Don’t Believe Everything You Think

I tell my clients this all the time:

YOUR THOUGHTS ARE NOT FACTS

I get some funny looks back at me - I'm used to it.

We have thousands of thoughts wandering around in our minds all day - there is no way that we could pay attention to all of them. Our brain is constantly filtering through information to explore things that might be relevant, what needs to be remembered, what can be ignored and then ...

BAM!

A thought pops into your conscious that stops you in your tracks...

Things like:

"I'm not good enough"

"People don't like me"

"I need to lose weight"

"I should be better"

It sucks.

We all get stuck with these thoughts sometimes because they are a threat to our functioning - they are telling us that something is not okay - especially with us.

Over half of our thoughts focus on functions of daily living:

"where are my keys?"

"I need to stop at the grocery store later and buy milk"

"I have to go to work"

"Should I make supper or order Sushi?!"

We don't spend too much time dwelling on them because they are often easy to solve, facts, and quick decisions, or process related. Where we really get stuck is when a thought sticks around a little bit too long that somehow triggers our sense of self-worth, our value, or our safety. It can be quite easy to start believing that everything that we think is true because ... well ... it's our own thoughts. Surely our own mind would not make us believe something false.

Right?!

Unfortunately, it is true. Our minds tell us lots of things that aren't true. It tries to help us fill in the blanks when are feeling unsure and it send us information that it thinks will be helpful. Some of the time though, it is not helpful and can even become harmful to our mental health and well-being.

To start to build up your mental strength at challenging unhelpful thoughts, ask yourself these questions:

WAYS TO CHECK YOUR THOUGHTS

1.Is it true? Is it a fact?

2.What evidence do I have to support this?

3.What evidence do I have against this?

4.Am I making any assumptions?

5.What emotion does this thought bring?

6.Am I basing my thoughts on emotions or facts?

7.What other ways can I look at this situation?

It's not easy work, and is often best done with the help of a trained professional, but it is definitely a skill that anyone can learn and build up a strong mind against unhelpful thought patterns.

Interested in learning this skill?

Check out our Collective of Therapists here to find your match