Hi Aree,
And thank you Mary for your insights, especially:
So often our mental health journey starts in childhood which is where we learn our behaviours to protect ourselves. Looking at these times and accepting the stories they tell help us move forward.
These are really wise words. And really, that little child who learned all those behaviours is still within us, and is continuing to engage in those self-protective behaviours ... problem is, they no longer serve a useful purpose for us now. They are now counterproductive for us and creating difficulties for us (eg. racing, anxious thoughts; compulsive worrying; severe self-criticism). These thought patterns were so often created by our subconscious who was trying to protect us when we were small, powerless children. But we're not that child anymore and we need to reprogramne our subconscious and let her/him know we are actually now a strong, capable adult who is able to cope with this thing called life.
I found a really helpful strategy recently: visualise the source of most of your negative self-talk, anxiety, etc as a young version of yourself, eg a small child, or when you felt at your most vulnerable, and imagine yourself opening your heart to this small child, comfort and reassure your small self, listen to her, give her a cuddle, hear her fears and let her know that it's ok, you've got her back now, and she can relax, you will protect her. It creates a connection between our adult self and our inner chid who still feels trapped in the past.
I have been finding this really effective, and i think it truly opens up the possibility of feeling genuine compassion for yourself.
I hope that came out clearly, i feel like i blabbed on a bit, but i really wanted to share it with you and thank you Mary for opening that topic.
Warm and caring thoughts 🌻🌻🌻 birdy ❤❤❤
