Intro
After the review and the summary, here are six exercises from The Mountain Is You, by Brianna Wiest, that you can try this week.
A note first: these are reflection exercises, not treatment. If you are dealing with trauma or a crisis, a licensed professional is the right place to start.
Ask What The Habit Gives You
First, pick one habit you wish you could stop, and ask what it gives you. Does it help you avoid something, feel safe, or feel in control? The book says that every self sabotaging habit is meeting a need.
Write the answer down. Naming the need is often the first thing that changes.
Read Your Triggers
Second, treat your next strong reaction as a message. When you feel a spike of anger or fear, pause and ask what it is pointing to. Wiest says anger, for example, often shows you where a boundary was crossed.
You do not have to act in the moment. Just get curious.
Notice The Next Mountain
Third, expect the next mountain. The book says that achieving a goal will not end the wanting, because we are built to want more. If you know that in advance, you can enjoy the arrival without panicking.
Let Go Slowly
Fourth, let go slowly. You cannot force yourself to stop thinking about something. Instead, give yourself time, and small rituals. Writing a letter you never send is one idea of mine.
Meet Your Future Self
Fifth, try the future self visualization. Sit somewhere quiet with a journal, face your fear first, picture how your future self looks, ask for guidance, and imagine being handed the keys to your new life.
Write down whatever comes up, without judging it.
Control, Don’t Suppress
Sixth, practice control instead of suppression. When a hard feeling arrives, name it, feel it for a minute, and then choose your response. Suppression pushes it down, and it usually returns louder.
Two Cautions
Now two cautions. First, self reflection is not a substitute for therapy, especially with trauma. Second, be wary of any claim that sounds too neat. Treat the book as a set of prompts, not as proven science.
Where To Start
If you try only one exercise, make it the first. Ask what your habit is giving you, and write down three honest answers.
Links to the book are in the description below. Tell me in the comments which exercise you will try, and thanks for watching.
