Using the data the subconscious has so diligently collected throughout your life, it aims to keep you safe. Which is why when it senses danger, your heart rate rises, your breath rate increases, the fight or flight mechanism becomes activated. In these moments your subconscious is triggering you to get away and find safety. Later in life, however, this mechanism can cause us problems. Because the same mechanism that tells us to run away from a saber tooth tiger is the exact same mechanism that tells us we are in danger during a conflict with a parent, or a sibling, or a friend. During this conflict, our subconscious senses the same element of danger, and thus floods our bodies with adrenaline and cortisol, our digestion slows down and our heart rate increases. And while this mechanism may be helpful in running away from imminent danger, it can be quite detrimental to our bodies if we respond like this to everyday experiences.

How you see the world and relate to it on a daily basis, your sense of self worth, your ability to connect with others, succeed and overcome hardship – all this and more rests within your subconscious.