Do you create your own mental movies?

Do you find yourself imagining scenarios for the future, putting words to imaginary situations, wondering what so-and-so might be doing? 

Today, I want to talk about those mental and imaginary "movies" that, even if we don't realize it, provoke emotions and moods within us—often negative ones.

Imagine I’m at a café with Elena, enjoying a beer, and suddenly, I see her deep in thought, looking happy, chin resting on her hand, and wearing one of those smiles that show off her perfect teeth. I ask her, “What are you thinking about?” Elena replies, “Oh, I didn’t realize, sorry! I was thinking about the weekend plans I have with the guy I just met.”

Obviously, Elena was picturing an enjoyable image of her upcoming weekend, connecting with a positive emotion—not yet real but projected into the future.

Having this kind of daydream is fantastic for our mind and mood. Escaping and dreaming is a way to disconnect.

But today's post isn’t about positive daydreams; it's about those mental movies we create that generate negative emotions: anxiety, fear, anguish, frustration, insecurity… These mental movies feel so real that they take us to a dark place, making it hard to find our way back to the light.

Let’s take an example: This morning, Sofía crossed paths with Pedro, a coworker she’s good friends with. Yesterday, they had a minor argument during a discussion over very different opinions about organizing a company event. Sofía noticed that instead of stopping in the hallway to talk, Pedro kept walking, only waving and looking serious.

Sofía sits at her desk and opens a document to work on, but the image of Pedro, serious and unwilling to talk, stays in her mind. "He’s mad at me for sure. Yesterday I was too pushy and stubborn. I shouldn’t be so headstrong—I need to explain my ideas more calmly. If I keep this up, I’ll lose all my friends..." Sofía starts to feel weighed down by guilt, and her body responds with anxiety and anguish, culminating in a sharp headache.

A couple of hours later, Sofía goes to the café and runs into Pedro, who approaches her smiling: “Hey, how are you? Sorry about this morning—I was running late for a meeting about a topic I hadn’t prepared for, so I didn’t stop to chat.”

The movie Sofía created—just like the ones we all build in our heads—stemmed from her fears and insecurities, which began feeding her thoughts. These unconscious thoughts became so intense that they started reinforcing one another until Sofía mentally believed her “movie,” leading to a real emotional response in her body, like her headache.

How can we make these movies disappear?

First and foremost, I recommend actively working on the parts of ourselves that make us feel afraid or insecure. The better we know our fears, the more familiar we are with them, the better we can manage these harmful movies. Everyone has fears, but understanding and managing them allows us to live more fully, happily, and calmly in the present.

Coaching can help you work on this self-awareness so you can better control your thoughts and choose how you want to feel.

As I’ve mentioned in many of my articles, the present is the only moment that truly exists. The past is something that has already happened, leaving us only with a memory. The future hasn’t arrived yet, and there are countless variables that can affect the outcome of any situation we’re projecting.

Ultimately, by working on your mind, you can trace the origins of these mental movies that consume your time and energy, causing distress. If you take the effort to reflect on this question—“Where is this movie coming from?”—you’ll likely find clues to start working on it.

You can approach this from a place of curiosity, without judgment, with the sole intention of understanding yourself better. Are you ready to try?

Image by Freepik

Melinda Sánchez Coach

www.melindasanchezcoach.com