How to wake yourself up

Thoughts that contradict reality can cause internal stress and unhappiness

But.. It often feels like the person or the situation is the problem

And we don't want to become disengaged in life because "it's all in the mind"

[By the way, it most definitely is not]

How do we know the difference?

In a challenging situation, we won't have the time or ability to 'stop the ride' and look at our thinking

Far more practical is Prevention

This means a daily habit... to wake yourself up

Reframe the inner stories that don't serve you

Let's go

Set aside 10 minutes:

1. Get a pen & paper or use your device (notifications off)

2. Find a settled environment

3. Close your eyes

4. Thoughts will come

5. Write down one that is stressful or causes discomfort. If there are lots, pick one that has a strong emotional charge

Now you're going to shine a light

1. Ask yourself if the thought is true. You can answer 'yes' or 'no'. Write it down

2. Ask yourself if you can be 100% certain the thought is true. 'Yes' or 'No'. Write it down

3. Check in with your body and see what feelings arise when you think and believe this thought

4. Imagine how your life would be if you were incapable of thinking this thought

The last step is where the magic happens.

Flip the thought around and see if it feels as true or truer than the original

[Note: we're not denying or making ourselves doubt our thinking. We're reframing a thought that causes us stress to see if the reason for the discomfort is that it's untrue]

Tomorrow I'll give an example of this last part

(Trying to stick to my 30 secs reading time)

Have a great day

When I was feeling confused and lost in the world, I needed hope, autonomy and understanding. These daily emails are for that young human struggling in the challenging game of life

They should take you less than 30 seconds to read

If you want some synchronous real-time connection, head to my site here: https://www.markheath.co