How Do I Stop Illusions in My Mind? Simple Steps to Clarity

Understanding the Illusions in Your Mind

We all experience illusions in our minds at some point—whether they are distorted beliefs, unrealistic expectations, or even fears that don't reflect reality. Illusions can cloud your judgment and leave you feeling stuck. So, how do you stop them? And more importantly, how do you break free from their grip on your life? Well, let’s dive into this topic and explore some practical steps.

Recognizing What Illusions Are

Before we can tackle illusions, it’s important to understand what they really are. Illusions in the mind are often deeply rooted in cognitive biases, past experiences, or emotional triggers. They can lead you to perceive things that aren't true or exaggerate situations in ways that cause unnecessary stress.

The Types of Illusions You Might Experience

It’s not always easy to recognize when you’re dealing with an illusion. Sometimes, they’re subtle. For instance, you might have an inflated sense of danger in a situation that’s actually quite safe, or you might believe something is true about yourself that others don’t see. A lot of the time, these illusions are connected to:

• Perceptions of failure: Feeling like you're not good enough or that everything is doomed.

• Fear of the unknown: Imagining worst-case scenarios that haven't even happened.

• Self-deception: Holding onto beliefs about yourself that are no longer serving you.

Just the other day, I was chatting with a friend about how we both tend to get anxious over situations that aren't even happening. For example, worrying about a project at work and imagining every single thing going wrong, even though there’s no evidence for it. It's so easy to get lost in these illusions.

Challenging Your Thoughts: The Power of Awareness

The first and most powerful step in stopping illusions is becoming aware of them. You need to catch yourself in the act of thinking these distorted thoughts. Sounds simple, right? But in reality, it’s tough. Our minds can be sneaky, and the illusions often feel so real. The trick is to slow down and observe your thoughts without judgment.

Practicing Mindfulness

One technique I’ve found super helpful is mindfulness. It’s all about being present in the moment and observing your thoughts without immediately reacting to them. I remember when I first tried mindfulness meditation, I felt like I wasn’t doing it right. But after a few sessions, I realized that just noticing the thought and letting it pass without attaching any meaning to it was a game-changer.

Mindfulness doesn’t just mean sitting quietly. It’s also about practicing it in daily life. The next time you catch yourself spiraling into an illusion, pause. Take a deep breath. Acknowledge the thought. Then, question it.

Reframing Your Thoughts: Shifting Perspective

Once you’ve identified the illusion, the next step is to challenge it. This means actively reframing the way you’re viewing the situation. Let’s be real, it’s easy to get stuck in negative thought patterns. But when you reframe those thoughts, you start seeing things in a different light.

Questioning Your Beliefs

Here’s an example from my own life: I’ve struggled with the illusion that I’m always behind in life, especially compared to others. I’d see my friends achieving milestones, and I’d start believing I wasn’t doing enough. But when I started questioning that belief, I realized it was based on comparison, not facts. Once I reframed that, I could see that I was on my own path, with my own timeline.

Ask yourself: “Is this thought based on facts or assumptions? Am I seeing the whole picture, or just one piece of it?” Challenge your illusions by asking these kinds of questions.

Self-Compassion: Be Kind to Yourself

Let’s be honest for a second. We can be our own worst critics. And if you're constantly battling with illusions, you might also be too hard on yourself. It's essential to practice self-compassion when trying to stop these illusions. Be kind to yourself through the process, and understand that it’s okay to not have everything figured out immediately.

Treat Yourself Like a Friend

I’ll admit it: I used to be really harsh on myself when I felt like I wasn’t measuring up. But after talking with a friend who reminded me to treat myself the way I’d treat a friend, things started to shift. When you're feeling overwhelmed by illusions, ask yourself, “What would I say to a friend in this situation?” You’d probably tell them to take it easy, right?

Self-compassion isn’t just about feeling better—it’s about building resilience so that when illusions show up, you don’t get swept away by them.

Taking Action: Create Real-Life Evidence

Illusions thrive in the absence of evidence. If you think you’re not capable of achieving something, for example, it’s often because you haven't tried it yet or haven't succeeded in the past. But how do you stop the illusion from taking over? You gather real-life evidence that challenges it.

Building Confidence Through Small Steps

Sometimes, you don’t have to change everything at once. Start small. Break big tasks into tiny, manageable steps. I once had this illusion that I wasn’t good enough to speak in public. The idea terrified me. But I slowly began to take smaller actions, like speaking in front of a friend, then a group of coworkers, and over time, I gained confidence.

You don’t need massive breakthroughs every day. Small wins will accumulate and slowly, those illusions will start to lose their power over you.

Conclusion: Breaking Free from Illusions

Stopping illusions in your mind isn’t a quick fix—it’s a journey. It requires patience, self-awareness, and practice. But with mindfulness, reframing your thoughts, and showing yourself kindness, you can start to break free from the mental traps that hold you back.

If you’re struggling with these illusions, take a moment to breathe, reassess, and remember—you have the power to change the way you think. Don’t let the illusions control your reality. What’s one illusion you’ve been holding onto that you could challenge today?

Is 165 cm normal for a 15 year old?

The predicted height for a female, based on your parents heights, is 155 to 165cm. Most 15 year old girls are nearly done growing. I was too. It's a very normal height for a girl.

Is 160 cm too tall for a 12 year old?

How Tall Should a 12 Year Old Be? We can only speak to national average heights here in North America, whereby, a 12 year old girl would be between 137 cm to 162 cm tall (4-1/2 to 5-1/3 feet). A 12 year old boy should be between 137 cm to 160 cm tall (4-1/2 to 5-1/4 feet).

How tall is a average 15 year old?

Average Height to Weight for Teenage Boys - 13 to 20 Years

How to get taller at 18?

Staying physically active is even more essential from childhood to grow and improve overall health. But taking it up even in adulthood can help you add a few inches to your height. Strength-building exercises, yoga, jumping rope, and biking all can help to increase your flexibility and grow a few inches taller.

Is 5.7 a good height for a 15 year old boy?

Generally speaking, the average height for 15 year olds girls is 62.9 inches (or 159.7 cm). On the other hand, teen boys at the age of 15 have a much higher average height, which is 67.0 inches (or 170.1 cm).

Can you grow between 16 and 18?

Most girls stop growing taller by age 14 or 15. However, after their early teenage growth spurt, boys continue gaining height at a gradual pace until around 18. Note that some kids will stop growing earlier and others may keep growing a year or two more.

Can you grow 1 cm after 17?

Even with a healthy diet, most people's height won't increase after age 18 to 20. The graph below shows the rate of growth from birth to age 20. As you can see, the growth lines fall to zero between ages 18 and 20 ( 7 , 8 ). The reason why your height stops increasing is your bones, specifically your growth plates.