"What is....?": The Break Down on Break Method Terminology

Maybe you’ve been following Break content + you keep hearing some mysterious terms being used and are curious on what they mean...

Maybe you're gearing up for next Break Method semester and want to build your tool kit for the awesome transformation that's about to come.

To get you in-the-know, here’s the quick and dirty on a good starting point on Break terminology (we have a glossary's worth of terms, but we'll get there later-) you may hear around our socials.

So, let's start off with (in my humble opinion) a doozy.

 

What is…. A Source belief?

A source belief is individual to each Break student, that is because it is  calculated early on in the semester and may be the most important thing you do. It's a belief that has been internalized since childhood and affects the foundation that all of your other beliefs to this day stand on….no big deal. A source belief is exactly what, at your core, is keeping you stuck in permanent Groundhog Day status.

Peat + Repeat. 🎡

Everybody develops a 2-part source belief system during their early childhood, (if you’ve been a child, you have a source belief). This source belief pattern begins with an origin source belief, typically anchored into the brain subconsciously between ages two and five, then continues with an adaptive source belief between the ages of 5 and 12.

What does this mean?

You formed a belief about the world around you as a little child, then another belief on TOP of that one in order to survive. In other words, by age 12, you have developed your world view.

…So many of us are just STILL letting that swim around in our brains and guide our decision making  to this day. If you don’t like having a 12 year old drive your car, the good news is that you’re not stuck this way. In order to Break the hold of 8 and 12 year olds, you must understand the cycles that made You by taking back to the source…and THAT is why we calculate them at the beginning of the semester. 

When acting out from a wounded place (aka living out your source belief), you make big decisions that shape your life, perpetuating the cycle of your source belief. It’s unfair that a belief formed as a child would potentially affect your confidence, relationships and career trajectory - It’s a dirty job but SOMEONE’S gotta do it. 

What is…. Directed Writing?

Directed writing is similar to a journaling practice, as it is a potent self-discovery practice used to ‘put out on paper’ but there are key distinctions on what it IS NOT first versus plain-ol 'dear diary' time. 

Directed Writing is not:

• Re-activating your trigger patterns by reliving the events of the day as your brain remembers them.

• Writing down positive affirmations over and over, with your fingers crossed hoping they "work".

• A time for perfectionism. Your writing can be totally private and you should relieve the pressure of it looking pretty or making sense. 

Directed writing is:

• GOAL-ORIENTED - Each session should have an intentional inquiry to be achieved.

• A helpful way to bypass the  subconscious brain from playing tricks on you to hinder progress.

• Grounding, effective and enlightening when used to properly heal your emotional patterns for good.

It is an effective practice that connects your brain activity (both conscious and subconscious) to the muscles in your hand via micro-movements. It opens communication from the conscious to the subconscious and takes inventory of important stories, beliefs, memories, ideas and desires to the page for further analysis.

Break Students will hit pen to paper with a specific question in mind, such as....

• Recalling repressed memories to the surface for healing..

• Revealing a creative solution to a current challenge

or to see conflict from a neutral place in order to disarm conditioned triggered responses.

Try it today by making sure that you…

• Are in a quiet, non-distracting place. Your brain might try to tell you that NOW is a great time to do laundry... (That usually means you're on the cusp of a breakthrough and it's trying to protect you - stay the course!)

• Allow yourself to write freely, without judgment of grammar, spelling or good penmanship.
• Are vulnerable and honest. If the idea of someone else reading your writing makes you want to THROW UP- it's working. 

What is…. Directed Meditation?

Similar to directed writing, directed meditation is an activity with a specific intent in mind and must be done without as little sensory input as possible.
To do the heavy lifting of emotional repatterning, sometimes we need to command our brains to accomplish tasks such as…

• Recall a specific memory from children
• Ask ourselves deep questions and receive answers from a neutral lens
• Or access deep thought and creative solutions

Your brain is sorta like an obedient dog: if you want something from it, you must give it a clear command first. Directed meditation is giving it that command. 

Try it today by making sure that you…

• Give yourself 30 minutes of uninterrupted time.
• No writing, music or sensory input of any kind.
• And just be receptive on what answers come up.

 

When given the proper space, stillness and patience, our brains can be like computers retrieving a file, simply because we've asked them to.
Give this one a try when you're stuck on a problem and need a creative solution--

Because sometimes clarity is an inside job. 

What is… Symbiotic Dysfunction?

A symbiotic dysfunction describes a partnership that works because it.. well... doesn't.

 It is most commonly used to describe a relationship that is dependent on taking turns pushing different buttons that set off reactions.(HINT: Your partner in any scenario doesn’t have to be romantic, it can be - and often is - a friend, your boss, co-worker, parent, sibling and beyond).

In Break Method, we use the analogy 'red ice cream cones' versus 'green ice cream cones' to explain how to "deal" with symbiotic dysfunction.

The “red ice cream cone" is the reaction that your partner is HOPING subconsciously to give you by any action.

They roll their eyes, you raise your voice.

Every time, like clockwork. 🛑🍦

They blow you off, and you shut down instead of speaking your needs.

They get your goat.
You REACT.
And the cycle continues.🛑🍦

As long as the action is triggering/upsetting, it can be considered a RED ice cream cone. Now, a "green ice cream cone" is what Break students are taught to RESPOND with instead. 

So....

Instead of communicating passive aggressively, ghosting or stomping your feet..

THINK GREEN and react with the more intentional response that stops emotional addiction cycles before they can get out of control and manifest into ANOTHER argument.

Green ice cream cones can look like…

• Responding clearly and kindly.
• Stating a firm boundary…

 

• Taking accountability for your actions and role in the symbiotic dysfunction…

 

or choosing to focus on what they DID say, rather than what they didn't say. Sure, it can feel downright awkward for most people, and can take some getting used to.... but THEREIN lies to work. 

✅🍦

Students who show up, do the work of understanding the building blocks of Break are the students that see the best results. We can't wait to see what you take this terminology as it aids you in your quest of emotional repatterning. 💪🏻