Belief Change Worksheet : Rest & Play Without Guilt
My Current Feeling State: ○ Overwhelmed ○ Balanced ○ Joyfully Free
Step 1: Identify the Limiting Belief
What belief is stealing your permission to FULLY rest?
(Examples: “I have to earn rest”, “It’s not rest, it’s laziness”, “If I’m not productive I’m wasting time”)
Step 2: Find Evidence Against It (Reframe)
List 3 moments when rest or play actually made you more creative, happy, or effective.
Step 3: Creating Your New Desired Belief
Examples:
“It is safe for me to rest because it makes me more productive long term.”
“I now choose to rest without guilt.”
“Rest and play recharge my energy and help me make better decisions.”
*Side note: the subconscious LOVES ‘because’ reasoning.
It finds it easier to accept a new belief/statement, because it always looking for evidence/validation for it’s beliefs. Just like all of the old stories you have constantly told yourself about yourself, to keep your current belief system alive (ex. “I’m not allowed to rest, because I have to be productive to be loved.”) your new belief will anchor better, if you can give it reasoning/evidence to back it up, rather than just repeating a hopeful or defiant statement.
Step 4: Emotional Anchoring
Imagine giving yourself full permission to rest or play right now.
Where in your body do you feel the resistance?
And where in your body do you feel lightness and relief?
Allow yourself to feel both without judgement, and note them down.
Now, focus only on the feeling of resistance that comes up, when you thinking of allowing yourself rest & play.
Acknowledge this feeling, place your hand over where you feel it in your body and state either aloud, or in your head: “Thank you, but I do not choose to feel this any more. I release you.” Take a deep breathe in, hold for 3 seconds, then exhale.
Next, shift your focus to the feeling of lightness & relief. Acknowledge it by stating either aloud or in your head: “This is the feeling I choose, because it is good for me.”
As you do this, place your hand on your chest, and tap 3 times whilst affirming the statement. You can repeat this as many times as you like, the more you do it – the more it becomes anchored.
Every time you go to rest, or play and feel a sense of guilt creeping in, just affirm with the three taps on your chest. This can be done subtly, even in public, and doesn’t require you to say or think of the affirmation. The body remembers.
For the next 30 days, I recommend tracking your moments of rest & play.
See if any guilt comes up, and document how taking time for yourself positively impacts your day/week/other commitments. This gathering of evidence will help your subconscious rewire itself to accept rest as a friend, not a foe.
For printable versions of my worksheets, subscribe below (completely free!):
You will receive a link to each printable worksheet as they are released on my blog.
Love you xxx