[THREAD] I want to take a moment to share a small exercise that can be very helpful and is super easy to do. This is especially helpful for those of us who have had anxiety or depression for a long time. This is because we tend to internalize that depression and anxiety so much.
We start to believe more and more the thoughts that come with them. That's problematic because they are external and don't reflect who we truly are or really believe in. But overtime, they kind of wear us down. Therefore, we need to get used to keep a list.
On one side of the list, we can put thoughts that we believe are truly ours. On the other side, we put those thoughts that we believe come from our depression and anxiety. How do we separate the two? It will mainly come with evidence.
If the evidence for overwhelms evidence against for these thoughts, then it is most likely connected to reality and us. If there is stronger evidence against, then it is most likely a fabrication from our depression and anxiety. Let's do it in an example.
Let's say my depression constantly tells me that I am a failure. I start to believe it because it has been years since I have had this thought. Evidence for could be: I haven't achieved everything I would. Evidence against could be: I still have a great job, good education,
I still have a lot of room to grow. Therefore, the thought that I am a failure is more likely to come from my depression than a realistic internal thought. This exercise is simple and efficient. It allows us to bring perspective to thoughts we may have internalized.
It also allows us to externalize and analyse those thoughts, which is truly beneficial for making sense of them and helping shift that lens a little more.
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