Freedom of Choice

We’ve analyzed our negative thoughts and we’ve given ourselves a short break from them by using distractions. Maté asks us to now go deeper and evaluate the total cost of the negative thoughts we live with. Have those negative thoughts prevented us from following our dreams? Have they prevented us from living our authentic lives? Have they impacted our mental or physical health? On the other hand, have they kept us safe in some way?

Taking my example further, I look at the thought that I have to have a clean house to be a worthwhile person. What has that thought done for me? After some time thinking about it, I conclude that it  a) It has brought stress into my life. b) it makes me ashamed of myself when my house isn’t clean. c) it makes me afraid to slow down, relax and enjoy leisure time. d) the dirt and untidiness when I fail to succeed at cleaning my house make me feel small, useless, worthless.

What has your negative thought or thoughts, done for you? How do you feel these thoughts in your body? Headaches, tight chest, fatigue, general malaise?

Having considered our negative thoughts thoroughly, we have to remind ourselves that this way of thinking is not our fault. Those negative thoughts are with us because of our emotional and physical environment and the way we are biologically wired to think.  What we choose to do with them, though, that is up to us. We can choose how to proceed.

As for me, I may take baby steps in not doing as much housework and I’ll see how that feels. Maybe it will free me up to do something that I have been wanting to do. Maybe all that housework has been holding me back from doing something that feels authentic to me.

Which negative thought are you living with? How are you going to proceed? Will you take action to defy the negative thought? Or not? The choice is always yours. For more on this and other mental health topics, follow me at heidiredlcounselling.ca. To book an appointment with me, call or text 250 318-2079 or email heidiredl.writes@gmail.com