Imagine you’ve just settled into bed. You feel ready to drift off to sleep when your mind starts to race. Did I remember to feed the cat? Will he get fat if I feed him twice by accident? Can cats get diabetes? While this is a funny example, if you’ve ever been sucked into a destructive spiral of worry, then you understand what anxiety feels like. One of the most effective techniques for combating a limiting belief is to replace it with a new, empowering one. In his new book, The Fear and Anxiety Solution, Dr. Friedemann Schaub outlines three steps to take if you want to establish a new core belief:

Step 1: Define a new core belief

The new belief needs to be stated in the affirmative not the negative. “I am at ease” is an example of a phrase stated in the affirmative. In contrast, “I don’t have anxiety” is negative, and will not help you to adopt a new belief—your subconscious mind will ignore the “not” in “don’t,” and create more anxiety for you to overcome.

Step 2: See it, feel it, believe it

Create a picture of the new you. Imagine yourself as the person who embodies the qualities of the new belief—for example, someone who is peaceful, confident, energized, and empowered. For example, you might picture your future self in a new office, on a Hawaiian beach, or at an award ceremony surrounded by friends cheering you on.

Step 3: Collect supportive evidence

The greatest obstacle between an idea and its execution is doubt. If you alleviate the doubt, your subconscious is more likely to release an old belief and replace it with the new, desired one. The best way to remove doubt is to collect convincing evidence that supports your new idea. It is human nature to doubt yourself and act fearful rather than confident. But if you work on establishing new core beliefs, you will start to conquer the negative thoughts that are keeping you from reaching your full potential.

By Kaitlin Vogel for Rewire Me

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