Brainspace
Opening
exercise:
Start by thinking for a few minutes about some of the things that occupy your
mind nowadays. List as many as you can think of by putting them in the brain
picture below. Try to put neutral, positive or helpful thoughts next to the black
numbers 1-5. If you have negative or harmful thoughts that occupy your mind,
then put those next to the red letters A-E
When everyone has had time to fill out the diagram,
then as a group discuss some of the thoughts that occupy space
in your mind in your life today.
The
R’s of Managing Difficult Thoughts
Read First – Some people have a chronic mental health condition called Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). OCD involves recurring obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors that can be extremely difficult to control. OCD is biological in nature and often requires a psychiatric evaluation with a qualified professional who can prescribe medication as needed.
The strategies discussed here may help someone with OCD but alone they may not be enough dependent upon the severity of OCD
Keep in
mind, different
strategies listed below work better for various kinds of problems so it may
require using a variety or even a combination of these coping skills to manage
negative thoughts.
Resolve – Ask
yourself: Can I lessen or remove these difficult thoughts if I take care of the
source problem?
Example: “My obsessive
thoughts about money decreased significantly when I finally resolved the stress
by making a budget and started sticking to it for a while”
Root Out – This is like
the Resolve strategy just mentioned but this could involve deeper problems in
life. Things like trauma, fears, and chronic anxieties can trigger negative
thoughts so getting to the root of these issues (which can take time and
therapy) can help a great deal.
Example: “I was
driving myself out of my mind thinking critically about my looks until I
finally got help and processed my childhood experiences where my mother was
always putting me down about how I looked while I was growing up. Now that I
have worked on this, my mind is much freer and clearer”
Redirect
and Replace – Some thoughts are simply better dealt with by distracting
ourselves or changing the channel. This is not always easy but when it works it
can be extremely effective
Example – “Every
time I started thinking about my Ex, I just remembered what a waste of time it is
to think about the past and instead I focused on positive goals that I hoped to
achieve in my new life since the relationship ended. Since I shifted focus my
career has really advanced!”
Reason – Some
thoughts are just irrational or unrealistic, and therefore they can be
reduced or even removed by thinking things through in a reasonable and rational
way. This can take practice.
Example –
“Sometimes I wake up in the morning and start obsessing about how things could
go wrong in the day ahead. I have learned to reduce those thoughts by reasoning
that the odds are my day will have some basic ups and downs but if I make safe decisions,
I am going to be just fine, so worrying about what might happen each morning is
a waste of time”
Recognize –
Finally,
sometimes we need to recognize and accept that some things are what they are
and therefore, thinking about them is not going to change anything. It can be
important to remind ourselves that thinking about the same thing over and over is
not going to make it any better
Example – I used
to find myself obsessing about my receding hairline until finally I accepted
that some men just go bald and as much as it can be uncomfortable to adapt to,
it just is what it is. I then gave in and changed my hairstyle to adapt and I
am so much more at peace mentally.
Pick a problem in your life from the
opening exercise and discuss how you can practice these strategies to manage
the negative thoughts
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