Cancel Cancel . . . Interrupt Your Negative Thoughts!
“So often time it happens, we all live our life in chains, and we never even know we have the key”- The Eagles ('Already Gone')
Yes habits are hard to break, but as the Eagles remind us, we have the key to break those habits and stop living our life in chains. Continuing the posts on Neuroplasticity and getting rid of bad habits, looking at steps five and six:
5. Interrupt your thoughts and patterns when they arise.6. Use aversion therapy.
About 20 years ago, I did my first Silva Method Course, and I don't think it would be an exaggeration to say it changed my life. It is a powerful system to help people understand how to use tools to change their thinking for the better - and that includes getting rid of bad habits. I have written past posts about my experience at Silva.Laura Silva describes using Cancel Cancel:
Cancel Cancel - This is the Silva Method technique I use more often than any other. When you go to your level, one of the post-hypnotic suggestions you can give yourself is that when you hear a negative comment or a pessimistic point of view, you say “cancel cancel” to yourself, and when you do, the negativity will have no influence over you. It’s kind of like a mental cloak of protection. For example, when I hear someone say, “Well that tends to happen as you get older,” I think to myself, “cancel cancel.” I don’t want to be influenced by such limiting or negative beliefs.
I use Cancel Cancel all the time, mostly for my own negative thinking. And after learning more about what Rick Hanson explains about Self-Directed Neuroplasticity, by saying Cancel Cancel, and shifting my negative thoughts, or thoughts about taking part in a habit I am trying to break, I know that I am shifting an old neural pathway and creating and strengthening a new neural pathway leading toward a more positive behaviour.In terms of point six, instead of aversion therapy as described in the original article I read, I choose to redirect my thinking. I personally think 'aversion therapy' is harsh, but in terms of neural pathways and habit breaking, redirecting thoughts leads to the creation of new neural pathways and again back to Self-Directed Neuroplasticity.If you have time, attached below is a fascinating set of slides by Rick Hanson explaining this process.SlidesNeuroplasticityI'll close with a YouTube clip of an old interview with Jose and Laura Silva. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZ0Zuye3HPg[/embed] I’d love to hear about any bad habits you’ve broken, and how you changed the behavior. And I’d love to hear any stories about how you interrupt your negative thoughts or behaviours . And as always, thank you for taking the time to visit. I appreciate it.