Are you creating unnecessary angst in your life by trying to mind read what someone is thinking or saying about you? It’s incredibly common, so many of us do it at some time or other. Being able to switch from mind reading and stop worrying about what someone else thinks of you is a powerful way to boost your self confidence and self esteem and put yourself back in the driver’s seat in life.

So if you have been spending too much time and energy trying to mind read what someone else thinks about you, here are 2 quick and proven remedies to break this toxic, time-wasting habit.

 

2 Ways You Can Break the Mind Reading Cycle And Boost Your Self Confidence

 

1) Ask Yourself the Right Question

If you’re burning up loads of emotional energy mind reading, you need to ask yourself “How exactly do I know this?”. 99% of the time the answer to this question is “I don’t”. That’s because you’ve created assumptions and beliefs based on old feelings and hurts that have been triggered by someone else. Often it can just be someone’s facial expression or voice tone that can reactivate old emotional and self esteem wounds. And because this all happens in an instant, it’s outside your conscious awareness. So you’re left with negative, painful feelings, not really knowing why, that you’ve then tried to decipher and make sense of. Usually on your own. When you do this, you start to create a story around why someone has made you feel this way, convincing yourself that it’s factual and true. So asking yourself this question is a great way to delete self-defeating, mind reading scripts fast, so that you can refocus and move on.

2) Reality Test

If you’re really stuck and just can’t unhook from replaying over and over again in your head what you imagine someone else is thinking or saying about you, go and talk to them. This takes courage. Go with an open mind and don’t be attached to the outcome.  If need be apply the 24+ hour wait principle to let your emotions cool down first so you can think more clearly. When you take the risk to reality test your mind reading stories and scripts by going straight to the source, you’re reclaiming your personal power by getting out of your head and into action.

Reality testing your thinking and assumptions is a powerful way to liberate yourself from other people’s validation, opinions and approval.

Title Image by Maria Victoria Heredia Reyes