Up until today we’ve been concentrating our efforts on pausing to notice what our bodies are feeling. To stop, breathe, sit with what we’re feeling, and treat ourselves with kindness. But today Dr. Diana Hill introduces us to the concept of Cognitive Defusion: the art of stepping back from our thoughts.
She begins the session by asking us to observe, whether it’s a noise, our breath, the feel of a breeze on our skin. She then discusses how our brains are constantly churning out thoughts. Some are good. Some are helpful. Others aren’t so nice. Some drag us down. And if we sit a bit too long with those kinds of thoughts we create a loop. (I’m thinking kind of like ‘spiraling’.) But she says that, inside each of us, is a “noticer”. The part of us that has the ability to simply notice thoughts without getting swept up in them.
She leads us through an exercise to help us separate ourselves from our thoughts. We are not our thoughts. Yes, we have them. They come and go. And yes, sometimes it can feel like they’re in our faces, stuck to us like “sticky notes”. At this point she encourages us to bring a thought to mind, write it on the imaginary sticky note, and look at it. Read it. Suddenly we’re looking at it from the outside, so to speak. It’s not in our heads anymore. It’s just a ‘thing’ we’re looking at. Then she asks us to put that sticky note on the floor. Ok. There it is. Another thought pops into your head. Write that one down too. Look at it, then put that one on the floor next to the other sticky note. Then she says to focus our attention to something else. Something better. Something worth our time and energy. Or it could be as simple as focusing on our breath. The point is this:
“You are the chooser of your attention.”
Dr. Hill mentions that we may want to revisit some of those sticky notes, in case they might come in handy, but we can choose which ones we want or need to carry with us and which ones to put on the floor. Then we can focus our energy on the things that are important to us. The bottom line is that we can choose which thoughts to listen to and which ones to walk away from. It’s a skill that we can cultivate through practice. One that has the potential to free us from getting swept away from our thoughts.
I hope you were able to jot down a thought or two that don’t serve you well, set them down, and walk away. Even if for a brief moment. Take care.
#10dayburnout&exhaustionchallenge
#breathe
#chooseyourattention
The information provided on this website is intended for educational purposes only and is, in no way, a substitute for professional medical advice. The events, practices, and opinions discussed here are those of the author and should be treated as such. ALWAYS talk with your doctor about conditions, medications, and concerns you have about your health and work together to determine the best course of action for you.
Wholeness Health and YOU! 