As you notice your thoughts, you can predict their emotional outcome, and deliberately shift them to get to a more desirable emotional end result.
Thought substitution is an easy way to do this because you cannot think of two things at once.
This is never to deny your feelings or thoughts as denial leads to more problems. But rather it is to recognize that holding or dwelling on some thoughts or emotional states is counter productive and you pay a price for that. Making wise decisions so that you can take the most constructive, effective action requires being able to think clearly.
Emotional control starts with thought stopping and switching.
Furthermore, it is recognition that many thoughts, beliefs and judgments are based on faulty interpretations or world view that hinder you from overcoming challenges or achieving your goals. Such counterproductive thoughts or judgments may have been absorbed or adopted by you years ago without being examined consciously as an adult. Are they really accurate assessments of what is real or possible? Shift them as necessary.
Here are simple ways to shift
1. Shift to a question.
If the thought is “I can’t, I mustn’t, it’ll never work”. Change it to a question of the opposite: “what if I could, what if I can, what if it could work?” All will stimulate your thinking to look for solution, possibilities.
2. Shift emotion by decision.
If you have a bad experience, you could make a decision that it is going to work for your positive advantage even though you cannot possibly know if that will be the case. This decision will stimulate you to look for and possibly find constructive ways to turn that situation around.
“I turn this to my positive advantage.” or “I make this work for me.”
3: Affirm inner resources to solve problems.
If you are feeling stressed, you could affirm that there is greater wisdom, creativity and strength within you that knows how to solve problems and handle whatever you have to do. Then affirm that these inner resources can be harnessed to do so. The truth is that you cannot know the true limits of your inner resources so why not affirm that there is more ability within you? Why not think that you are capable of rising to the occasion and overcoming problems and achieving goals? This can have the immediate effect of calming you down and moving forward.
I do this through what I call The Infinite Intelligence Process, which is fully explained in my book, Accessing More – Tapping Into the Eternal, Unlimited Self with the Infinite Intelligence Process. Below is a sample wording:
“There is a part of my being that knows how to handle this with grace and ease, and is doing so now,” or “there is a part of my being that can resolve this issue, and I am being guided to what I need to do and how to proceed,” or “there is a part of my being that knows who can help me with this, and I am being directed now.”
4: Challenge negative authoriity figures.
If someone else says that you can’t do something, that it will never work, you can challenge their authority to know. In your mind, negate the value of their opinion. The truth is that when someone offers their opinion, even their educated opinion, it is only from what they have studied, what they have experienced, and does not include what they have not studied or experienced.
For example, medical doctors are experts in drugs and surgery, but not in nutrition, energy work or the healing power of prayer, stress management, forgiveness and loving relationships–all of which have a powerful ability to heal. Even within any given profession, the experts frequently disagree. This is why we are advised to seek a second or third medical opinion. Same thing goes for all other experts as well.
Before you accept the opinion of others, determine how knowledgable and experienced that opinion really is on the given topic. Within every profession there are those that find solutions to problems that their colleagues think are unsolvable. And outside of the profession there are those that sometimes come up with creative solutions that work. Why not let that creative problem solver be you?
“What does he know?”or “That’s what he thinks. He’s not an expert. He only knows ___, not ____.”
Or “if there was another way to go about this, what might that be? How can I look at this situation differently?”
Affirm that you are going to find a solution to any important issue.
“I find a way to make it work, I find the answers I need, etc.”
When you are clear about what you want, when you are determined to achieve your goal, you harness both internal resources and external assistance to do so. This gives success your best shot.
5: Focus on what you can do or what you need to do right now.
“What can I do right now to help this situation?”
Write a list and sort out priorities.
“What is the most important thing I need to focus upon?” “What is the first thing I need to do?”
6: Use affirmations and counter thoughts
Repeat any helpful suggestion or counter thought in your mind over and over to blot out the negative thoughts that prevent you from solving the problem.
7. Walking Mantras
Walking Mantras are positive counter thoughts or affirmation in the form of a little jingle that you repeat rhymically to match to steady movements such a walking steps. I list a great many more in my self-hypnosis book, Your Unlimited Potential, along with an entire chapter on stress management, but here are some:
I find a way that works for me.
Sooner or later I figure it out.
I learn and move on.
I get everything done on time.
8. Singing
After you have done what you can and your thoughts are still run-a-way negative, you can perhaps shift with singing a song, preferably a happy tune or inspirational one. Or just listen to music. Dancing also helps. They interrupt the pattern and instantly shift mood.
9. Jokes
Tell a joke or ask someone to tell you one, and then quickly retell to others. The humor will release internal tensions, and shift your mood quickly. I did this when I was going through a divorce. It helped a great deal. See another blog article, Using Humor to Defuse Anger!
10. Exercise
Physical work or exercise gets tension out of the body. Because you also have to pay some attention to what you are doing, it takes away from negative ruminations.
11. Concentrate on anything else
Do anything that requires complete concentration.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
My book Releasing Anger Without Killing Anyone is full of visualizations, exercises, and information that helps you to transmute not just anger, but other disturbing emotions.
Copyright 2015 by Roxanne Louise. However, this article may be shared in other free online sources only if this copyright notice and link to http://www.roxannelouise.com and http://unlimitedpotentialhealingcenter.com are included with the content.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: see our main website: http://www.roxannelouise.com or call 434-263-4337
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