The Chimp has its hand hovering above the big red button of anxiety, ready and waiting with a catalog of negative thoughts.Īnd because it pre-dates the development of our logical minds, the Chimp has cemented beliefs into our internal computers. It stored our emotional memories and tries to help us avoid emotional pain. Now it tells us when to get angry at drivers who don't indicate. We all have a Chimp, a part of our subconscious, with us since birth. It was Professor Steve Peters who coined the "Chimp" concept. All of which increase stress, anxiety and negative thought patterns. We've felt bored, isolated, lonely and sluggish. That's understandable – we've all been working from home, with our personal spaces functioning as workspaces. When talking with my friend Ellen about writing this blog, she told me that her negative thoughts have increased in strength and frequency since the start of the pandemic. It felt like I had no control over my brain like I was poisoning myself. My sister Laura is a psychotherapist and told me to start writing down every single negative thought I had, as soon as I had them. I don't know about you, but the worse I feel, the less likely I am to take positive action. They can warp our perception of experiences and even cause us physical and mental damage, feeding mood and anxiety disorders. They can stunt personal growth, cause us to make bad decisions, and drive us to become the worst versions of ourselves. Negative thoughts will fester and stop you going for promotions, jobs, friendships, relationships, adventures, and opportunities. Sometimes, when they get out of control, you begin to realize that they're a life-ruiner. Perhaps those negative thoughts are always there, perhaps they come and go. Are Negative Thoughts Impacting Every Area of Your Life? Instead, he told me what an incredible job I'd done and how well I'd coped under all the pressure. Just like I'd been telling myself all these weeks. I was certain that he was about to confirm how I'd let everyone down. My heart was in my throat, I was physically shaking as I sat down. On the last day, once everything had gone live, our account director Neil called me into his office. At times, I felt utterly paralyzed by them. Those thoughts knocked my confidence and put me off my game, almost becoming an evil self-fulfilling prophecy. I was out of my comfort zone, and every little hurdle triggered, "I'm really screwing this up" thoughts. I remember my first time project-managing a huge and complicated web build for a client. But, sometimes it says things like, "I'd never be able to do that," or "It's so obvious they all hate me." Coping Under Negative Pressure That little voice can also keep us motivated toward goals. Adrenalin and Cortisol help keep us safe in an emergency, but we're not running from saber-toothed tigers anymore, and too much of these powerful chemicals can make us ill.ĭon't get me wrong, at times this little negative voice can actually be good, "No, I should not eat that entire packet of biscuits and call it breakfast." When our brain senses imminent danger, it triggers the release of stress hormones. Some people have just learned to manage it. However, it turns out that little voice in our heads is completely natural, whether you're an introvert or not. Sometimes I've looked enviously at other people who didn't seem to struggle at all. I've struggled with negative thoughts my whole life. I have to manage the floodgates, to stop negative thoughts ruling my day. As an introvert, I have a running monolog in my head all day, constantly analyzing situations and other people’s words and actions. We've been through the wringer this past year and it's fair to assume that we've all had some dark moments.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |