Self-Esteem Journaling Prompt #4

 
Self-esteem resides in your unconscious mind, waiting for you to call it up
 
 
 

In Journaling Prompt #3, I mentioned that most of your self-esteem resides in your unconscious mind.

Let's get one thing straight from the start – no one has a definitive answer about what is going on in the human mind. There's a complex universe pulsing in the space between your ears, and many folks have dedicated their lives to understanding it. After all that work, we have some interesting ideas that scientists will possibly disprove in the next decade or century. Most of the 'science' of the human mind is philosophy because it defies scientific rigour. The human mind is the antithesis of conformity and consistency.

If you would like to delve into the 'science' of the mind, here are a few leads for you. Freud and Jung identify three levels of the psyche, albeit the boundaries and purposes of their definitions vary. Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) also work with concepts relating to limits of the conscious and unconscious mind.

After years of reading, I decided to create a simplified way of explaining the functioning of the mind. Here goes, and I apologise in advance to the entire world of science and psychology for my characterisations.

There are three levels to your mind:

1. Chatty Brain

That's your conscious mind. You primarily experience it as a voice in your head that tries to direct all your thoughts, feelings and actions. Your Chatty Brain thinks it knows everything and likes to control the conversation. Its performance stats say otherwise. While it can process around 40 bits of information per second, it struggles with having more than 3-5 complex things to work on simultaneously.

2. Big Brain

This part of your brain actually knows everything, and it's where all the epic stuff happens. It stores as memory everything you have ever sensed, thought and felt, waiting for you to recall it.

It kicks around 20 million bits of information per second but doesn't have a voice to skite about it like the Chatty Brain. The Big Brain does all its processing unconsciously and shares its insights through feelings. Have you ever had a feeling but not quite understood the logic for that feeling? That was your Big Brain talking to you.

3. Fish Brain

This is our primal brain, and it is the part of our brain we share with a fish. We can pretty much only sleep, eat, reproduce, fight, flight, or freeze here.

My Chatty, Big and Fish Brain model is a dramatic over-simplification of what's going in your head. But for our current purposes, you don't need to understand every fine detail of the landscape within your mind. We only need a map within an 'X' marking the spot where you will find your self-esteem.

That 'X' is inside the realm of your Big Brain, so let's put our focus there.

Your Journaling Activity for today.

You'll remember back in Journaling Prompt #1 that I asked you to recall six moments of joy. Was that an easy or tough activity for you? (Let me know in the comments). Many people find it hard at first, and then it flows easier with practice.

Did you follow some of those recalled moments with a thought like 'Oh, I had forgotten about that…'?

You hadn't forgotten it at all. You tucked the memory away inside your big, unconscious mind so you could find it again when you needed it.

Also, it wasn't a random request when I asked you to recall moments of joy. Joy is one of the most empowering emotions we can experience per the David Hawkins Scale of Consciousness.

You will do the same process for today's journaling activity but observe it a little closer, using your new knowledge.

Do this each day for the next week.

First thing in the morning:

  1. Recall another moment of joy (one each day for the next week)

  2. Write or draw about it in detail using your preferred journaling style

  3. How does your body feel as you recall that memory? Pay attention to the feelings throughout your body, such as your facial expression, inside your stomach, and shoulders. Make fine distinctions.

  4. Take a photo of the pages on your phone or such and look at them throughout the day

Then in the evening:

  1. Reflect on how recalling that moment of joy affected your mood and behaviour throughout the day. Did it impact the way you interacted with people? How about your creativity or problem-solving? Stress levels?

  2. What have you noticed after doing this for a week?

I'd love to hear what happened!

 
K A Dear