Are limiting beliefs running your life? Throughout the challenges of life, you may develop false beliefs about yourself. From the story of Hannah in 1 Samuel Chapter 1, we learn that life can be difficult no matter what generation we reside in.
Fueled by our emotional wounds, false and harmful beliefs circle our brains keeping us from the life God wants us to live. When this happens, we can always know that there is value in returning to God during life’s disappointments and emotional attacks. If you are dealing with limiting beliefs, these manageable strategies will help you move forward. JINTEL is passionate about sharing powerful therapeutic resources with faith and has partnered with Christian Licensed Professional Counselor, Sindhu Jefferson to share the following strategies. If you would like to dive more into our podcast series on releasing limiting beliefs, click here for our episode on this spiritual self-care.
9 Tips to Release Limiting Beliefs
1. Find Evidence to Uncover the Truth
Limiting beliefs may have a trace of truth, but do not reflect the complete truth in our experiences. How do you identify the truth in a situation where limiting beliefs confuse reality? Spend time identifying one of your limiting beliefs and contemplate if those characteristics are nestled in the belief that is occurring in the situation.
For example, if you have a false belief that you are not intelligent, you could review your life experiences and find evidence that you are very intelligent. By uncovering experiences where your false belief does not apply, you can begin to see the cracks in that belief and get closer to a more positive reality.
2. Find Support to Address the Wound
Before going down the path of exposing your emotional wounds, it may be helpful to find a supportive friend or licensed counselor to begin the journey with you. To heal from these wounds requires the right tools.
Where is your emotional wound coming from? What experiences drove you to live by this limiting belief? God can help you expose the lies behind these false beliefs and partner with you as you find the support you need.
When you are looking for the supportive people you need in your life, focus on safety. Who can you talk to and feel safe with? Whom do you trust to push past generic responses into the full truth? These safe people can pray with you and speak God’s Word over you.
3. Replace False Beliefs with Positive Beliefs
It may seem difficult to find positive beliefs that will effectively replace demoralizing false ideas you have carried for years. There is a place where you can find much-needed positivity and that is in the bible.
Start by finding scriptures that identify who you are in Christ. We are all made in His image. You may discover other scriptures that reveal your value and identity. You belong to Christ. 1 Peter 2:9 emphasizes that we are God’s possession. Gathering these positive beliefs will help anchor your soul.
4. Rinse and Repeat to Release
Limiting beliefs can be a vicious cycle. That is why it is key to challenge them. You can do this by working through the strategies above. Uncover the truth, get the support you need, and replace limiting beliefs with positive beliefs.
Whether you have numerous different limiting beliefs or one stubborn belief that keeps coming back, this process will help you move forward as you turn to it again and again.
5. Retrain Your Brain
Part of overcoming your limiting beliefs may include retraining your brain activity. You can begin to do this with breathing exercises. Why is breathing so important? There’s a real negative impact on your body when you aren’t breathing properly.
Taking deep breaths opens up healing channels in your brain and removes brain fog. Think this might make a big difference in your life? Taking a yoga or meditation class can jumpstart your brain and lead you in the right direction.
6. Consider Proper Nutrition
It is important to eat healthy foods that feed your brain. If you do not currently focus on nutrition, think about giving it a try to see the effect it has on your positivity.
Green leafy vegetables and fruit can produce energy and banish brain fog. Rich, fatty, comfort foods can have the opposite effect. The easiest way to see if this will make a difference in your life is by putting it into practice for several weeks or months and evaluating the results.
7. Move from Consuming to Doing
It can be tremendously healthy to decrease screen activity and increase physical activity. This means more than exercise! Working your brain with puzzles, games, conversation, hobbies, coloring and more can change the way your brain works. You may enjoy faith-based coloring books to positively feed your brain.
Think of one activity you might enjoy doing and try it! It may shock you how this simple switch makes a difference in your day-to-day experience.
8. Enjoy Peaceful Rest
Why is it so hard to rest? With the demands of the world, rest often falls by the wayside. Yet, when we rest, our brains can operate at full capacity and work harder to fight against negative beliefs.
Review how you spend your time. Do you make space for rest? How could you rest without turning to your phone? Make room for rest each day and see how it has a helpful impact on your life.
9. Never Give Up
The enemy will leave you in a cycle of defeat. It may not surprise you that as soon as you begin to break the cycle of limiting beliefs, the enemy is there for an attack. Where are you making progress? Identify these areas and take note of what the enemy does not want you to attain.
For example, if you have a limiting belief that you are not intelligent, you might be missing out on a promotion or a new job. Things that would help you make a bigger impact for God. Review your limiting beliefs and brainstorm what they could be holding you back from. This may motivate you to take a giant leap forward in faith! As you strive to release limiting beliefs, remember that Christ has already won. When you allow your limiting beliefs to reign in your life, you act in a way that God has designed for you. God designed you to fly. As you take your journey, remember that God wants you to soar and embrace the you that he created.
