With all the uncertainty and fear in the world right now, you can get lost in the survival brain trigger cycle. Now more than ever, we need tools to develop inner security to navigate successfully through these chaotic times.

How do you do that? By creating mental stories that aid your growth. If life is a game, then the whole purpose of the game is to movie from letting societal programs run you, to consciously choosing your interpretations.

Most people let life just happen to them. They run on programs picked from society, their parents, and the media, and let those dictate their interpretations, which create specific emotions that lead to unwanted actions.

Below is a framework you can use to change your limiting mind story and develop inner security. The model derives from the MindStory Inner Coach book. It will help you deal with the stress of the global pandemic on top of your regular obligations and stressors.

Read the MindStory Inner Coach Free Book Here

What is a Mind Story?

A mind story is an entire interpretation you give to a situation that involves characters, motivations, theme plot, just like a novelist paints a whole picture of what a certain reality looks like.

The AVARA model for shifting mind stories

This model helps you change your limiting mindstories using a 5-step process.

1. State the issue
2. Separate the issue from the facts
3. Explore the limiting version of your mind story
4. Explore a more empowering mind story
5. Ensure the new mind story takes root

Step #1. State the issue

Our brains process lots of things and thoughts simultaneously. You can organize your grocery shopping list while thinking about pending projects for your business.

To clarify issues, write them down. Noting things down gets the thoughts out of the background loop and puts it in the front where you can use your Neocortex or higher brain consciousness to sort them through.

Here's an example from my experience. I have many particular things triggering my survival brain at the moment, including a move from the place we've called home for 12 years and canceled business events.

Here's what I wrote down:

I  feel stressed because we're moving from a place I've been in for 12 years. It's been a colossal job to sort through all our belongings and either throw out, donate or sell most of it. Although I want to move, letting go feels hard, and I've had a few sleepless nights.  Trying to do that on top of all my other obligations has meant long days and tiring work.  Now with the virus and lockdowns and events canceling, we don't know how to make decisions right now because we don't have enough information, and yet we have to make decisions soon.

Write down the issues troubling you.

Step #2. Separate the issue from the facts

In this step, separate the facts from your interpretation: no adjectives, adverbs, or descriptive phrases. Stick to objectivity.

Continue with my example, here's what I wrote:

We are in the middle of a move. Five events canceled due to the coronavirus. Certain services we use are on lockdown.

This step is short and to the point, yet doing these two things moves you significantly closer to a solution.

See if you can state your issue in just three factual sentences.

Now comes the fun steps, finding solutions, and creating a more empowering narrative.

For Step #3 & #4, we use the AVARA model. That is:

A - Acceptance

V - Vision

A - Action

R - Reprogram

A - Attention

Step #3. Explore the limiting version of your mind story

Acceptance

In this step, you state your negative feeling plus the words “because of how I’m interpreting my situation”. For example, in my case:

I feel anxious because of how I’m interpreting my situation.

Stating it this way reminds you that external circumstances are not responsible for your emotions. It’s always your thoughts, beliefs or interpretations. Think about it. Another person in a similar situation might feel completely differently. Often these emotions are below the surface of our awareness, so this exercise also invites you to use your discerning mind to question your state of mind.

Even mature, centered, and calm people go through periods of uncertainty where their survival brain gives paints catastrophic images. You don't want to fight with yourself, push it away, or pretend it's not happening. That just strengthens it.

Acceptance helps you understand the issues and creates space for self-compassion.

Vision

Think about the future, what is possible 3 months from now if you live from your current limiting mind story? Be specific.

Using my example:

I could find myself sick in three months because I keep being anxious, which has caused me a few sleepless nights and procrastination because I'm not deciding. I'm not thinking very clearly.

Chronic stress lowers your immune system, according to many researchers such as Dr. Bruce Lipton. Operating from the survival brain also shuts off magic, synchronicity, where things that seem dire become gifts in disguise.

However, when you change how you view the world, the world changes.

Action

What action or inaction will your current perspective lead to.

Continuing with my example:

I'm not sleeping well, spending far too much time reading and rereading the same facts about this virus, thinking I don't have any good choices to make, being stuck in confusion about moving forward, feeling like every direction is blocked, not making a decision.

What about your situation? What actions are you taking that might not be serving you?

Reprogram

This step lets you explore recent events that have brought your issue into sharp focus.

Use the present tense to articulate your stressor.

In my case, it's 4:30 in the morning, and I wake up thinking about the 47 things I have to do to prepare for the move and having an inner war about each possible decision, unable to decide how to move forward.

Pick a moment in time in your situation so that we can go back to it when you have the more empowering mind story.

Attention

In this step, get down to the deeper predominant self-talk generating your current mind story.

It may seem similar to what you wrote in the acceptance part, but here you can often get down to something a bit more core.

In my case, I said I'm not able to break free from this worry, even though that's what I supposedly help other people do. I'm not walking my talk, and life is against me.

Think about your situation. What hardcore beliefs cause you the most significant problems?

Step #4. Explore a more empowering mind story.

In this 4th step, you rewrite your current limiting mind story into an empowering version. So, it helps if you have your limiting mind story written out because you'll use that as the basis for transforming your thoughts.

Acceptance

Starting with acceptance, reframe the problem you identified in Step #1 in an empowering form starting with the words “I have chosen to feel” + a more positive feeling + a better meaning you could give this situation.

Using my example, I said:

I have chosen to feel calm and centered because this situation is inspiring me to examine my thoughts, which makes me a laboratory for what I'm teaching others. It's making me have to think outside the box and reach out for more help which stretches me out of my comfort zone, and having fewer business events to attend is making it easier to make this move because I can just focus on that.

Ask yourself, what better meaning can I give my issue that would help me feel better about it?

This isn't to negate the challenging aspect of things you're dealing with, but the human survival brain does tend exclude all positives in favor of the negative. Acceptance balances things out.

Vision

What is your possible future 3 months from now if you live from this more empowering mind story?

Using my example, I said – By being more calm and centered, in 3 months I will likely have made wiser choices, had better sleep and stayed healthier.

Action

If you fully believed that your vision above was a done deal, what are some ways to get there, no editing, any idea goes. What specific steps can you take now?

In my case, I said:

1. Choose a direction and stick with it no matter what
2. Ask for help from friends and service providers
3. Cancel all unnecessary activities until the move is done

Reprogram

What is a similar event or experience that might happen soon that is now playing out in a more empowering way? Use the present tense as if you were there now.

Using my example, I wrote:

I wake up in the middle of the night and remind myself that thoughts create feelings of anxiety, so I can just create different thoughts to ensure I feel calm and centered enough to make wise decisions. I don't have to be a victim of survival brain looping thoughts.

Attention

In this step, look at your new and more empowering self-talk.

Go back to your limiting mind story and turn it around.

Again, these are core beliefs that you may not believe just yet, but if you mentally rehearse them, write them down, say them to yourself, eventually, your subconscious mind will pick up on them because whatever you focus on grows.

As one of my favorite statements goes, every day in every way, I'm more + then add in the more empowering self-talk. For example, “Every day in every way, I’m more calm and centred about the move…”

Step #5. Ensure the new mind story takes root

Choose one action item from above and break it down into small steps, so it’s easier to get started on.  

For example, “Cancel all unnecessary activities until the move is done.”

Three small steps to get started might be:

1) Email three clients to switch appointment times two weeks later

2) Move book project in my calendar to two weeks from now

3) Delete yoga classes from calendar for the next two weeks

Read the MindStory Inner Coach Free Book here to learn more about creating powerful and compelling mind stories.