I think the expression ‘ penny for ’em?’ is a bit old now, but the sentiment behind the words still stands. Seeing someone vacantly staring into space, their mind clearly somewhere else, prompts the innocent question. The day dreamer will usually laugh it off when they’re asked what they’re thinking…. ‘wouldn’t you like to know?’ haha or ‘oooh that would be telling!’
©SuzyRowland FluffyClouds
We all get lost in thought from time to time, it’s a way to give our brains a rest from the onslaught of daily life, but what about when our thoughts are disturbing, negative, full of criticism and self-loathing? Thoughts like these can be harmful if allowed to run rampant in our minds. They can feed our anxiety, making it impossible to live a normal life, without being wracked with anxiety, nervousness, fear.
Are you aware of your thoughts?
Being aware of our thoughts is more difficult than you would think. We all have negative thoughts that pop in, but being aware of them? And realising that the voice in your head isn’t real, that takes an entire leap of understanding and self-awareness. But once you catch those thoughts, especially if they are harming or upsetting ones, it’s important to remind yourself that they are not real. They are part of your subconscious mind that is streaming a narrative about yourself you have probably had for ages.
It’s not easy to switch the negative thought into a positive ‘happy’ thought, but getting to the point of ‘stopping’ a negative thought in its tracks is an excellent starting point,
If you can do that successfully, you might want to try to ‘stream’ a different thought. You could try:
“…I’m good at trying new things..”
“..I can pretend to be confident, even if I don’t feel it!”
“..I’m braver than I realise..”
CBT: A vital tool in the battle against anxiety
Or you could try this:
“When I add them all up, there are LOTS of people who think I’m ok” ?
I can’t wait to meet my new cohort of parents at the next #happyinschool session on Wednesday October 9 @expresscic
Email info@ecoredscic.org.uk for more information
If you think this blog post would help someone you know, feel free to share.
© Suzy Rowland