- Melissa L. White
By Melissa L. White, LCSW, MRC Medical Advisory Board member
Are you stuck in your own head? More importantly, is being stuck in your head preventing you from moving forward with activities, changes and challenges that would truly benefit you? Ever notice how people sometimes have a tendency to think things to death and come up with all sorts of ideas or reasons why we shouldn’t or can’t do something – like starting an exercise routine, a weight loss program or more time for self care? For example, “I really need some new shoes before I start exercising,” “I should be doing something else with my time,” or the all inclusive “I don’t have time.”
I receive a “Thought for the Day” newsletter from the Napoleon Hill Foundation, and there is one in particular that I want to share with you – “When you close the door of your mind to negative thoughts, the door of opportunity opens to you.”
I have been “stuck in my own head” for several weeks and I have prevented me from starting an exercise program that I know all too well is beneficial for me (and my family, too, because I am nicer and calmer when I exercise) emotionally, physically and spiritually. Okay, so I wouldn’t mind seeing if I can get as lean as Sookie from “True Blood” – you know the dream episode where she flashes that body of hers – point is, my negative thoughts and being “stuck in my head” kept me from starting for WEEKS.
Initially I blamed it on my husband, because I was waiting for him to finish clearing out a spot in the garage. What I realized was I had plenty of space in the living room the entire time I was “waiting on him.” Finally, I woke up, “unstuck” myself, closed the negative thoughts door and started focusing on how to make it work and voila – here I am on day 5. (I began exercising in the living room, and after I started, my husband got a move on getting things organized in the garage!)
The question of the week is … what are you depriving yourself of by keeping the door to negative thoughts open and staying stuck in your own head? You share your comments, and I’ll keep you updated on my progress, as well!
I used to use this exercise with my personal training clients.
I’d find some old cassette tapes in my house.
I’d bring them with me to my personal training sessions.
I’d hand a cassette tape to my client and ask them to put all their negative thoughts and negative energy onto the tape. I’d ask them, all those negative thoughts that just keep repeating themselves in your head, pretend that you’re transferring all those onto these tapes.
Once they said they were done, I’d take the tape from them and proceed to smash it to pieces by stepping on it.
And then I’d look them in the eyes and say “no more negative tapes that are always looping themselves in your mind. They’re gone!
Much appreciated for the information and share!