Following on from my previous blog, "An Introduction to Logging Thoughts," I am going to explore how to begin to challenge our thoughts and what that process looks like.
Challenging our thoughts can be difficult in fact at times it can be boring! It is
actually far easier to continue how we think then to look at it and try to change it.
So why challenge our thoughts?
Sometimes, our thought patterns can be unhealthy.
Our thoughts impact our emotions leading us to feel a certain way
for example
Anxious
Nervous
Sad
Angry
Guilty
Our emotions can influence our behaviour, which could lead us to act in ways we might not like.
For example
Avoid
Runaway
Fight
Take drugs
Drink alcohol
I have used the same example as in my earlier blog post, so if you haven't read it yet, please do so!
Here is a recap of the situation the thought, the emotion, and the physical sensation.
The situation
I messaged my friend, I could see the message was read but they did not respond.
My thought
I must have done something wrong.
My emotion
Anxious.
My behaviour
Avoid/Archive message.
My physical symptoms
Restless and fidgety.
So how do we begin to challenge this?
Even though there are times when we wish we could change something that has happened, remember the situation does not and cannot change.
This is when we look at our thought about the situation as this is what can be challenged.
The way we think about a situation is what impacts our emotions and behaviours.
Looking at my initial thought on the scenario I am now going to think about an alternative thought
My previous thought
I must have done something wrong.
My alternative thought
They may be busy.
So how does this impact my emotion?
My previous emotion
Anxious.
My new emotion
No impact on my emotion - I am feeling the same way as I was when I sent the message.
How does this new emotion affect my behaviour?
My previous behaviour
Avoid/Archive message.
My new Behaviour
It doesn't impact my behaviour I carry on with my day.
How is my body reacting?
My previous physical symptoms
Restless and fidgety.
My new physical symptoms
None.
Learning to challenge our thoughts can help us identify and break a negative thought cycle. It can help us to think more positively.
Challenging our thoughts can be tough it is a continuous process and, as mentioned earlier, it can seem boring but persevere.
Begin with small steps like the scenario above, and then gradually progress.
Comments