Love

As Love Enters, fear vanishes. There cannot be both at the same time.

One of the ways to quiet the fear reaction is to connect with the positive emotions of love and gratitude. I recommend 7 minutes each day of a gratitude meditation. Ideally this should be done in the mornings to set the stage for your day but it can be done at any time. You simply sit and close your eyes and focus on what is good in your life. What you are thankful for? How much love do you feel for your family. How much do they love you? If you have a negative thought put it in a boat and let it sail away. Surround yourself with feelings of love, feel unconditional love washing over you. Imagine yourself protected in a big fluffy white blanket of love let it swirl around and hug you. Know that you are safe and that all is well.

Here is another suggestion on how you can re-set those fear thoughts on your own.

Start by listening to your self-talk, what are some of your beliefs about life? Notice if they tend to be negative and fear based. Write them down.  After you have written them all down then turn them into positive affirmations.

The positive affirmations that you create will be your own unique set of brain re-training mantras to rely on when you begin to feel the fears creep in.

Turning the Fear based thoughts from above into Positive ones looks like this:

 

F: There isn’t enough
P: I open my heart to receive all the abundance and joy of the universe
.

F: I have to do it all
P: I Love and accept myself exactly as I am
I can have it all and I don’t expect to do it all

 

F: I have to struggle
P: Life is effortless, I am expanding and money flows easily into my life.
F: Life is hard
P: Life is an adventure and I thrive in every way.

F: Driving is Dangerous
P:I intend perfect safety, health and wellbeing in my car at all times.

 

Once you have created your positive brain conditioning mantras record them onto a mini tape recorder or your IPod. Listen to your voice each night before you go to bed, and repeat each positive thought to yourself.

This exercise works by positively brainwashing yourself. How cool is that?

Chronic Stress and fear-based thoughts deplete your hormones and trigger behaviors that compromise your health.

I’m here to help you heal. I want you to become healthier, happier, and more abundant in all parts of your life. You are a beautiful soul and I want you to flourish.

-With Love

Dr. Purcell

PS: If you are already having panic attacks and are becoming paralyzed in areas of your life you may want to consider joining an anxiety class or group for a number of weeks to get more focused training. Many insurance plans cover cognitive behavioral therapy in-group sessions. Group sessions or individual sessions are both helpful. With a little re-training it is possible to have the fearful thoughts go away. This prevents long-term use of pharmaceutical medications.