Have you ever had it where, right when you’re about to take a step forward in life, something inside of you pulls you back and stops your progress? This is exactly what subconscious blocks look like when they play out in everyday life.
Most people assume that being stuck is a “motivation” problem. They think they just need to push harder or become more disciplined to get unstuck and finally make the progress they want, but the truth is, willpower is almost never the real issue. What’s actually happening is that your subconscious mind is running a background program that’s causing you to stop yourself from moving forward with what you consciously want. It’s an automatic response that’s shaping your choices long before you even realize you’ve made one.
In this article, I want to give you the opportunity to experience this internal conflict for yourself, in real-time. I’m going to walk you through a simple 5-minute exercise that lets you clearly witness how these subconscious blocks show up in your body and mind. Once you start to see these patterns happening, you’ll then have the tools to start to unravel them and work with your inner world, instead of being run by it.
The Exercise (do this before reading on)
Take a minute to close your eyes and think about something you really want in life but that you’ve consistently stopped yourself from taking action on (do this now before reading any further).
Do you have it?
When you have that “thing” in your mind, put yourself fully into the thought of already having it. Imagine what your life would be like if you literally had it right now… (let your mind play out all the scenarios of what it would be like to achieve it). Take your time. You’ll want to really get into internally experiencing what it would be like to have it (don’t read on until you do).
Now close your eyes and pay attention; as you did the above, what came up in your “inner world”?
- What did you see in your mind’s eye? Did you see yourself achieving what you want, or did you see yourself failing?
- What did you hear in your inner ear? Did you tell yourself you’ll be able to have it one day, or that you’ll never have it? Maybe you heard someone else’s voice talking to you?
- Where did you feel emotions in your body? Were the feelings positive or negative? Was there just one feeling, or were there more than one? What emotions do those feelings represent?
Take some time to go back and focus on those “inner happenings” that took place and ask yourself, “When I think about achieving what I want, do these inner responses support me in moving forward – or do they convince me that I’ll never get there and should stop trying?”
What You Just Experienced (how blocks surface)
If during this exercise you noticed that you felt negative emotions like fear or self-doubt, you continuously imagined yourself failing, or you heard inner commentary that told you you’ll never have it, then these are all things that make up what I call “subconscious blocks” – mental and emotional patterns that are coming up from your subconscious mind because it’s trying to get you to stop yourself from moving forward.
And if I were to guess, all of the things you just noticed are probably the same things that come up inside of you all the time when you think about what you want – and they probably always stop you from taking action.
Your subconscious mind uses thoughts and feelings as ‘prompts’ to direct you in life.
In this case, it’s using them to internally tell you not to go for what you want, because it thinks you’re better off if you don’t get it, based on your belief systems.
Basically, without realizing it, your subconscious mind is always prompting you via these “internal happenings”, and you’ve been unknowingly acting based on them.
How “subconscious blocks” get created (quick overview)
I won’t go into too much detail here, because I wrote an entire article on how subconscious blocks are formed based on our belief systems (I’ll add a link to that article at the end of this one, if you want to read it), but here are the Coles notes:
Essentially, over the course of our lives, trauma, conditioning, and really intense emotional experiences take place, and these experiences end up forming a kind of “map” of associations within us at a subconscious level. Our subconscious mind then uses this map to understand and navigate the world around us.
It’s kind of like a computer program that’s running in the background of our minds 24/7, prompting every action we take.
If you noticed fear, doubt, or resistance come up during the exercise, that’s why.
Your subconscious mind is always scanning the world for what feels safe and familiar, and anything outside of that comfort zone can get flagged as a possible threat. Even if it’s something you consciously want, your subconscious mind treats “new” as “danger” and brings up protective emotions (like fear) to get you to stop yourself from moving in that direction.
It thinks it’s protecting you. But really, it’s just keeping you in familiar territory – even when that familiarity is the very thing keeping you stuck.
If you didn’t catch my previous article on how subconscious beliefs are formed, you can read it here.
Until next time… take some time to sit with the above exercise and practice noticing your “inner” world in a way that lets you see what thoughts and emotions are holding you back. Once you get used to doing this, the next level is to release them.
Wishing you the very best,
Nikki
Next steps and resources
- If you’re new here:
Start with my foundational article: How Your Subconscious Mind Shapes Your Everyday Life. - And if you want to dive deeper…
Here are some other articles I think you’ll like:
Frequently Asked Questions:
What are subconscious blocks?
Subconscious blocks are automatic patterns of thought, emotion, and physical tension that trigger when you try to move forward in life. They act like a background program that quietly prompts you to hesitate or stop. These blocks are essentially your subconscious mind using internal “prompts” to keep you in familiar territory, even when you consciously want to change.
What do subconscious blocks feel like in real time?
In real time, a block usually feels like a sudden shift in your internal state. It might show up as a wave of fear or self-doubt, a mental image of yourself failing, or a physical sensation like tension in your chest or a “heavy” feeling. It’s that quiet inner commentary that tells you why you should wait, or the sudden loss of motivation that appears the moment you sit down to take action.
Why do subconscious blocks stop me even when I want to move forward?
Your subconscious mind prioritizes safety and familiarity over your conscious goals. When you move toward a change, your subconscious can flag that uncertainty as a potential threat. It uses intense emotions and looping thoughts as prompts to get you to stop because it thinks it is protecting you from discomfort or failure.