Posted by ClearSkies on May 19, 2006, at 13:45:14
In reply to How can I learn to shut up?, posted by lymom3 on May 19, 2006, at 11:20:30
My therapist had me write down some of the judgements I have (we all have them, even though we might not want to admit it). I wrote down a list of "what really bugs me" and then took an item on the list and broke it down further.
Writing down and acknowledging these judgements isn't about being right or wrong... it's just an exercise in recognizing what we do or what we're feeling. You're not told to stop thinking or feeling a certain way, but instead we're told to notice that thinking and feeling.
It pretty much stopped me cold. I can't even tell you why it worked, but a few weeks of noticing how I felt seemed to take the power out of my nasty moods and the sting out of my barbed words. It's a more pleasant world around me since I've done this exercise. Also, it's an ongoing thing for me. I don't consider myself done with noticing what I feel, but I'm always finding new things that I can examine.
It's an interesting process.
ClearSkies
poster:ClearSkies
thread:645887
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/relate/20060511/msgs/645929.html