Figuring out your feelings
Your feelings are a result of how you think.
If positive and lasting change is what we're after, we have to learn how to track destructive patterns of behavior back to the thoughts and how they came about.
If you want to change your mood and mindset, you have to learn how you think.
It's not easy and may take time, but it can be done.
Think about the last problem you had.
Was it an argument?
Did you binge eat and later on feel upset with yourself?
Did you come home from work angry and take it out on your family?
What were you doing in the moment? Yelling, crying, eating, shutting down.
What were your thoughts? My boss gave me a critique on my review and now I'm sure they're mad at me.
Now, be honest about what you were feeling in the moment that led you to those specific thoughts. (Before, during and after) I was feeling embarrassed and angry about work that I wasn't caring how I was treating anyone else.
Using the steps above, you can walk yourself through how you were thinking. Once you start to do that, you can see if there's a pattern to your thoughts . . . like maybe a time of day when you struggle with negative thoughts.
The more you practice, the more you'll learn about your patterns.
If you can gain awareness of how you're thinking, you'll see that you tend to think in patterns.
Quick Review of the Steps Above:
Think about the last problem or issue and identify what happened and what your thoughts were before, during and after the moment.
Identify the feelings you had that led to those thoughts.
Was your perception of the event accurate? Did you jump to conclusions? React too quickly? Not react at all?
Notice any thought patterns and use the awareness to be proactive with negative thoughts.
Extra Step: Writing things down will help you see your thoughts on paper and start to understand where your feelings are coming from!
Feelings + Thoughts + Behaviors
To make an appointment or ask a question, visit the contact page to send us a message!
Talk soon,
Lori