This is such a hard post to write, because, like many of its kind, I tend to focus on quick remedies as exercise, meditation, and opening up to those feelings, as we just discussed in our last post about suffering and depression. Of course, as we know, yes, they do help, naturally, in the moment...
But, as I will be candid enough to share with you now, I have been having "one of those weeks." Even thinking about doing yoga or meditating made me anxious. Sometimes, trying to figure out how to relieve our negative feelings only greatly adds to the anxiety of our guilt of feeling them in the first place.
I decided to make a list.
Well, a few, actually. I made lists about what I want to change. I made a list about the things I want, in the material sense (hello, new white couch!) period. I made another list about what absolutely sucked this week and I another list about what made me sad, anxious, and upset this week. And finally, I created a list about what I want to change in my life.
From these lists, I will try and take a good, lengthy and hard look at how my brain seems conditioned to loop right back into negativity, and how I can continue to rewire my brain! Reading the work of others who have made this their life work also greatly helps, like Dr. Rick Hanson. Also, booking a session with a therapist who practices EMDR therapy, like therapist Lesli Johnson , can be tremendously life-changing. (We will be talking about EMDR more extensively in the coming weeks).
But, I think that by beginning to keep these journaling "lists," I will be able to allow myself to really "see" these patterns, and therefore, be able to mentally hi-jack them more effectively, moving forward, before they can dig in.
I encourage you to also start this practice, especially when you are having very "good" days: Bullet-point out, really simply in your journal, what went well, who you were with, and why it was so good. Notate the successes as well as the sh*tty parts of your week and month. And, as always, please feel free to email or comment to let us know how you did!
Here's to a much better week starting on Monday, and a very splendid weekend! Thank you, as always, for reading this week...xo