Monday reset: 17th March 2025
How do I manage my thoughts? more easily said than done
“Adversity is like a strong wind. I don’t mean just that it holds us back from places we might otherwise go. It also tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that afterward we see ourselves as we really are, and not merely as we might like to be.” Arthur Golden.
Good morning everyone,
We all experience thoughts that cause us anxiety, from time to time, it’s part of being human. I think, part of the art of being human, is finding tools to manage the anxiety that these thoughts can produce. We may need different tools at different times. Each Monday, we will be tooling up!
We all hear about how we must manage our minds. And it is true, we can help ourselves a lot of the time. But it is DIFFICULT. Especially is times of stress. The more stressed we are, the more busy and at the mercy of our thoughts, we can feel. It can feel impossible, at times, to ‘manage our minds’. Then what do we do? We criticise ourselves and make ourselves feel more stressed. And that vicious cycle emerges.
There are a thousand tools for this. I have picked one for today. It is one of many and won’t work all the time but it might be helpful some of the time. It is a tool to add to the ones you already have. I would invite you try this when your mind is calm, it makes it easier to get the hang of. You didn’t learn to drive on the motorway at 90 miles per hour? Or at least I hope not 😊 You learned to drive your car slowly and the mind is the same. Practice in mind first gear!
The idea is simple. Simple ideas tend to stick more easily.
Let’s take this scenario. You find you are stuck on a few thoughts that are making you anxious. Instead of trying to pick each one up and deal with it, think about where those thoughts are taking you? To a catastrophic future of doom? If you let that thought(s) hook you, where does it take you towards? Towards the life you want or away from the life you want? Helping make that decision or making it more difficult? If you let these thoughts guide or advise you, will they help you behave like the person you want to be? Asking this question creates a junction with two roads forking out in different direction towards you.
Photo by Einar Storsul on Unsplash
You are now empowered to make a decision about which thoughts to follow. Can you choose thoughts that take you the direction of the life you want or the person you want to be? It maybe this question needs tweaking, depending on the situation you find yourself in.
I hope you have a good week.
With all kind wishes
Jane
Accredited Cognitive Psychotherapist
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Compassion Focussed Therapy (CFT), Mindfulness & Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
➡️If you would like to work with me on a 1:1 basis you can contact me at: mail@janewatkinscbt.co.uk
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Simple, yet so effective 👍
Thank you, glad you found it helpful 😊