3 Tools To Help You Uncover Limiting Subconscious Beliefs
This post contains affiliate links, meaning we may earn a commission if you make a purchase through the links (at no cost to you!). As always, we’ve only included products we use and love.
1. Start journaling
One of the best tools you can use to uncover (and then reverse) limiting subconscious beliefs is journaling.
With practice and patience, journaling allows you to explore both conscious and subconscious thoughts and allows you to bring to light any limiting beliefs you didn’t know you had (and then reverse them).
Once these limiting beliefs surface and are no longer hidden in your subconscious, you’re able to actively question the beliefs and re-write them to align with your goals and desires.
To start journaling, grab a blank notebook and a pen and start writing. Start by answering a basic question, such as “what am I grateful for today?”. Don’t think about what you’re writing or try to edit anything, just write.
Then move on to a more complex question, such as “what are my fears about how I’m living my life?”. Again, write from your heart without trying to have the perfect words or sentences. It will take a bit of practice, but you’ll soon find yourself able to write without thinking and let the words just flow onto the page.
After letting yourself write all of your fears about how you’re living your life, write about why these fears aren’t something to be afraid of or how you’re going to overcome them.
Explore anything that comes up about why you don’t believe you can live the life you desire, and then reverse those beliefs by writing about all the ways why that belief doesn’t make sense or examples of when it wasn’t true.
For example, if you find yourself writing “I can’t launch my dream business because I’m always busy and don’t know anything about starting a business”, pause and reflect on whether that is actually true. Have you ever been able to find extra time in your day? Have you ever been able to figure out something you didn’t know how to do before?
Question what you’ve written from every angle, and come up with as many examples as possible about why what you’ve written might not be true.
A good practice is to question any negative “always” statements that come up. Are you really always busy? Can you do anything to find more time in your day? Do you really know nothing about starting a business? Is there any way to learn?
Journal about times when the opposite was true, then create affirmations to repeat to yourself that are the opposite of what you currently believe (e.g., “I can figure anything out and have plenty of time to do so.”)
As you have new goals or desires in your life, take time to journal about them. For example, if you want to bring more money into your life, journal about what fears you have about making more money and start to explore subconscious beliefs you have about money that are holding you back.
Then, re-write those beliefs into positive affirmations about money that you can repeat to yourself until you believe them to be true.
Looking for more journal prompts to explore and improve your relationship with money? Check out our 30 Day Money Manifestation Journal.
2. Sit quietly and focus on your breath
One of the best tools available to you at all times is your ability to sit quietly with your breath (also known as meditation).
When you sit quietly and focus on your breathing, you’ll notice how active your mind always is because thoughts will continue to arise as you focus on your breath. But once you start sitting quietly regularly, you’ll discover a peacefulness that comes with just sitting and breathing.
To use this as a tool to uncover any limiting subconscious beliefs you may have, before you sit ask yourself “what subconscious beliefs are currently holding me back?”. Then, close your eyes and just focus on your breath.
It may take a few tries, but be patient because the answer will always come to you.
Once you’ve been given a thought about what might be holding you back, return to your journal and just write about what you’ve learned. This can help you uncover even more, and also gives you a place to work through your thoughts and then reverse them into thoughts that will help you grow instead of ones that hold you back.
3. Pay attention to your words
The words we speak every day reflect our thoughts and subconscious beliefs. By paying attention to the words that come out of our mouths, we can uncover beliefs we might not realize we hold.
For example, if you find yourself making jokes about how rich people are greedy, you may have a subconscious belief that all people who are rich are greedy, and therefore more money leads to greed. This subconscious belief may then hold you back from becoming rich because you don’t want to become greedy, so you will continue to prevent yourself from receiving more money.
Start really thinking about the words that you speak, and once you notice certain statements that may be reflecting negative subconscious beliefs, see if you can dig into them to learn more about where they came from and what you believe. Then, go back to your journal and work to reverse them.
This includes jokes about yourself too. If you’re always joking about being broke or never being able to find love, these are going to be your reality (because of the Law of Attraction).
Whenever you notice yourself wanting to make a joke about yourself, write down what it’s about and then dig into it. Where is this joke coming from? Does it have to do with what you believe about yourself, such as you’re not worthy of money or love? Does it have to do with what others have told you or led you to believe?
Figure out what’s at the heart of these words, then work to reverse them. You can do this by saying affirmations or going back to your journal.
With a bit of conscious effort, you can become aware of your words and then focus on only saying words that reflect what you consciously want to believe.
