What we think impacts on how we feel and what we feel dictates how we act. It’s what is going on in our head and how our heart reacts that makes us the person we are. And therein lies a trap.
It’s been estimated that the average person has between 12,000 and 60,000 thoughts a day. Think about that. And also think about the estimation that while 95% of those thoughts are the same as yesterday’s a staggering 80% of those thoughts are negative.
But that does not mean that we are enmeshed in a garbage-in/garbage out scenario. How it is does not have to reflect how it will be. All that is needed is more time spent on thinking about what we are thinking.
When we examine our thoughts and work on understanding their source we increase the likelihood that we will be able to separate the rational from the irrational. Knowing what we think and why we think it is key to self-understanding, self-acceptance and helping reduce our levels of stress and anxiety.
A way to boost our ability to cope is to keep a journal…to get that which is happening inside to the outside so it can be examined in a clearer, calmer fashion and at a time of our choosing.
When we write down our anxious thoughts we boost our chances of challenging negative thinking. A written reference point is far more tangible than a random and troubling idea.
Memories fade but a thought diary gives us a retrospective insight into the path have travelled.
It’s only by knowing where we are and understanding how we got to this point that we can face the future with the confidence we need.
Gary Bentley Counselling 