If anyone could listen in to our internal dialogues during a holiday dinner, would we be embarrassed by what they heard? When we are living with a mental health condition like addiction, trauma, or related issues, we might experience shame at the idea of someone listening into what we are thinking. Everyone is prone to having negative thoughts from time to time. Human beings are fallible creatures. We experience self-consciousness, self-centeredness, ego, and more. Our internal narrative can slip away without notice unless we practice noticing what our thoughts are really saying.
Mindfulness is a practice of noticing, paying attention, and becoming aware. When we think thoughts of insecurity, for example, are we convinced it is the truth or are we aware that we are thinking insecure thoughts? If we have resentful, negative thinking toward others do we pay attention to what our part is in the conflict or do we point the blame and remove accountability from ourselves? Should a particular relative or family friend start pushing our buttons, can we notice our body tensing up and our stress levels rising or do we get lost in the tidal wave of frustration? Mindfulness practice helps us take charge of what goes on in our minds then make an informed decision about how we want to feel, what we want to think, and what we are going to do about it.
Labeling thoughts is a mindfulness practice that asks us to take a pause between thought and reaction. As a result we do not react but we respond. Noticing our thoughts, we try to label them and call them by what they are, instead of interpreting them for what they aren’t. If we have an insecure thought we pause and say, this is an insecure thought. Then, we examine: what am I feeling insecure about? Where did this insecurity come from? Is it true? Can I move past this thought? Then, we choose to feel differently.
Judging thoughts is different from labeling thoughts. Mindfulness practice asks us to think in a nonjudgmental way. We do not label our insecure thoughts in order to evaluate them as good or bad. We label them so that we do not have to feel controlled by them in anyway way. Practicing our recovery, we make peace with our mind, relax our body, and continue being present through every moment of our holiday celebrations.
The Guest House Ocala welcomes you with open arms to our private, concierge style treatment programs for trauma and related issues. There is no time like the present to seek treatment and change your life. Everyone has a story. Change yours today.
Call us today for information: 1-855-483-7800