I didn’t even want to be a nurse. But there I was: getting upset when asked to float to another unit; experiencing frustration at the lack of staffing and supplies; feeling belittled when I was cursed at in front of my patient.

These are real experiences that a nurse goes through. Real life examples of what I went through. But guess what? I made it worse. One part of my mind allowed my brain to think about the trauma over and over and over again.

You might be wondering, what’s she talking about? Two minds? How can that be?

But more likely you’re thinking to yourself: ‘Allowed yourself to make it worse? Oh no way! It’s ‘those‘ situations that make it that way. Those people hurt you. You’re right to feel pain for what they did to you…’

I’m here to tell you we’re wrong. 

We are actually making it worse on ourselves. Each time we re-live a bad memory it’s as if it’s happening to us in that very moment, again.

Your mind is made up of two parts: the conscious and the subconscious. The subconscious mind is what holds the images and mental pictures of memory. Further, the subconscious mind doesn’t know time and/or space. Everything that the subconscious conjures up is experienced as if it’s happening ‘now’. So even if those memories of what happened to me as a psych nurse happened over five years ago- if I choose to replay them in my mind it’s as if they are happening right now.

So what can we do about it?

How can we let go of those painful memories and replace them with new images in order to heal? In order to empower ourselves from the historic role of ‘victim’ that we find ourselves in?

There are several steps that you’ll need to take, but let’s start with the first one here today as a means of getting started.

To begin you want to place yourself in the here and now as often as possible. As I shared above, your unconscious mind doesn’t know the difference between past, present, and future.

When you ruminate over the past or worry about the future you’re doing a disservice to your well-being. Because the subconscious is experiencing those past/future thoughts as if they’re happening RIGHT now.

Thinking negative thoughts? Worrying, doubting, fearing, or full of guilt? Guess what you will feel?

Scared, anxious, sad, lonely, disconnected, or hopeless (to name a few).

The first step to letting go of negative thoughts, emotions, and behaviors- the first step to change- is simple awareness. The way you can cultivate awareness is by checking in throughout the day. Notice how your body feels. Is it tense, tight or in pain? Notice how you emotionally feel? Are you sad, mad, or feeling bad?

The more you can become aware of what is happening in the very moment, the more power you give yourself to shift.

I encourage you to take that first step this week. Check in every hour. Ask yourself: where are my thoughts now? How do I feel? Am I living in the present moment or debilitating myself with the past/future experiences?

Then, once you practice this a bit, and you’re ready to take it a step further I invite you to join us for ‘Learning to Let Go: Take Back Your Freedom.’ In this call we will work further into the steps of helping the two minds speak to each other in a way that is much more productive.

I’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave a comment, question, or reflection below. Enjoy your health today. Thank you!