The 0 to 100 Facade: Why This Limiting Belief is Holding You Back
Last week, I wrote about not allowing your emotions to take control when triggered by someone else’s behavior or words. This week, I want to focus on the limiting belief of “I just go from 0 to 100.”
It’s understandable why someone might think this about themselves. Sometimes, it feels like things escalate so quickly that there seems to be no time between our button being pushed and our reaction.
While this belief may feel true, it’s more important to understand how it holds us back. This mindset can lead to negative consequences and keep us stuck in a cycle of harmful behavior—toward ourselves and others. Let’s take a look at how this way of thinking can be damaging:
1. It Traps You in a Fixed Self-Image: Believing you "just go from 0 to 100" reinforces a self-image that locks you in. It becomes an identity: This is just who I am.
2. It Strips Away Your Power to Change: When you tell yourself this is just how you are, you’re implying that change is impossible and that you have no control over your actions.
3. It Shifts Responsibility onto Others: There will always be people who push your buttons—oftentimes, those closest to you. When you’ve been vulnerable with someone about your struggles, you naturally expect them to treat that information with care. If they hurt you with it, it’s easy to get stuck in blame, waiting for them to change instead of taking ownership of your response.
4. It Keeps You in Dysfunctional Cycles: Your lifestyle choices may be contributing to high stress levels, making it harder to regulate emotions. Poor sleep, unhealthy eating, and chronic stress can all keep cortisol (the stress hormone) elevated, making it more difficult to stay calm when triggered.
5. It’s a Fight, Flight, or Freeze Response: Quick, intense reactions often stem from our brain’s survival mode. When our “button” gets pushed, our brain perceives a threat and triggers a physiological response. This survival mode is designed to engage in life-threatening situations—like encountering a bear in the wild. But when our internal alarm system is damaged, it can’t distinguish between physical danger and emotional discomfort or perceived emotional danger.
For example, if you were made to feel bad about yourself growing up, and someone says something negative about you now—your brain thinks its a bear! If you learned that it wasn’t safe to be wrong, and someone disagrees with you—it’s a bear!
The Truth: You Don’t Actually Go from 0 to 100
When your alarm system is triggered, your brain releases cortisol and insulin, causing a physical reaction—you get hot, tense, your breathing changes, etc. (Check last week’s blog for more details.)
But if your cortisol and insulin levels were already high from stress, anxiety, or unhealthy habits, you weren’t really at zero to begin with. You were already at 80 or 90. So when your buttons were pushed, you went from 80 to 100—not 0 to 100.
How to Break Free from This Limiting Belief
1. Change Your Self-Perception: Growth requires intention. Intentionally forgive those who contributed to your negative beliefs, and forgive yourself for holding onto them. Use positive affirmations to remind yourself that you are capable of learning and change.
2. Take Back Your Power: When we believe we are incapable of change, we become dependent on others to control our behavior. But that’s unrealistic and unhealthy. You decide who you are—regardless of how others act or what they say.
3. Use Healthy Boundaries: If someone repeatedly weaponizes your vulnerabilities, ask yourself: Am I trusting someone who isn’t safe? If so, you may be breaking trust with yourself by expecting them to treat you differently. Healthy boundaries protect your emotional well-being.
4. Adjust Your Expectations: People will misunderstand you sometimes—that’s normal. Instead of reacting defensively, view it as an opportunity to foster understanding for both you and them.
5. Support Your Body’s Ability to Regulate Emotions: If you, like me, have a sweet tooth and enjoy foods that aren’t the best for you, your cortisol and insulin levels may already be high. Chronic stress and anxiety can also elevate these levels. When your buttons get pushed, your body was never at zero—it was already on edge. Taking care of your physical health makes emotional regulation easier.
The Bottom Line
Limiting beliefs do exactly what they say—they limit us. They keep us stuck in unhealthy cycles and prevent growth. But when we challenge these beliefs and engage in self-reflection, we create an opportunity to break destructive patterns and reclaim control over our lives. So, don’t excuse your behavior by thinking “this is just who I am.” Instead, embrace your ability to grow, learn, and change. Remember, you got this!
-Dr. Jennie
© 2025 Dr. Jennie. All Rights Reserved.
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