Course 11: "Mind Map"
Mind Map as a Wellness Tool
Welcome to Course Eleven of the Wellness Walk.
Sometimes our minds feel like they’re running on autopilot—replaying the same worries, fears, or negative messages over and over again. If life has been full of trauma, instability, poverty, rejection, or chaos, it makes sense that sometimes your thoughts might lean toward expecting the worst when in certain situations.
At the same time, healing often invites us to pause and gently look at what’s happening inside of our minds so that we can better understand how to respond moving forward.
This session is about learning that you don’t have to believe every thought you think. Your thoughts influence how you feel and what you do, but they are not always facts, and they can be redirected.
Just like a map helps you find a new route when the road you’re on isn’t working, a Mind Map helps you notice old thinking patterns and practice choosing new ones that support your healing.
This session is broken into three simple parts: Reveal, Reflect, and React. Each part is designed to be safe, manageable, and supportive—at your pace.
Understanding Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Our thoughts, feelings, and actions are deeply connected. This is the foundation of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), a tool that helps us understand how our minds work.
It often looks like this:
A thought → creates a feeling → leads to an action
For example:
Thought: “No one ever helps me.”
Feeling: Lonely, hopeless
Action: You isolate or stop asking for help
Now imagine gently shifting that thought:
New Thought: “Asking for help doesn’t make me weak.”
New Feeling: More open or hopeful
New Action: You reach out or show up for support
This is why we call it a Mind Map.
Your thoughts are like roads. Some of them have been traveled so often that they feel automatic—even if they lead to dead ends like shame, isolation, or giving up. The Mind Map helps you notice those roads and begin finding new paths that lead toward peace, growth, and freedom.
Here are some common thought patterns many people experience:
Common Thought
“I always mess things up.”
“No one cares what I’m going through.”
“I’ll never be stable.”
“I’m in too deep to change.”
“If I fail, I’ll look stupid.”
Where It Leads/The Feeling
Shame, giving up
Isolation
Hopelessness
Staying stuck
Avoiding action
A New Thought to Try
“I’ve messed up before, but I’m trying again now.”
“Some people do care—I just might not see it yet.”
“Stability takes time, but I’ve already started.”
“I’ve been hurt, but I’m not beyond healing.”
“Trying something new is a brave step forward.”