🧬 Going Deeper

The Process of Change – A Roadmap for Transformation

At Mind Works with Craig, the Process of Change is central to everything we do. Whether you’re struggling with anxiety, burnout, procrastination, or looking to break free from emotional eating or addictive behaviours, the process remains the same. It’s a framework grounded in neuroscience, psychology, and practical strategies — designed to create lasting, meaningful transformation in your life.

But change isn’t something that happens overnight, and it certainly doesn’t happen by chance. Change is a process — a structured, deliberate path that requires the brain’s ability to rewire itself, a concept known as neuroplasticity.

Neuroplasticity – The Brain’s Natural Ability to Change

Neuroplasticity is at the heart of the Process of Change. It’s the brain’s remarkable ability to adapt, form new connections, and unlearn old patterns of thinking and behaviour. When we engage with neuroplasticity, we give ourselves the ability to create new habits, new ways of thinking, and ultimately, a new way of living.

Think of the brain like a forest. Your current thought patterns and behaviours are like well-trodden paths — familiar, automatic, and deeply ingrained. In order to create real change, you must cut new paths through that forest. That means forming new habits and thought processes while allowing the old, unhelpful paths to grow over. It’s not easy — but it is absolutely possible.

Just like cutting a new path through a forest requires effort, persistence, and a sense of direction, so does changing the way you think and behave. That’s why we break the Process of Change into seven clear stages, each designed to guide you through the journey step by step.

The Seven Stages of the Process of Change

Recurring Cycle

Before anything changes, you first have to recognise that you're stuck.
This is where most people begin — often exhausted, overwhelmed, or confused. It’s the moment you realise: “I keep doing the same thing, even though I don’t want to.”
You may feel stuck in repeated behaviours, mood swings, emotional eating, or low motivation. And while this stage may feel frustrating, it’s not failure — it’s the first sign of awareness.
Recognising the pattern is the beginning of transformation. Even if you’re still in it.

Preparing

Before embarking on any journey, preparation is key. You wouldn’t set off on a hike without the right gear, and the same applies here. In this stage, you take stock of where you are now and what you want to change. It’s easy to overlook the importance of this stage, but without a solid foundation, it’s easy to fall short of the outcome you want.

Observing

Once you’ve prepared, the next step is to fully observe your current situation. This isn’t about judgement or frustration, but rather looking at your life with clarity and objectivity. It’s here that we introduce the core concept of Mental Strength, which is the ability to observe without getting lost in emotions or distractions. Mental Strength is the foundation for change, and without it, even the best-laid plans can falter.

Understanding

Change begins when we start to understand why we think, feel, and behave the way we do. This stage involves exploring the different Parts of Self and Psychological Processes of Distress. By gaining insight into the internal conflicts that may be holding you back, you begin to unravel the layers of your current situation and see the path forward.

Managing

This stage is all about taking Purposeful and Structured Action. Understanding alone isn’t enough — you need to actively manage the different aspects of your life to move forward. Here, we introduce the Tower Block model, Gears of Motivation, and Pillars of Health, which provide practical tools for navigating your energy, emotions, and motivation as you move through the process of change.

Overcoming

Dealing with the past is a vital part of overcoming the barriers that hold you back. At this stage, we dive into how to confront and heal from your past experiences, particularly those that have shaped your Negative Core Beliefs. It’s here that you’ll work with the Map of the Subconscious to understand how your life experiences have influenced your current thinking and behaviours — and, crucially, how you can change that.

Outcome & Growth

Finally, this stage is about creating and sustaining growth. Most people want to skip straight to goal setting and achieving results, but without the earlier stages, these goals are rarely achieved. By focusing on Mental Strength, creating new habits, and maintaining a commitment to personal growth, you can achieve lasting transformation.

The Connection to Mental Strength

The Process of Change is only as strong as the mental foundation that supports it. That’s why Mental Strength plays a critical role in every stage of this process. From observing your current situation to managing your actions and overcoming past challenges, Mental Strength is the tool that helps you stay focused, resilient, and capable of building new, healthy patterns.

This isn’t about willpower or pushing through discomfort — it’s about learning to work with your brain’s natural processes to create lasting change. Mental Strength allows you to observe without judgement, focus your attention, and engage with neuroplasticity in a way that makes real transformation possible.

Ready to Begin?

Now that you understand the Process of Change, you can begin to explore the individual stages in more depth. Each step is designed to build upon the last, guiding you through the journey of self-discovery and transformation.

Start by diving deeper into Mental Strength, where you’ll learn how to develop the focus, clarity, and resilience needed to engage with this process fully.

The Recurring Cycle: The Stage Before Change

Before meaningful change begins, many individuals find themselves in a place of inertia—a Recurring Cycle where life feels repetitive, stagnant, and frustrating. This stage often feels like “Groundhog Day,” with the same patterns of thoughts, emotions, and behaviours looping endlessly. Despite the discomfort, individuals may not yet recognise that they are stuck or understand the nature of what’s holding them back.

The Recurring Cycle is not just about feeling stuck; it is an active state where internal conflicts and unresolved issues keep us from moving forward. It’s a perfectly human experience, and recognising it is the first step in breaking free.

What is the Recurring Cycle?

The Recurring Cycle represents a state of looping patterns—thoughts, behaviours, and emotions that repeat without resolution. It can leave individuals feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, and unsure of how to break free. Common experiences in this stage include:

• Feeling paralysed by indecision or fear of failure.
• Reliving past emotional wounds or traumas.
• Struggling with ongoing stress or exhaustion.
• Procrastinating or avoiding meaningful action.

Why Does This Happen?

The Recurring Cycle is driven by a combination of psychological, neurobiological, and behavioural factors that reinforce feelings of being stuck. These patterns often stem from deeply ingrained habits and beliefs, including:

• Unrealistic Goal Setting: Many individuals place their happiness and fulfilment on achieving future goals. While striving for improvement is natural, this can become a trap when those goals are unrealistic or when happiness is externalised as something that only exists "out there" in the future. This creates a cycle of striving and disappointment, leaving individuals perpetually unsatisfied in the present.

• Externalising Happiness: Comfort is often sought through external actions or patterns of behaviour, such as seeking approval from others, overworking, or indulging in distractions like food, social media, or shopping. These behaviours provide temporary relief but fail to address the root of dissatisfaction, perpetuating the cycle of avoidance and frustration.

• Psychological Patterns: Negative thought loops, such as “I’ll never be good enough” or “This is just how things are,” reinforce limiting beliefs and prevent growth. Cognitive distortions keep individuals trapped in a narrative of helplessness or fear.

• Neurobiological Loops: The brain’s neuroplasticity—the ability to rewire itself—can work against us when harmful patterns are repeated. Over time, these behaviours become ingrained as default responses. Stress and emotional triggers further solidify these loops, creating automatic reactions that keep individuals in the cycle.

• Existential Struggles: Searching for meaning or a sense of purpose can sometimes overshadow immediate needs, such as physical health or self-compassion. This focus on larger existential questions can leave individuals feeling disconnected from the present and overwhelmed by the search for significance.

Understanding these underlying mechanisms is the first step in recognising the Recurring Cycle and taking action to break free from it.

How Does the Recurring Cycle Manifest?

This stage presents differently for everyone, but common themes include:

• Anxiety & Depression: Repetitive worry or low moods that create a sense of helplessness.
• Burnout: Exhaustion from work or personal responsibilities, feeling like recovery is impossible.
• Chronic Health Issues: A cycle of managing symptoms without resolution, leading to frustration and despair.
• Procrastination: Avoidance of tasks, leading to guilt and self-blame.
• Addiction: Repeated reliance on food, screen time, alcohol, nicotine, substances, gambling, or other behaviours for temporary relief, followed by regret.
• Relational Struggles: Replaying the same conflicts or patterns in relationships without resolution.

Breaking Free from the Recurring Cycle

The Recurring Cycle is not permanent. Recognising that you are in this state is the first step to change. Often, individuals reach a point where the frustration or discomfort becomes too great to ignore—this moment is what creates the motivation to move forward.

The transition begins by learning about how the mind actually works, with a particularly emphasis on how it can be changed - which is the focus of the Preparing stage in the Mind Works process.

What’s Next?

The Preparing stage teaches you how to build the foundation for change. It focuses on understanding neuroplasticity, removing the reliance for perceived future goals, and understanding why we find doing the "right things" so challenging

Breaking free from the Recurring Cycle is possible—and it’s the start of your transformative journey. Learn more about the Preparing stage and discover the tools to begin your process of change.

Stage 2 - Preparing – Accept the Start

Preparing for Change: The First and Most Important Step

You might be tempted to skip the preparation phase and jump straight into action—whether it’s starting a new diet, getting back to the gym, tackling procrastination, or reducing stress. It’s easy to overlook this crucial first step because, at first glance, it doesn’t seem as exciting as the idea of seeing results.

But here’s the reality: without preparation, any change you attempt is built on shaky ground.

You’ve probably heard the phrase, “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail,” and in the case of long-lasting change, this couldn’t be more true. Without a strong foundation, your efforts may be short-lived, and you’ll likely find yourself falling back into the same old patterns—feeling stuck and frustrated all over again.

In the Preparing phase, we focus on establishing the right mindset and clarity required for real transformation.

This involves more than just deciding what you want to change.

It’s about fully understanding the challenge you’re about to take on, mentally accepting it, and ensuring that your brain and body are ready for the journey ahead.

Why Preparation Is So Important:

• Setting the Right Mindset: If you jump in without mentally preparing, your mind may not be in the right place to handle setbacks, challenges, or the inevitable discomfort that comes with change.
• Building a Strong Foundation: Think of it like building a house. If the foundation isn’t solid, the structure can’t stand for long. Similarly, without proper mental preparation, even the best plans can crumble when met with stress or uncertainty.
• Managing Expectations: Change is a process that takes time and that process simply cannot happen without time and sustained effort.  Without setting realistic expectations, it’s easy to become disillusioned or give up too soon. Proper preparation helps you understand that while results may not be immediate, every step forward is progress.

During this stage, you’ll explore the science of neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to rewire itself. You’ll learn how change is not about willpower alone, but about creating new pathways in the brain. This foundation is crucial because it shifts your mindset from thinking change is “hard” or “impossible” to seeing it as a natural, achievable process.

The Key Components of the Preparation Phase:

1. Awareness: Begin by recognizing the areas in your life that need change. This is more than just a vague feeling of dissatisfaction—it’s about becoming fully aware of specific areas where you want to improve.
2. Understanding Neuroplasticity: We’ll dive into how your brain is wired to change and adapt. Neuroplasticity is your greatest asset in making lasting change. This isn’t about forcing yourself to be more motivated; it’s about working with your brain’s natural ability to form new habits and thought patterns.
3. Identifying the Risks of Not Changing: We’ll explore the consequences of staying stuck. What does it mean for your health, your relationships, and your overall happiness if you don’t take action now? By fully understanding the risks of not changing, you’ll be better prepared to commit to the process.

What Happens If You Skip This Step? Many people rush into change without preparation, and while they may see short-term results, those results often don’t last. Without a clear understanding of what you’re trying to achieve and why, it’s easy to fall back into old habits. This leads to a cycle of starting and stopping, feeling like change is impossible.

Skipping this step can also leave you vulnerable to setbacks. When challenges arise—and they always do—you may not have the mental resilience to push through. But with proper preparation, you’ll have the strength, clarity, and mindset to keep going.

By focusing on preparation, you set yourself up for success. You create a solid foundation that allows you to navigate challenges with ease, stay committed, and ultimately achieve your goals.

This isn’t about forcing yourself into change—it’s about understanding the journey ahead, aligning your mind and body, and giving yourself the best chance to succeed. The stronger your preparation, the more likely you are to reach your goals and create lasting change.

Stage 3: Observing – Proactive Responsibility & Curiosity

Observing: Seeing Clearly to Understand the Present Situation

Once you’ve laid the groundwork in the preparation phase, the next step in the Process of Change is learning how to truly observe the present moment with clarity and focus. Observing might sound simple, but in reality, it requires a depth of mental strength and concentration that most people rarely tap into.

The Observing phase is about more than just noticing what’s happening around you. It’s about seeing your thoughts, emotions, and behaviours with complete clarity—free from the distortions of fear, shame, guilt, or any other negative emotional states. This isn't just about avoiding or suppressing negative feelings; it’s about developing the mental strength to face them head-on, without judgment.

Why Observing Is Essential for Change: In many ways, change begins with observation. Before you can shift your mindset or behaviours, you need to understand them.

But here’s the catch: most of us aren’t very good at observing ourselves objectively.

We often get swept up in emotions, assumptions, and automatic reactions. We might see a situation through the lens of our past experiences or through the fog of stress and anxiety. This makes it hard to clearly assess what’s going on.

In the Observing phase, you learn to step back from the noise of your mind and see things as they truly are. It’s a skill that can be developed with practice, and once mastered, it opens the door to deeper understanding and lasting change.

Mental Strength: More Than Just a Lack of Negative Emotions

Mental strength is often misunderstood. People tend to think that having mental strength means never experiencing negative emotions like fear, anger, or sadness. But that’s not what it is at all.

True mental strength is the ability to observe those emotions without being swept away by them. It’s the capacity to remain grounded and focused even when faced with challenging or distressing thoughts. It’s not about eliminating negative emotions; it’s about being able to sit with them, observe them, and understand what they’re telling you without reacting impulsively.

This skill—observing with clarity—requires concentration. And concentration, in turn, requires mental strength. It’s the ability to focus your mind where you choose, rather than allowing it to be pulled in a million different directions by distractions, worries, or fears.

In this phase, you’ll explore tools and techniques that help you strengthen your concentration and develop a greater sense of mental clarity.

The Importance of Complete Clarity in Observation: To bring about meaningful change, you need to be able to see yourself and your situation as they really are, not as you fear them to be, or as you wish they were. This requires letting go of any preconceived notions or biases and observing the present moment with open-mindedness and curiosity.

One of the reasons many people struggle to change is that they aren’t fully aware of the thoughts and beliefs driving their behaviours. They may be stuck in old patterns, reacting automatically to situations without ever taking a moment to observe what’s really happening.

In this phase, we work on becoming aware of those automatic reactions, identifying where they come from, and understanding how they’re shaping our behaviours. Only by observing with complete clarity can we start to untangle these patterns and create room for change.

Curiosity: A Key Component of Observation Observation isn’t just about passively watching; it’s about being actively curious. When we’re curious, we open ourselves up to new possibilities and perspectives. We start to ask questions:

• Why am I reacting this way?
• What thoughts are driving this feeling?
• How do my emotions shift throughout the day?

Curiosity is essential because it allows us to look deeper and understand the “why” behind our thoughts and behaviours. It transforms observation from a passive act into an active, engaged process that leads to greater self-awareness.

Mental Strength as the Key to Clear Observation Observing with clarity also involves recognizing the role that mental strength plays in this process. You’ll learn that mental strength isn’t about being rigid or forceful; it’s about developing the resilience and focus to observe without being overwhelmed by what you see.

This might mean observing your feelings of frustration or sadness without letting them control you. It might mean noticing your desire to procrastinate without giving in to it. It could involve paying attention to physical sensations in your body—like tension or tiredness—without immediately jumping to conclusions about what they mean.

The Role of Concentration in Observation: To observe with clarity, you need the ability to focus your attention where it matters most. Concentration is the cornerstone of this phase. Without it, your mind will constantly wander, and your observations will be shallow and fragmented.

Think of it like this: when you’re walking through a busy street, you see a lot of things, but nothing in great detail. Your attention is scattered across everything happening around you. But if you step into a quiet room and focus on one object, you can observe it in much more depth and clarity.

In the same way, learning to concentrate your mind—whether it’s on your breath, a task, or your thoughts—allows you to observe more clearly and deeply.

How Observing Supports the Process of Change: Once you master the skill of observing, you’ll notice profound shifts in how you approach challenges. Rather than reacting automatically, you’ll develop the ability to pause and reflect. This pause creates space for new ways of thinking and acting, which is where true change begins.

As you move forward, you’ll find that this clarity of observation helps you understand not just what needs to change, but why you’ve been stuck in certain patterns—and what you can do to break free.

By developing the ability to observe your thoughts and emotions with complete clarity and concentration, you lay the foundation for lasting transformation. The process of change becomes easier, because you’re no longer operating on autopilot. Instead, you’re making conscious, informed decisions that move you closer to your goals.

In the Observing phase, you’ll learn how to:

• Direct your focus with intention
• Strengthen your concentration to observe without distraction
• Cultivate curiosity and open-mindedness in your observations
• Develop the mental strength to face even the most difficult emotions and thoughts

With these tools, you’ll be well-equipped to move to the next phase of the process: Understanding—where you’ll start to make sense of the patterns you’ve observed and begin the journey toward real change.

Stage 4 - Understanding – Aligning Your Parts of Self and Addressing Psychological Processes

Understanding: Why We Think, Feel, and Behave the Way We Do

Have you ever said, “Part of me thinks this way, but part of me thinks another”? Or have you ever experienced one day where a task is simple and effortless, while on another day the very same task feels overwhelming or even intolerable?

These experiences resonate deeply with me—and they form the bulk of the work I do with clients. We often feel these internal conflicts, but we don’t always understand where they come from or how to resolve them. This is where Understanding comes in—the next step in the Process of Change.

This phase is all about getting clear on the parts of yourself that are sometimes in harmony, but often in conflict, and uncovering the psychological processes that keep you stuck. By understanding the way your mind works, you can start to bring these parts into alignment, so you can approach life with a clearer, calmer, and more balanced mindset.

Parts of Self: The Key to Understanding Internal Conflict

At the heart of the Understanding phase is the concept of the Parts of Self—the different parts of you that have developed throughout your life to help you navigate the world. These parts are always trying to help, but sometimes they end up working against each other, causing internal conflict and distress.

• Future/Ideal Self: This is the part of you that’s focused on your goals, aspirations, and ideals. It’s logical, forward-thinking, and sets high standards for what you want to achieve. This part often pushes you to be better and do more, but it can also be overly demanding, making you feel like you’re constantly falling short.

• Current/Actual Self: This is the part of you that reflects where you are right now. It’s shaped by your experiences, emotions, and beliefs—especially your negative core beliefs. The Current/Actual Self can feel overwhelmed or held back by these beliefs, creating friction with the Future/Ideal Self.

• Protective/Aversive Self: This is the part of you that’s focused on keeping you safe. It’s responsible for triggering protective emotions like fear, shame, or anger when it senses a threat—even if that threat is just the discomfort of change. While the Protective/Aversive Self is essential for survival, it can become overactive, making you avoid challenges and stick to old patterns that no longer serve you.

In this phase, you’ll learn to recognise these parts and understand how they interact with each other. By bringing them into balance, you can resolve the internal conflicts that keep you stuck and move forward with greater clarity and purpose.

Psychological Processes of Distress: Uncovering the Patterns that Hold You Back

In addition to understanding your Parts of Self, this phase also involves recognising the psychological processes that contribute to your distress. These processes are patterns of thinking and behaviour that have developed over time, often as a way to cope with difficult experiences. However, they can become maladaptive, keeping you trapped in cycles of negativity, avoidance, or self-sabotage.

Some of the key psychological processes you’ll explore in this phase include:

• Polar Opposite Thought Patterns: Have you ever noticed that your mind can swing between extremes? One moment you might feel confident and capable, and the next you’re overwhelmed with doubt and fear. This polarised thinking creates internal conflict, making it difficult to move forward with consistency.

• Overused Positive Attributes: Many of us have attributes we pride ourselves on—like being kind, caring, or hardworking. But when these attributes are overused, they can become a burden. For example, always putting others first can lead to neglecting your own needs, creating feelings of resentment or burnout.

• Repressed Self: Sometimes, we push parts of ourselves down because they’re too painful or difficult to face. These repressed parts can hold onto negative core beliefs and unresolved emotions, which continue to influence our thoughts and behaviours, even if we’re not fully aware of them.

By identifying these processes and understanding how they affect your thoughts, emotions, and actions, you can begin to shift them. This is the first step in breaking free from old patterns and creating new, healthier ways of thinking and being.

Why Understanding is Crucial for Lasting Change

The Understanding phase is about more than just insight—it’s about creating the foundation for meaningful, lasting change. Without understanding the parts of yourself that are in conflict and the psychological processes that are driving your distress, it’s nearly impossible to make real progress. You’ll find yourself repeating the same patterns, feeling stuck, and unable to move forward.

But when you develop a deep understanding of how your mind works—when you can clearly see the internal dynamics at play—you gain the power to change them. You learn to work with your mind, rather than against it, making it much easier to take consistent, intentional action toward your goals.

In the next phase, Managing, we’ll explore how to take what you’ve learned in the Understanding phase and apply it to your daily life. You’ll learn how to create alignment between your Parts of Self, manage the psychological processes of distress, and build a strong foundation for sustainable change.

Stage 5 - Managing – Taking Purposeful and Structured Action

Managing isn’t just about keeping everything under control—it’s about taking purposeful and structured action. It’s about creating alignment between your mind, body, and actions so you can move through life with greater clarity and intention.

Have you ever noticed how some days you feel energised, motivated, and ready to tackle anything, while on other days, even simple tasks feel overwhelming? There’s a science behind why your energy, motivation, and emotional states fluctuate so dramatically. Understanding how to manage these fluctuations is key to navigating life with more control and confidence.

In this Managing phase of the Process of Change, you’ll learn to take what you’ve uncovered in the Understanding phase—your parts of self, the psychological processes that hold you back—and apply it in practical ways to manage your daily life. We’ll dive into three essential tools that will help you create this alignment: the Tower Block, the Gears of Motivation, and the Pillars of Health.

The Tower Block: Understanding Your Levels of Functioning

Think of your mental and emotional state as a Tower Block. At the top, in the Penthouse, you feel at your best—clear, focused, energised, and in control. Life feels easy, and challenges are manageable. But at the bottom, in the Basement, things are quite different. This is where you feel overwhelmed, stuck, and emotionally drained. In the middle, there are various levels where you might feel OK, but not great—perhaps you’re functioning, but without your full energy or capacity.

The Tower Block is a tool I use to help you visualise where you are mentally and emotionally on any given day. It’s normal to move up and down the block, but the goal is to understand how to manage yourself at different levels and learn how to move back up when you find yourself in the lower levels.

In this phase, you’ll learn to recognise your Tower Block level and what it means for your ability to manage tasks, emotions, and relationships. We’ll explore specific tools for each level—whether you’re feeling on top of the world or struggling to make it through the day.

Gears of Motivation: Shifting into the Right Gear for the Right Task

Motivation isn’t one-size-fits-all. It has different “gears” depending on the challenge you’re facing. You wouldn’t use the same gear to coast down a hill as you would to climb a steep one, and the same applies to life’s tasks.

The Gears of Motivation represent the different motivational drivers you need to engage depending on where you are in your Tower Block and the nature of the task at hand. There are three key gears:

1. Physical/Physiological Gear: When you’re in the lower levels of your Tower Block, your motivation is often driven by basic needs—just getting through the day, managing fatigue, or simply doing the bare minimum to function. This is your survival gear, and it’s OK to be here sometimes. The goal is to recognise when you’re in this gear and use it strategically to build yourself back up.

2. Comfort/Relief Gear: In the middle levels of your Tower Block, your motivation shifts toward seeking comfort or relief—completing tasks to ease stress, reduce discomfort, or regain some sense of control. Here, you’re looking for ways to manage stress without pushing yourself too hard.

3. Long-Term Goal Gear: At the higher levels of your Tower Block, you have the energy and clarity to think long-term. This is where you can tackle bigger challenges, set meaningful goals, and push yourself toward self-improvement. In this gear, you’re focused on growth, purpose, and moving towards your future self.

Understanding which gear you’re in helps you manage your day-to-day activities without burning out or feeling frustrated. It’s about working with your motivation, not against it.

Pillars of Health: Balancing the Four Pillars for Holistic Well-Being

In the Managing phase, we also focus on the Pillars of Health, which represent the four key areas that need to be balanced to support your overall well-being. These pillars are Psychology, Physiology, Physical Health, and Environment & Relationships.

1. Psychology: This pillar relates to your mental and emotional well-being—how you think, process emotions, and handle stress. In the Managing phase, we’ll dive deeper into psychological tools that help you manage your thoughts, reduce stress, and align your parts of self.

2. Physiology: This pillar focuses on your internal systems—nervous system, hormones, and how your body responds to stress. Techniques like breathwork, sleep management, and relaxation exercises will help you regulate your physiology, keeping you balanced and able to manage life’s challenges.

3. Physical Health: This pillar is about your physical body—exercise, nutrition, and how you care for your physical health. When you’re not physically well, it’s much harder to manage everything else. In this phase, we’ll explore how to take simple steps to improve your physical health, which in turn supports your mental and emotional well-being.

4. Environment & Relationships: Your surroundings—both physical and social—play a huge role in how you manage your life. Your relationships with others, your home environment, and your work-life balance all impact your ability to manage stress and stay motivated. In this phase, we’ll look at how to create a healthier environment and foster better relationships that support your goals.

Taking Purposeful and Structured Action with Clarity

The Managing phase is about taking purposeful and structured action in your life. It’s not about perfection or being in control all the time—it’s about learning to recognise where you are, what you need, and how to manage yourself with clarity and confidence.

By understanding the Tower Block, shifting through the Gears of Motivation, and balancing the Pillars of Health, you’ll be better equipped to manage both the highs and the lows of life. You’ll have the tools to move forward without feeling overwhelmed, burnt out, or stuck in a cycle of frustration.

Next, we’ll explore the Overcoming phase, where we dive into dealing with the past and clearing the emotional and psychological roadblocks that keep you from moving forward.

Stage 6 - Overcoming – Dealing with the Past to Move Forward

Overcoming: Facing the Past to Unlock Your Future

We all carry the weight of our past experiences, and for many of us, these experiences shape how we think, feel, and behave in ways we may not even realise. Over time, the emotional and psychological residue of past events—particularly negative ones—can start to hold us back, even if we’re not fully aware of it.

In the Overcoming phase of the Process of Change, we confront these past experiences head-on. By dealing with unresolved emotional issues, negative core beliefs, and ingrained thought patterns, you’ll be able to free yourself from the hold of the past and move towards a better, more fulfilled future.

Have you ever felt stuck, repeating the same patterns, or reacting to situations in ways that don’t serve you? That’s often the result of unresolved past experiences and the negative beliefs we’ve carried forward. These beliefs become embedded in your subconscious, affecting everything from your self-worth to your relationships and the decisions you make.

In this phase, we’ll use tools like Dealing with the Past, explore your Negative Core Beliefs, and map out the hidden layers of your subconscious mind to help you overcome the obstacles rooted in your past.

Dealing with the Past: Clearing Emotional and Psychological Roadblocks

Many of us try to move forward without fully dealing with the baggage from our past. While this can seem like the easiest option, ignoring or suppressing difficult memories and emotions can often lead to deeper, more pervasive issues. This emotional avoidance creates internal roadblocks, limiting your ability to grow and preventing you from achieving the life you want.

In the Overcoming phase, we use a series of guided exercises to help you work through your past in a safe and structured way. We won’t ask you to relive your trauma, but instead, we’ll help you understand how your past is impacting your present, and what you can do to finally let go of its grip on you.

One powerful tool in this phase is Life Experience Journaling, where you’ll reflect on key moments in your life, whether big or small, positive or negative. These moments create emotional imprints, and by recognising them, we can begin to identify the patterns that may be holding you back.

Through this journaling process, we’ll help you group these experiences into "chapters" of your life, looking at how they’ve shaped your current thoughts and behaviours. From there, we begin to unravel the negative core beliefs that may have developed from these past experiences.

Negative Core Beliefs: Uncovering the Deep Roots of Your Distress

At the heart of most emotional and psychological challenges are Negative Core Beliefs—the deep-seated, often unconscious beliefs you hold about yourself, others, and the world. These beliefs may have been formed in childhood, through trauma, or from repeated negative experiences, and they have a pervasive impact on how you live your life today.

Some common negative core beliefs include thoughts like:

• “I’m not good enough.”
• “I don’t deserve to be happy.”
• “I’m unlovable.”
• “I’ll always fail.”

These beliefs are powerful because they shape your sense of self, your choices, and your expectations for life. Over time, they create a kind of internal "glass cage," trapping you in patterns of thinking and behaving that reinforce the very beliefs you’re trying to escape.

In this phase, you’ll learn how to identify these negative core beliefs and, crucially, how to begin dismantling them. We’ll explore where they came from, how they’re affecting your present, and what steps you can take to replace them with healthier, more positive beliefs.

By working through your past and identifying these limiting beliefs, you can finally start to unlock your potential and open yourself up to new possibilities.

The Map of the Subconscious: Understanding the Hidden Influences on Your Life

Your subconscious mind is the powerful force that drives much of your behaviour and decision-making. While you may consciously want to change certain things in your life, your subconscious often has other plans, rooted in the beliefs and patterns it has developed over time. That’s why change can sometimes feel so difficult—your subconscious mind is still working according to outdated maps, created by past experiences and emotional responses.

In this phase, we’ll introduce the Map of the Subconscious, a framework that helps you understand how different aspects of your subconscious mind are influencing your thoughts, emotions, and behaviours. These include:

• Negative Core Beliefs: As discussed, these are deep-seated beliefs that can control your thoughts and actions.
• Self-Concept/Identity: How you see yourself and the roles you play in life, which are often shaped by past experiences.
• Relating Function: How you relate to others, which is influenced by early attachments and experiences of connection or rejection.
• Emotional Systems: The subconscious emotional responses you have to situations, which can range from fear and anger to shame and sadness.

Understanding this map is essential to overcoming the roadblocks in your life. By seeing how different parts of your subconscious interact and affect your daily life, you’ll be able to make more conscious decisions, act with greater clarity, and ultimately, rewrite the outdated scripts that have been holding you back.

Overcoming: Freeing Yourself from the Past to Create a Better Future

The Overcoming phase is where true transformation begins. By facing the past, identifying and releasing negative core beliefs, and understanding the hidden forces at play in your subconscious mind, you free yourself from the limitations of old patterns and emotional wounds.

The road ahead may not always be easy, but with the right tools and support, it’s entirely possible to break free from the past and move toward a future filled with greater self-awareness, purpose, and fulfilment.

Next, we’ll move on to the Outcome & Growth phase, where we explore how to live in alignment with your true self, embrace joy and connection, and take action toward your goals.

Stage 7 - Outcome & Growth – Achieving Your Goals and Living Authentically

Outcome & Growth: Reaching Your True Potential

Most of us are eager to get to the outcome—achieving the goals we’ve set for ourselves, creating the life we want, and living as our true selves. It’s the end goal of any personal growth journey. But here’s the catch: most people want to skip straight to this stage. We want the rewards without fully understanding the process that leads us there.

Skipping ahead to goal setting without building the necessary foundation in the earlier stages can often lead to frustration, burnout, and a sense of failure. That’s because real, lasting change is only possible when we’ve taken the time to prepare, observe, understand, and manage the challenges in our way.

In the Outcome & Growth phase of the Process of Change, we take everything you’ve learned about yourself and your journey so far and apply it to goal setting. But this isn’t just about setting superficial goals—it’s about aligning your goals with your true self, ensuring that what you’re working towards is not only achievable but also deeply meaningful and fulfilling.

Goal Setting: Why Most People Want to Skip to This Stage

We live in a world obsessed with results. We’re constantly bombarded with messages about reaching our goals, achieving success, and living our best lives. It’s no wonder that when people embark on a journey of change, they often want to rush straight to the outcome.

But here’s the truth: skipping the foundational work means you’re not truly prepared for the challenges that will inevitably arise along the way. Without a clear understanding of your past, your subconscious beliefs, and your patterns of behaviour, even the best intentions can fall flat.

In this phase, we help you set meaningful goals that are aligned with who you are and who you want to become. This isn’t just about ticking boxes or achieving superficial milestones—it’s about creating long-lasting, sustainable growth.

Living Authentically: Aligning with Your True Self

The real goal of the Outcome & Growth phase isn’t just about achieving external success; it’s about aligning with your true self. Through the previous stages, you’ve learned to recognise the parts of you that were driven by negative core beliefs, unresolved trauma, or the need to protect yourself. Now, we focus on living in alignment with your authentic self—setting goals that reflect your true desires, values, and potential.

Living authentically means embracing the parts of yourself that you’ve rediscovered during the process of change. It’s about expressing who you are without fear or hesitation, and taking action in line with your highest potential.

As you move through this phase, we’ll explore how to:

• Set meaningful goals that reflect who you truly are.
• Identify barriers that may still be in your way and address them head-on.
• Build the mental strength needed to stay focused and resilient in the face of setbacks.
• Cultivate a sense of joy, connection, and purpose as you move toward your goals.

The Importance of Fun, Joy, and Connection

Many people think of personal growth as a serious and often difficult journey, but there’s a vital aspect that’s often overlooked: fun, joy, and connection. These are the elements that make life fulfilling, that give us the motivation to keep going, and that make the process of change worthwhile.

In this phase, we focus not just on achieving goals but on creating a life that’s rich with experiences that bring you joy and fulfilment. Whether it’s building stronger relationships, pursuing hobbies that excite you, or simply allowing yourself to experience more joy in your day-to-day life, this phase is about bringing balance and happiness into your world.

We’ll also explore the importance of connection—both with yourself and with others. Humans are wired for connection, and fostering meaningful relationships is a crucial part of growth. We’ll help you cultivate deeper connections with those around you and develop a stronger sense of self-compassion and connection with your inner self.

Expressing, Asserting, and Taking Action

The Outcome & Growth phase is also about action—taking the steps necessary to bring your goals to life. Now that you’ve done the work to understand yourself and overcome the barriers of your past, you’re ready to start expressing who you truly are, asserting your needs and desires, and taking the action that will lead to growth and fulfilment.

This might mean:

• Setting firm boundaries with others to protect your well-being.
• Making bold decisions in your career or personal life.
• Finally pursuing a passion or dream that you’ve put off for too long.
• Creating new habits that support your mental, emotional, and physical health.

Whatever your goals are, this phase is about turning them into reality. We’ll use the insights and tools from earlier in the process—your new understanding of your subconscious mind, your mental strength, your ability to manage stress and emotions—and apply them to taking purposeful, structured action that brings you closer to the life you want.

Growth Mindset: Embracing Challenges as Opportunities

One key concept we introduce in this phase is the idea of a growth mindset. A growth mindset is the belief that challenges and setbacks are opportunities for learning and development, not reasons to give up. It’s the understanding that even when things get tough, you have the capacity to grow, adapt, and ultimately succeed.

By cultivating a growth mindset, you’ll develop greater resilience and be able to bounce back from setbacks with renewed determination. This mindset allows you to see challenges as part of the journey, rather than obstacles that stop you in your tracks.

Achieving Your Potential: Become Who You Truly Want to Be

The ultimate goal of the Outcome & Growth phase is to help you become the person you truly want to be. This isn’t about living up to external expectations or following someone else’s idea of success. It’s about realising your own potential, living authentically, and experiencing life with a sense of purpose, joy, and fulfilment.

Through the process of change, you’ve learned how to navigate the challenges of life with greater clarity, strength, and understanding. Now, it’s time to apply everything you’ve learned and start creating the life you’ve always wanted.

Remember, this phase is not just the end of the journey—it’s the beginning of a new chapter in your life, one where you have the tools, knowledge, and mental strength to continue growing and achieving your true potential.

It’s time to take that first step towards your goals, express who you truly are, and live the life you were meant to live.

Core Concept: Mental Strength – The Foundation for Lasting Change

In Mind Works with Craig, one of the most crucial core concepts is Mental Strength. It’s the foundation upon which all meaningful change is built. Without mental strength, the process of change—no matter how well-structured—will always struggle to take root. But what exactly do we mean by mental strength, and how does it fit into both your personal journey and the brain’s natural ability to change through neuroplasticity?

What Is Mental Strength?

Mental strength is the ability to direct your thoughts and focus with intention. It’s about having the capacity to observe yourself clearly and without distraction, to concentrate on what truly matters, and to remain resilient in the face of setbacks. It’s not simply the absence of negative emotions like fear or self-doubt, but the ability to work through these feelings and continue moving forward.

Imagine mental strength as a muscle that you can train. Just like your physical muscles, the more you work on it, the stronger it becomes. And just like any training, there are exercises that will challenge your mental strength—forcing it to grow and adapt to new situations.

Neuroplasticity is the key here. When you practice concentration, focus, and mindfulness, you are engaging the brain’s ability to rewire itself. This is where Long-Term Potentiation comes into play—by repeatedly focusing your attention in a new way, you strengthen the neural pathways responsible for that behaviour. Over time, what once felt difficult becomes easier, automatic, and part of who you are.

Mental Strength and Neuroplasticity

At its core, mental strength is the tool that allows you to engage with neuroplasticity. Without it, the brain is more likely to revert to its old patterns and behaviours. With mental strength, however, you gain the capacity to observe your thoughts, understand your emotional triggers, and make conscious decisions about how to respond.

Consider the metaphor of the forest path once again. Mental strength is the tool that allows you to choose the new path over the old one, even when the old path feels easier or more familiar. It helps you stay on course, even when the process of cutting a new path feels slow or challenging.

In this sense, mental strength is the key to unlocking the full potential of neuroplasticity. It gives you the resilience to keep working on new behaviours, new thought patterns, and new habits—even when the brain is tempting you to go back to old ways of thinking and being.

Building Mental Strength

Building mental strength doesn’t happen overnight, but it’s a process that anyone can develop. Some of the most effective ways to cultivate this strength include practices like mindfulness, meditation, and focused attention. These aren’t just philosophical ideas—they are scientifically proven methods that engage neuroplasticity and train the brain to function in new, more effective ways.

Take mindfulness, for example. It teaches you to observe your thoughts and feelings without judgement, allowing you to stay grounded in the present moment. This practice, over time, strengthens the brain’s ability to stay focused and resist distractions—key components of mental strength.

Similarly, practices like meditation, particularly techniques such as Anapanasati (mindfulness of breathing), help build the concentration needed to take control of your focus. As you practice focusing on your breath, your mind becomes better at staying present and not wandering off into habitual negative thinking or worry. This not only builds mental strength but directly supports the process of neuroplasticity by reinforcing new, healthier thought patterns.

Mental Strength and the Process of Change

In the context of the Process of Change, mental strength is the driving force behind each stage. Whether you’re preparing to take on a new challenge, observing your current situation with clarity, or managing difficult emotions, mental strength is what helps you stay engaged and committed.

It’s easy to think that mental strength is only about pushing through adversity, but it’s also about developing curiosity, open-mindedness, and self-compassion. It’s about being able to look at yourself and your situation with fresh eyes and a willingness to grow. This mindset not only supports neuroplasticity but is the foundation for lasting, meaningful change.

Ready to Build Your Mental Strength?

Mental strength is more than just resilience—it’s the ability to choose where to place your focus, to observe your thoughts without getting lost in them, and to stay committed to your goals. By developing this key skill, you unlock the brain’s natural capacity for change, and you pave the way for lasting transformation.

Curious about the next step? Let’s dive deeper into the next core concept that builds on mental strength and helps you work with the different parts of yourself.

Click below to learn more about Parts of Self and how this concept is key to overcoming internal conflicts and moving forward on your journey.

Core Concept: Parts of Self – Understanding the Inner Dynamics

At Mind Works with Craig, one of the core concepts we explore is the Parts of Self. This is a crucial element of understanding why we sometimes feel pulled in different directions or conflicted about decisions we need to make. It’s something many of us experience daily without fully realising it.

Have you ever said, “Part of me thinks one way, but another part of me feels the complete opposite”? Or perhaps you’ve noticed how some days you’re motivated, energised, and ready to tackle any challenge, while other days, even simple tasks feel overwhelming and draining. These inner conflicts are familiar to many, and they are often the key to understanding why change can feel so difficult.

The Parts of Self concept explains how different aspects of our personality and psychology operate, sometimes in harmony and other times in opposition. By gaining clarity about these parts, you’ll start to understand how each one affects your behaviour, emotions, and decisions, allowing you to work through the conflicts and take control of your life.

What Are the Parts of Self?

Each of us has multiple internal voices or parts that represent different aspects of who we are. These parts have developed throughout our lives, shaped by our experiences, beliefs, and emotions. At Mind Works, we divide the Parts of Self into four key components:

1. True Self - this is your conscious mind, the part of your mind that you use when you concentrate and direct your attention on a something specific. It is also who you are when you are present in the moment. 

2. Current/Actual Self (The "Meaning" Subconscious  Mind)
   This is who you are right now—your present thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. The Current/Actual Self is shaped by your core beliefs and life experiences. It’s the version of you that navigates daily life and faces challenges based on how you see yourself at this moment. This part can be heavily influenced by negative core beliefs and may sometimes feel stuck in old patterns or overwhelmed by stress.

3. Future/Ideal Self (The "Thinking" Subconscious Mind)
   The Future/Ideal Self represents the person you aspire to be. This part of you is driven by logic, planning, and goals. It’s the part that looks ahead and envisions what life could be like if you made changes or achieved your full potential. While the Future/Ideal Self is often motivating, it can also create frustration when the gap between where you are now and where you want to be feels too large.

4. Protective/Aversive Self (The "Feeling" Subconscious Mind)
   This part of you is focused on protection. It’s the inner voice that steps in when you feel threatened, overwhelmed, or emotionally triggered. The Protective/Aversive Self uses aversive emotional states—such as fear, shame, or anger—to shield you from discomfort. While its intention is to keep you safe, this part can often overreact, leading to behaviours that hold you back or create unnecessary stress.

Why Understanding These Parts Matters

Each of these parts serves an important function in your life, but they don’t always work together seamlessly. In fact, much of the inner conflict we experience comes from these parts pulling us in different directions. For example, your Future/Ideal Self may want to take on a big new project or start a healthy routine, but your Protective/Aversive Self might resist, creating fear or procrastination to avoid discomfort or perceived failure.

When these parts are in conflict, it can feel like you’re stuck, frustrated, or unsure of how to move forward. Understanding how these parts operate allows you to address the underlying conflicts and create a more cohesive, balanced internal dialogue.

At Mind Works, we guide you through practical exercises that help you identify and work with these parts, allowing you to move toward your goals with less resistance and more clarity.

Parts of Self in the Process of Change

The Parts of Self concept is a fundamental aspect of the Process of Change. In order to successfully change habits, mindsets, or behaviours, you must first understand the inner dynamics at play. It’s about recognising which part of you is driving your actions—or inaction—and learning how to shift the balance.

When you can identify when the Protective/Aversive Self is holding you back or when the Current/Actual Self is stuck in a negative belief pattern, you can then use that awareness to take purposeful and structured action. This is where Mental Strength comes into play, as it helps you stay focused on observing and managing these parts with clarity.

How the Parts of Self Impact Your Life

By working through the Parts of Self, you’ll begin to see how your internal dynamics influence everything from relationships to career choices. You’ll start to understand why certain behaviours, like procrastination or self-sabotage, continue to show up and what you can do to change them.

This understanding isn’t just theoretical—it’s deeply practical. Through the tools and techniques offered in Mind Works, you’ll learn how to align your Future/Ideal Self with your Current/Actual Self and manage the reactions of your Protective/Aversive Self more effectively.

Moving Forward

Once you’ve gained clarity on the Parts of Self, you’ll be better equipped to navigate the next stages of the Process of Change. You’ll have the insight needed to manage your thoughts, emotions, and behaviours more effectively, reducing internal conflict and building momentum toward the life you want to create.

Ready to explore the next step? Dive deeper into how to apply this knowledge in the Understanding stage of the Process of Change, where we discuss the importance of gaining a clear understanding of your thoughts and behaviours.

Take the next step in transforming your life with Mind Works.

Core Concept: The 9 Psychological Causes of Distress

In Mind Works with Craig, the psychological causes of distress are fundamental to understanding why we experience negative emotional states like anxiety, stress, and fear. These causes are often linked to patterns of thinking and behaviour that we’ve developed over time, usually as a result of difficult life experiences. These patterns can become automatic, causing us to get "stuck" in cycles of distress that feel overwhelming and inescapable.

Here, we’ll explore the 9 Psychological Causes of Distress that form the backbone of our approach to understanding and overcoming mental health challenges. When we become aware of these causes, we gain the power to disrupt the patterns that hold us back.

1. Polar Opposite Thought Patterns

Oftentimes, we can have two (perhaps more) sets of thought about the same thing.  If you have ever said something like:-

"I don't like my job but I need to pay the bills"
"I love my partner but they drive me crazy sometimes"
"I love my children but being a parent is difficult"

These are examples of "polar opposite thought patterns".  When we proactively seek out these polar opposite thought patterns and work to resolve them, we can reduce our distress.  

2. Overused Positive Attributes

Positive traits like kindness, generosity, or loyalty can be wonderful. However, when overused, these attributes can lead to self-neglect and burnout. When you overextend yourself for others or set unrealistically high standards for your own behaviour, you may start to experience exhaustion, resentment, or feelings of being taken advantage of.

3. Repressed Self

The repressed self refers to the parts of you that have been pushed aside or hidden away. These are often parts of yourself that you were led to believe are "unacceptable" or "undesirable." When we suppress parts of ourselves for long periods, it can lead to feelings of emptiness, frustration, or even self-loathing.

By understanding and integrating these repressed parts, we can begin to heal and become more authentic, moving closer to the True Self.

4. Protection Mechanisms

Protection mechanisms are automatic responses your mind uses to avoid pain, discomfort, or perceived threats. These behaviours can manifest in ways that might seem harmless or even helpful at first, but over time, they keep you stuck in cycles of distress. The problem is that these mechanisms, while initially protective, often create more problems than they solve.

Common protection mechanisms include:

• Avoidance Behaviours: Avoiding people, places, or tasks that make you feel anxious or uncomfortable.
• Perfectionism: Trying to be perfect as a way to avoid criticism or failure. This can lead to chronic stress and burnout.
• Overworking: Burying yourself in work to avoid confronting emotional issues or relationship problems.
• Procrastination: Delaying tasks that feel overwhelming or fear-inducing, leading to increased anxiety and a cycle of avoidance.
• Shutting Down and Withdrawing Inwards: Shutting down emotionally, often in response to trauma or prolonged stress, to avoid feeling pain.
• Numbing Actions & Behaviours: Using drinking, drogs, or other  behaviours to numb emotional distress or avoid facing difficult emotions.
• Distraction: Engaging in constant distraction through TV, social media, or busywork to avoid self-reflection or emotional discomfort.

Protection mechanisms are driven by underlying aversive emotional states like fear, shame, and anxiety. These states activate behaviours that temporarily alleviate distress but prevent long-term growth.

5. Glass Cage

The Glass Cage is a metaphor for feeling "stuck" in life. Even though you can see the way forward and know what you want to achieve, something invisible holds you back. This often stems from fear, low self-worth, or deep-rooted negative core beliefs. The glass cage may feel like you're watching life go by but are unable to break free and take action.

This sensation of being trapped often feeds feelings of helplessness, frustration, and resignation.

6. Maps and Characters vs. Terrain and People

We all carry internal maps of how we think the world works, based on our past experiences. These mental maps are filled with expectations for how situations and people should behave. However, if life doesn't conforms to our internal maps, and this discrepancy creates distress.

In this context, People vs. Characters refers to the way we sometimes cast people in predefined roles—often based on early life experiences with caregivers—and how the reality of those relationships may not match our expectations. This gap between expectation and reality fuels negative core beliefs and reinforces psychological distress.

7. Overestimate Energy/Underestimate Stress

One of the biggest causes of distress is our tendency to overestimate our energy and underestimate the stress we’re under. We often take on more than we can handle, believing that we have the capacity to push through no matter what. However, stress accumulates, and our mental and physical health pay the price.

Many people continue this cycle because they haven't fully recognised how stress affects them, leading to exhaustion, burnout, and feelings of inadequacy when they can’t keep up.

8. External, Existential, and Future-Paced Happiness

This source of distress arises when happiness is tied to external achievements, future goals, or the approval of others. The pursuit of meaning and fulfilment in distant outcomes can overshadow present-moment joys and essential needs like relationships, health, and self-care. This creates a cycle of dissatisfaction, where each accomplishment feels fleeting, and deeper existential questions amplify feelings of inadequacy or disconnection.

9. Attachment to Identity – The Fused-Self Process

One of the more hidden causes of distress is how tightly we cling to certain parts of our identity — especially the roles we’ve used to survive. These roles often began as positive, authentic parts of who we are: the Hard Worker, the Caregiver, the Intellectual, the High Achiever.

But over time, especially after stress, trauma, or emotional injury, these roles can become fused with our Protective Self. They stop being flexible aspects of who we are… and start becoming rigid, compulsive patterns that feel impossible to let go of.

You’re no longer choosing to help others — you’re trapped in the role of Rescuer.
You’re no longer choosing to work hard — you’re locked in the role of Overworker.
You’re no longer challenging ideas for growth — you’re stuck in the role of Contrarian.

This fusion often feels like identity. But really, it’s protection.

We hold onto these roles because, at some point, they kept us safe — earning approval, avoiding shame, or creating a sense of control. Letting go of them can feel like letting go of safety itself. That’s why people stay stuck in burnout, perfectionism, people-pleasing, or emotional avoidance — even when they know it’s hurting them.

The work here isn’t to abandon who you are. It’s to reclaim your identity… without the protective wiring fused into it.

To move forward, we have to gently separate the parts of us that are authentic… from the parts that are just scared.

Moving Forward – From Protection to Progress

Now that we've explored the 9 Psychological Causes of Distress, it’s time to shift our focus to the next key concept:-

The Tower Block. Imagine your mind and emotional state as being housed in a tower block with various levels. On some days, you might be living on the upper floors, feeling empowered, motivated, and clear-headed. On other days, you might find yourself descending into the lower levels, feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or stuck.

Protection mechanisms tend to operate in the lower levels of the Tower Block, keeping you in distress. But by understanding these causes and learning to manage your mental and emotional states, you can start moving up to the higher levels, where clarity, motivation, and positive action live.

Are you ready to break free from these patterns and start moving up your Tower Block? Discover how the Tower Block can help you navigate your mental and emotional state in the next section.

Core Concept: 🏢 The Tower Block: Navigating Your Mental and Emotional State

Have you ever had days where you feel on top of the world — energised, motivated, ready for anything — and then suddenly find yourself in a slump where even small tasks feel impossible?

This fluctuating experience is at the heart of the Tower Block model.

The Tower Block is a metaphor used in The Mind Works with Craig to describe the levels of your psychological and physiological state. It helps you understand how your functioning — emotionally, mentally, and physically — changes throughout the day. Recognising where you are on the Tower Block gives you the ability to manage your energy, respond to stress, and take purposeful action.

🧱 What is the Tower Block?

Picture your mind like a tall building. Each level represents how well you're currently functioning:

• Level 10 – The Penthouse: Energised, clear-headed, and deeply connected. Life feels effortless.

• Levels 7–9: Focused, calm, motivated. You’re productive and responsive, not reactive.

• Level 6 – The Comfort Zone: Stable and balanced. A solid place to make change from.

• Level 5: Friction starts. Tasks take more effort. You need to consciously manage stress.

• Levels 4–1: Emotional turbulence. Self-doubt, anxiety, overwhelm, and protection behaviours increase.

• Level -1 – The Basement: Shutdown, emotional numbness, or internal collapse. You’re surviving, not functioning.

•  The Dungeon: A chronic or traumatic state where shutdown is enforced by external factors (e.g. poverty, abuse, discrimination). You're not just low — you’re trapped.

• The Void: Beyond the Basement — where the system drops completely. You feel disconnected, drained, and without access to tools or hope.

🔄 Moving Up and Down the Tower Block

You don’t stay at one level all day — your position shifts based on sleep, stress, food, connection, hormones, and more. This is natural. The key is learning how to recognise where you are and respond without shame.

For example:
You might start your day at Level 7, but a difficult email pulls you down to Level 5. A break, a walk, or breathwork might lift you back up — or numbing behaviours might drop you further.

The aim isn’t to stay at the top. It’s to notice where you are, and know what’s possible from that level.

🛠 Tools to Support You on the Tower

Several tools in the Mind Works system are designed to help you track and shift your position:

• Mental Strength – to observe your state without judgement and respond with clarity.

• Parts of Self – to recognise when your Protective Self is driving survival-mode behaviours.

• Gears of Motivation – to adapt your actions to your current energy and purpose.

• Scales – to assess your internal load: emotional, physical, cognitive.

• Pressure Gauge – to track your system’s readiness and avoid burnout.

• Pillars of Health – to create the foundation for real, lasting stability.

🛡️ Protection Mechanisms at the Lower Levels

When you drop into the lower levels, your Protective Self activates. This is normal. But it can become a cycle:

• Avoidance – putting things off to avoid emotional discomfort.

• Overworking – using productivity to distract from vulnerability.

• Numbing – reaching for food, screens, substances, or scrolling.

• Anxiety – overthinking the future to avoid feeling the present.

These responses aren’t weaknesses — they’re intelligent survival strategies. But once you recognise them, you can begin to choose something different.

⬆️ What’s Next: The Pillars of Health

To stabilise your Tower Block position and move upward consistently, you need a foundation. That’s where the Pillars of Health come in — four core areas that support your system and help you function at higher levels.

Core Concept: The Pillars of Health - Supporting Lasting Change

In order to successfully navigate your Tower Block and create lasting change, you need a solid foundation in place. This foundation comes from what I call the Pillars of Health—four key areas that contribute to your overall well-being. These pillars support your mental, emotional, and physical health and are crucial for resilience, energy, and motivation as you work through the process of change.

When these pillars are strong, you’ll find it easier to move upward in the Tower Block, maintain focus, and work toward your goals. When they’re weak, you’ll find yourself slipping into lower levels, struggling with energy, concentration, and emotional balance.

The Pillars of Health are essential to every aspect of the Mind Works with Craig approach, as they provide the strength and stability needed to achieve meaningful and lasting change.

What are the Pillars of Health?

The Pillars of Health encompass four fundamental areas of life:

1. Psychology: This pillar represents the mental and emotional aspects of health. It includes understanding thought patterns, managing stress, building mental resilience, and working through emotional challenges. Strengthening your psychological health helps you manage anxiety, depression, and emotional distress, empowering you to face life’s challenges with greater clarity and control.

2. Physiology: Physiology refers to the biological processes that keep your body functioning optimally. This includes sleep, nutrition, exercise, and how you manage physical stress. The body and mind are deeply connected, and your physiological health directly impacts your ability to focus, manage stress, and maintain energy throughout the day.

3. Physical Health: Your physical health involves the overall state of your body, including movement, fitness, and recovery. This pillar ensures that your body is resilient, capable of handling both the demands of life and the energy required to work through change. A strong body supports a strong mind, giving you the stamina to pursue your goals.

4. Environment and Relationships: This pillar covers the external factors in your life, including your relationships, work environment, home life, and social surroundings. Your environment has a profound influence on your well-being. Healthy relationships and supportive surroundings create a nurturing space for change, while toxic environments can drag you down into lower levels of the Tower Block.

How These Pillars Work Together

To create lasting change, each of these pillars must be attended to. If one pillar is weak, it can destabilise the others and affect your overall ability to make progress. For example, neglecting your physiological health—perhaps by not getting enough sleep or failing to manage physical stress—can make it harder to focus on psychological health, leading to poor concentration, irritability, and decreased motivation.

When all the pillars are strong, they work together to provide the foundation you need to move forward. Here’s how we strengthen each pillar in the Mind Works approach:

• Psychology: We focus on developing mental strength, building resilience, and addressing negative thought patterns that contribute to anxiety, depression, and burnout.
• Physiology: We help you optimise sleep, nutrition, and stress management to support brain function and emotional regulation.
• Physical Health: We incorporate practical advice on movement and fitness to build physical resilience, improving your overall energy and stamina.
• Environment and Relationships: We guide you in creating positive environments, improving relationships, and setting healthy boundaries to foster personal growth.

Why the Pillars of Health Matter

If any one of these pillars is neglected, it can limit your ability to achieve your goals. For example, if your psychological health is weak, you may struggle with negative self-talk and limiting beliefs, preventing you from making progress. Likewise, if your environment is unsupportive, it can pull you down into stress and distraction.

Strengthening each pillar ensures that you’re supported on all fronts—mentally, physically, and emotionally. This balance is key to building long-term resilience, overcoming challenges, and making the changes you need to live a healthier, more fulfilling life.

⚙️ Gears of Motivation – Matching Action to Energy

Our motivation changes depending on our position in the Tower Block. You’re not always lazy or unmotivated—sometimes, you’re just in a different gear.

• Gear 1: Physical/Survival

  • Tower Block Levels: -1 to 2

  • Focus: Safety, relief, regulation

  • Dominant Self: Protective

  • Example: A nap, water, or breathing is all that’s possible today—and that’s valid.

• Gear 2: Comfort/Relief

  • Tower Block Levels: 3 to 5

  • Focus: Reassurance, ease, familiar distractions

  • Active Self: Blend of Protective and Actual

  • Example: You might crave food, Netflix, or solitude to cope.

• Gear 3: Growth/Direction

  • Tower Block Levels: 6 to 10

  • Focus: Vision, values, long-term goals

  • Lead Self: Ideal/Future

  • Example: You feel ready to plan, change habits, or take bold steps forward.

The aim isn’t to force yourself into Gear 3—it’s to know your current gear and choose strategies that suit it. This reframes so-called “lack of discipline” as mismatched effort and energy

⚖️ The Scales of Decision – Inner Conflict Explained

Ever felt like you know what to do but still don’t do it? The Scales explain that tug-of-war.

At every moment, two forces weigh in:

• Left Scale

  • Protective Self

  • Short-term relief 

  • Driven by fatigue, cravings, and fear

  • Supported by dopamine and stress reactivity

• Right Scale

  • Ideal/Future Self

  • Long-term fulfilment 

  • Anchored in purpose and self-worth

  • Supported by serotonin and clarity

The balance shifts based on:

• Your current gear (lower gears = heavier left side)

• Your pressure gauge (low HRV = stronger pull to soothe)

• Emotional exhaustion from The Dungeon or disconnection from The Void

You’re not weak—you’re overloaded. The strategy is not perfection but balance: learning to pause, weigh up, and gently tip the scale back toward your values

📉 The Pressure Gauge – Understanding Your Readiness (Not Just Your Motivation)

Most people try to act based on what they should be doing.
The Pressure Gauge invites you to check what your system is actually capable of right now.

It’s not about willpower.
It’s about whether your body and brain are in a state that can support focused action — or whether they need time to recover.

🧭 What Is the Pressure Gauge?

The Pressure Gauge is your internal stress meter. It helps you track:

• When your nervous system is ready to act

• When it’s on edge and needs support

• When it’s collapsed, and pushing will only make things worse

You already use this intuitively:

• Some days you wake up ready and focused

• Other days you feel tired, flat, or edgy for no clear reason
  This model gives you a language and framework to make sense of that fluctuation.

🔬 How We Measure It: HRV and Allostatic Load

We use Heart Rate Variability (HRV) as a guide to your nervous system’s flexibility.

• HRV is not about how fast your heart beats — it’s about the variation between beats.

• Higher HRV means your system can adapt.

• Low HRV means your system is stuck — often in stress, fear, or shutdown.

Think of HRV like a signal of recovery or resilience.

This links to allostatic load — the total stress your system is carrying from sleep, illness, emotional strain, burnout, unresolved trauma, and even food or hormone imbalances.

If you’ve ever felt “wired and tired,” or like you’re crashing for no reason — that’s your pressure gauge maxed out.

📊 Pressure Gauge States (with Examples)

You don’t need to measure HRV with a tracker (though you can). You can also use:

• Breath awareness

• Resting tension in the body

• Emotional bandwidth

• Recovery after effort

🧘 How to Use It

The Pressure Gauge teaches you to match your expectations to your actual state, not your ideal one.

• High pressure = decompress (breathwork, food, warmth, movement, co-regulation)

• Medium pressure = focus gently, pace actions

• Low pressure = act with clarity, prioritise, plan ahead

This tool works best alongside the Tower Block and Gears of Motivation. Together, they help you know:

• Where you are

• What’s possible from here

• How to stop the collapse before it begins

The Map of the Subconscious: Unlocking the 10 Functions of Your Inner Mind

The subconscious mind is often seen as something elusive or difficult to grasp. At Mind Works, I take a different approach. The subconscious is not only understandable—it’s something you can actively work with. The Map of the Subconscious is a powerful concept within the Mind Works framework that breaks down the complex workings of your inner mind into ten distinct functions. By understanding these functions, you can navigate your subconscious with greater clarity, transforming limiting beliefs and automatic responses into conscious, empowering choices.

This concept is closely tied to the Overcoming stage of the Process of Change, where we work through past experiences, unresolved emotions, and the core beliefs that have shaped your subconscious. By exploring these ten functions, you’ll learn how to identify and reshape the parts of yourself that are keeping you stuck.

The 10 Functions of the Subconscious Mind

1. External Senses

   • Your subconscious is constantly taking in information from the outside world through your senses. Everything you see, hear, and feel is processed below the level of conscious awareness. This function is shaped by conditioning and external stimuli, meaning that your subconscious filters and interprets sensory information based on past experiences.

   How this affects you:  We perceive our current situation through a lens that is influenced by your past experiences.  We have learnt what things "mean" to us individually, and this may cause us distress if our perception is being informed and directed by earlier adversity and challenge. By becoming aware of this function, you can begin to recalibrate how your subconscious processes external stimuli.

2. Internal Senses

   • This function refers to your internal experience of energy, focus, enthusiasm, health, and stress. Your subconscious is constantly monitoring these internal states, which can profoundly impact your mood and behaviour.

   How this affects you: If you are unaware of the signals from your internal senses, you may push through stress or ignore burnout, leading to negative emotional or physical outcomes. Recognising and addressing these signals can improve your well-being.

3. Self-Concept/Role

   • This function is how you see yourself in relation to others and the roles you hold—whether it's a parent, partner, professional, or friend. Your self-concept is rooted in both your past experiences and your subconscious beliefs about your worth, abilities, and identity.

   How this affects you: If your self-concept is clouded by negative core beliefs, you may underestimate yourself or struggle with self-worth. By redefining your self-concept, you align your actions with your true potential.

4. Relating Function

   • This function governs how you relate to others, shaped largely by your attachment style and early experiences. It's driven by a desire for connection and influenced by subconscious fears of abandonment or rejection.

   How this affects you: If your subconscious holds on to fear-based attachment patterns, you may struggle with relationships or find yourself repeating negative cycles. Understanding this function allows you to transform how you connect with others.

5. Value/Meaning

   • Your subconscious helps you derive meaning and value from experiences. It's the lens through which you interpret the world, often shaped by deeply ingrained beliefs about what's important to you.

   How this affects you: Misaligned values or subconscious narratives can cause you to feel lost or unfulfilled. By consciously aligning your values with your true desires, you can create a more meaningful life.

6. Seeking/Adapting

   • This function is responsible for your ability to adapt to changing circumstances and seek new opportunities. It is tied to your level of self-efficacy—how much you believe you can achieve your goals.

   How this affects you: If your subconscious is filled with doubt or fear of failure, you may avoid risks or resist change. Tapping into this function empowers you to embrace growth and new experiences.

7. Life Experience

   • This function organises the events of your life into a coherent narrative. Your subconscious stitches together memories, experiences, and emotions into a storyline that influences how you view your past and what you expect from the future.

   How this affects you: An unbalanced life narrative may leave you feeling trapped or disempowered. By revisiting and reshaping this narrative, you can free yourself from the patterns of the past and create a more empowering story.

8. Preprogramming

   • Much of your behaviour is preprogrammed by subconscious patterns—these include habits, routines, and even automatic emotional responses. Many of these programs are useful, but some may no longer serve you.

   How this affects you: If your subconscious is running outdated or unhealthy programs, you may feel stuck in negative behaviours. Awareness of these patterns allows you to rewrite them consciously.

9. Level of Alertness

   • Your subconscious constantly monitors your state of alertness, which affects your ability to engage with the world. This function is linked to your energy levels, concentration, and overall mental clarity.

   How this affects you: Fluctuations in alertness can make it hard to stay focused or manage stress. Developing techniques to maintain a balanced state of alertness allows you to perform at your best.

10. Persona Selection

• Your subconscious helps you select which "persona" to use in different situations. Whether it's being a leader, a caregiver, or a student, this function allows you to switch roles based on context.

How this affects you: If you’re unaware of this function, you may struggle with inconsistency in your behaviour or feel overwhelmed by expectations. Learning to manage your personas can lead to more authentic, empowered living.

Working with the Map of the Subconscious

By understanding these 10 functions of your subconscious, you can start to identify areas where you may be stuck, self-sabotaging, or operating on outdated programming. Through tools like hypnotherapy, life journaling, and subconscious exploration exercises, you can begin to map out these functions and actively reshape them.

The Map of the Subconscious helps you understand the mechanics behind your thoughts, emotions, and behaviours. This map provides you with a clear pathway to change—allowing you to navigate your inner world with intention and purpose.

🔍 Presentation – The Start of Stuckness

This is where most people first recognise something is wrong—often through a diagnosis, emotional distress, or repeating behaviour.
You may feel disconnected, burnt out, or “not like yourself.”
Often, there’s a deep identification with the problem, making it hard to imagine a different way of being.

• Common thoughts: “This is just how I am.”

• Emotional tone: Overwhelm, shame, or detachment.

• Tower Block reference: The Basement or Dungeon levels.

• Role of the Protective Self: Strong and persistent.

🧩 Self-Concept, Relating, and Core Beliefs

As time goes on, the way you see yourself becomes coloured by past experiences.
You may unconsciously hold beliefs like:
“I’m not good enough,” “It’s always my fault,” or “No one really sees me.”
These aren’t flaws—they’re protective adaptations based on what you’ve lived through.

• Self-concept becomes rigid or self-defeating.

• Relationships are shaped by fear of abandonment, rejection, or invisibility.

• Core beliefs begin running the system without being challenged.

This stage often leads to loss of motivation, procrastination, or emotional collapse—especially under stress.

🔄 Looping and Shutdown

Over time, the system loops. You try to change—but always end up back at the same place.
This isn’t weakness—it’s the subconscious at work, trying to protect you from disappointment, shame, or overwhelm.
Physiologically, the nervous system may stay in high alert or shutdown mode, making clarity and change feel impossible.

• Identity fuses with the problem: “This is me.”

• Emotional memory hijacks the present.

• Hope feels distant, and willpower no longer works.

• Tools like The Staircase or the Pressure Gauge become vital to exit this stage.

Sometimes, you’re not fully shut down — but you’re not fully functioning either. That’s The Basement: a low-level state of disconnection, self-doubt, and emotional withdrawal.

You might still be getting through the day — working, parenting, performing — but inside, something has dimmed. It’s not collapse. But it’s not health, either.
It’s quiet. Heavy. Ongoing.

Many people live in the Basement for years, mistaking it for normal.

🧠 What Defines the Basement?

• Low mood, low energy, low access to joy or creativity

• Motivation is often guilt-driven (“I should”)

• Cravings, comfort behaviours, or numbness are frequent

• Everything feels harder than it should be

• You feel like you’re always “just about coping”

This isn’t weakness. It’s a protective state — the nervous system narrowing your emotional and energetic range to preserve function when stress becomes chronic.

🧱 The Emotional Architecture: Negative Core Beliefs

At the heart of the Basement are Negative Core Beliefs — deep, often unconscious conclusions about your worth, safety, or identity.

These aren’t fleeting thoughts. They’re emotional truths your system absorbed through repetition, trauma, or unmet emotional needs.
Over time, they become the emotional wallpaper of your life — shaping every decision, reaction, and relationship without you even noticing.

Common Basement beliefs include:

• “I’m not good enough.”

• “If I stop, everything will fall apart.”

• “My needs don’t matter.”

• “I’m always getting it wrong.”

• “There’s something wrong with me.”

• “If I rest, I’ll be judged or replaced.”

These beliefs were often formed:

• In childhood, where love or safety was conditional

• Through ongoing stress, criticism, or invisibility

• As protective adaptations to avoid shame or rejection

Your Protective Self may actively reinforce them — not out of cruelty, but out of fear of collapse or rejection if you slow down or change.

🛠 What Helps in the Basement?

You don’t need to “fix” the Basement — but you do need to witness it.

The tools at this level are gentle and foundational:

• Mental Strength to observe the beliefs without fusing to them

• Parts of Self to reconnect to the voice that’s been drowned out

• Breathwork to stabilise physiology and reduce background pressure

• SSRG to nourish consistently and stop the blood sugar-crash cycle

• The Pressure Gauge to avoid burnout by learning to pause before collapse

• Self-Compassion & Reparenting practices to rebuild trust with the Actual Self

The work here is subtle, slow, and sacred.
You’re not behind — you’re in restoration.

🔒 The Dungeon – When Life Won’t Let You Breathe

The Dungeon is real.
It’s not a metaphor — it’s a lived experience.

This is the state where life itself becomes the trap.
Not because you’re weak. But because your circumstances are relentlessly heavy.

You’re trying to heal, but you’re still in the fire.
Your system wants to recover — but there’s no time, no money, no space, no backup.

🏚️ What Defines the Dungeon?

• Chronic pressure from work, parenting, debt, or housing

• No margin for rest, joy, or reflection

• Constant responsibility with no meaningful support

• Fear of what will happen if you stop — to yourself or others

• Shame or guilt when you try to prioritise your own needs

This isn’t the result of bad habits or lack of motivation.
It’s the system saying: “Survive first. Everything else can wait.”

🧱 Structural Forces That Keep You There

The Dungeon often forms when internal stress collides with external reality:

• Financial stress, poverty, or cost of living crises

• Caring for children, elders, or others without support

• Discrimination, racism, ableism, or gender-based pressure

• Cultural conditioning to endure, sacrifice, or overfunction

• Global crises: war, climate grief, economic fear, political trauma

These aren’t imagined burdens. They’re real. And they shape your nervous system, beliefs, and bandwidth.

The Dungeon can also be intergenerational — inherited roles, trauma, or responsibilities passed down with no room to question them.

🧠 Emotional Landscape of the Dungeon

• “No one is coming to help.”

• “If I stop, it all falls apart.”

• “Rest is dangerous.”

• “I’m exhausted — but I can’t collapse.”

• “No one sees how hard this is.”

There may be role fusion at play — the Strong One, the Provider, the Fixer.
You may have learned early that safety depends on never needing anything.

In the Dungeon, the Protective Self becomes the system, running everything. The Ideal and Actual Selves barely speak. And the True Self? Hidden, or forgotten.

🛠 What Helps in the Dungeon?

This is not where you do deep healing work.
It’s where you build rhythm, restore dignity, and protect your energy.

• SSRG – Not to restrict, but to regulate. Nourishment creates rhythm.

• Tower Block awareness – To stop expecting Level 10 clarity from Level -1 reality

• Scales and Pressure Gauge – To track depletion before collapse

• Micro-supports – Rest that fits into 2 minutes. Kindness that fits into a breath.

• Reclaiming language – Saying “I am in the Dungeon” instead of “I’m failing”

You don’t climb out of the Dungeon by willpower.
You climb out by being seen, being resourced, and being unshamed.

You didn’t choose this.
But you can choose to stop blaming yourself for being here.

The Void is not loud — it’s silent. It’s the internal disappearance that follows emotional overload.

You may feel blank, untethered, or like you’re not really here. You might not care about things you used to love. Conversations feel distant. Food, joy, and connection don’t register. It's not sadness — it's absence.

Key signs:

• Blank mind, dissociation, “shut off”

• No access to tools, logic, or motivation

• Time distortion — days blend or disappear

• Loss of identity or meaning

This is often the body’s response to unbearable emotional weight — the final form of protection. You can’t fix the Void by thinking your way out. The way out is sensory, relational, and physical — warmth, sound, rhythm, movement, and co-regulation.

You haven’t failed. You’ve paused. And the system can recover.

 🧠 What Is Role Fusion?

Role fusion happens when one part of you — usually the Protective Self — becomes so dominant that it blends with your identity.

This role may have started as a coping strategy:

• The achiever

• The carer

• The rebel

• The perfect one

• The fixer

• The strong one

• The funny one

• The avoidant one

Over time, the role stops being a strategy and becomes a self-concept. You’re not “doing” the role — you are it.

But the cost is high:

• Emotional flattening or detachment

• Anxiety when not performing the role

• Loss of joy, spontaneity, or authenticity

• Inability to rest or receive support

🧬 The Psychology Behind It

Role fusion is often rooted in:

• Attachment patterns: Roles formed to earn safety, love, or approval

• Family systems theory: Roles taken to stabilise chaos or compensate for dysfunction

• Protective Self dominance: A part of you that stepped in during trauma and never stepped out

• Neuroplasticity: Repetition wires the role into identity

• Reward circuitry: Roles often get reinforced through praise, responsibility, or external validation

Because the role is often rewarded by others (or became essential for emotional survival), it’s difficult to question — let alone let go of.

🔍 Why It’s Hard to Spot

Role fusion hides in plain sight. It often feels:

• Like your strength

• Like your identity

• Like “the only thing keeping it all together”

People say things like:

• “I just always look after everyone.”

• “I’m the reliable one.”

• “If I don’t hold it together, no one will.”

• “This is just who I am.”

But behind the role is often:

• Resentment or fatigue

• Isolation or internal conflict

• Disconnection from joy, desire, or self-expression

Unfusing doesn’t mean rejecting the role — it means allowing more parts of you to emerge. It’s not about losing control. It’s about regaining wholeness.

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