My Mind Chatter

Does your inner dialogue sound like this?

With a big decision in front of me, there are a dizzying number of emotions volleying back and forth for my attention. I’ll start with fear. Fear is booming in my brain, the loudest emotion by far. Fear is catastrophizing, and when it does that, it goes downhill fast.

My Mind Chatter: What if it all goes wrong? What if I fail? What if I’m a failure? Well, that spiral was quick.

In just three questions, fear led me back to diminishing my self-worth. That’s how I know it’s fear, and not just rational thought meant to evaluate the situation. This trick of identifying fear in my mind chatter has been life-changing. Since being able to identify fear, I’ve learned to stop it in its tracks.

Gratefully, my work in therapy, yoga, and writing has helped me identify fear quickly and reroute myself just as fast. I won’t let fear lead this car down that dark road. I take some deep breaths and start on a new path, one lined with bright spots that represent reminders of all my strengths.

My Mind Chatter: Ok, what do I know is true for sure? I have strategized, plotted, and planned for this - and I’m not alone. I’m organized, capable, and determined. I got this!

Photo by Amar Yashlaha on Unsplash

So, how did therapy, yoga, and writing help me to identify my mind chatter and refocus with a positive mindset, you ask? Great question.

Therapy has helped me externally process my inner dialogue and my therapist has asked some great questions to help me recognize when my mind chatter is going in a dark direction. She helped me name my inner critical voice which helped to put space between us. Tiffany, my inner bitch, is not my real voice but the voice that feeds on fear. Asking myself what I know to be true or what my inner best friend would say to Tiffany will usually get me back on track.

Yoga has helped me to be more mindful of my body’s reaction to my emotions. My breath is the easiest clue but there are many signs my body gives me. When fear arrives, my breath becomes shallow and short, my shoulders tense, and my stomach knots. In yoga asana classes, when we notice the shoulders moving up to our ears, we take a deep breath and relax the down. These tricks help me ease my body, which in turn allows the mind to settle.

Writing has helped me reflect on experiences and reactions, which has allowed for some revolutionary discoveries of my mind chatter. Sometimes I don’t even know what I think until I write it down! Like this journaling I’m doing right now, I realized that I was focusing on all the things that could go wrong instead of focusing on all the ways it could go right.

These three tools have changed my life from dark and dreary fear-based thinking to feeling in control of my decisions and confident in my choices. I got this! Now, you try.

Journal Prompts:

1. Therapy: Have you ever participated in therapy? Why or why not? If yes, what have been some of the most helpful tools you’ve learned? If no, what have been some of the barriers that stand in the way?

2. Yoga: Have you ever practiced yoga asana? Why or why not? If yes, what has your experience been like and what benefits did you glean from the practice? If no, what are some of the barriers in the way of trying?

   1. BONUS: Find a “trauma-informed yoga asana class” on youtube and give it a try right now then write about how that felt.

3. Writing: Write about your mind chatter. What does your inner critical voice typically say to you? What would your inner best friend say in response?

Join me for my next FREE Workshop - Write to Heal Community Circle - on Tuesday, April 29 from 745pm-830pm EST. We'll begin with some deep breaths and body awareness, then spend 5 minutes each on 5 prompts, all focused on self-discovery. We’ll end with a community share circle. No writing experience is necessary!

These circles will be offered on the last Tuesday of the month through 2025

Thank you for reading Write to Heal. Please hit that heart button❤️if you made it this far and join me in the comments or chat to share your thoughts.