After reading these next two sentences, I want you to sit back, close your eyes, and just think.
What thoughts pop into your mind? Do you have control over these thoughts?
Okay, go ahead and close your eyes now. Think about the answers to those questions. Did you know there is a way to change the way you think when you give yourself to the time to just think? If any of these thoughts, feelings, or impulses are discomforting, there may be a solution for you. Dr. Jeffrey Schwartz, a neuropsychiatrist associated with UCLA has four steps that allow you to change the way you think and live more consciously.
- Re-label your thought, feeling, or impulse as separate from other thoughts
- Re-attribute what you want to change by calling it a new name–whatever sticks and helps you remember it
- Refocus your attention on replacing that bad tendency with a new one
- Revalue. Once you realize that there is a better way of thinking and living, you will realize that this old tendency is easier to avoid than you once thought.
To read more about changing the way your mind thinks, feels, and experiences, check out this article.