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Up and down

 Things have been so up and down for me lately. It’s literally one good day, one bad day at the moment, not very balanced at all...But at least I am having good days though right?! 🤪


Today is a good day. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping a happy, familiar tune. I’ve got the doors and windows open and a refreshing breeze is sweeping through my nice tidy house.

 *Ahhh bliss*

I know it won’t stay tidy for long but it’s nice to enjoy it in this moment 😅


I’m reading an interesting book at the moment called “The Happiness Trap”. I’m only a few chapters in, but it’s quite fascinating. It’s about a mindfulness approach called ACT or Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. This is quite different to the popular CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy). 


CBT is a form of therapy that focuses on identifying negative and destructive thoughts and behaviours and changing/replacing them with positive ones. 


ACT on the other hand, proposes that instead of trying to fight against these thoughts, you accept them for exactly what they are...just thoughts. This book outlines steps to take to effectively handle painful thoughts and feelings instead of just trying to get rid of them.


I imagine it would take quite a while to put this in practice because it feels almost unnatural (it does for me anyway). My go-to reactions are to suppress or distract myself from negative thoughts and feelings. However, I am learning the hard way that this is not healthy....it will all come out eventually, and cause even bigger problems.


This method sounds quite appealing to me, and I hope it is something I can implement into my life. Having anxiety and depression makes it feel like my mind is really out to get me sometimes! 


Thank goodness for the neuroplasticity of the brain! As permanent as some thought patterns may seem to be, it IS possible to change and “rewire” with the right help.


I’m not satisfied living life feeling this way. I’m going to continue to try everything until things get better!




Comments

  1. Twitter Qrstuv_RileySeptember 12, 2021 at 2:55 PM

    I think I have a copy of the book - I have certainly read it, and think it makes a lot of good sense

    ReplyDelete

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