Write it down! Mountain Lesson No.42
We all ‘suffer’ from stress occasionally–be it emotional stress, physical stress and even sometimes both. One way to deal with this is to talk about it, but in the absence of company, or if you find yourself not able to speak, then writing down what you’re feeling is a great way to start the process of processing what’s happening.
Just like regularly writing down your goals, writing how you feel can help bring clarity.
So, next time you’re feeling stressed, write down your stressful thoughts, then go for a walk, hike, ride, workout. Whatever your stress release ‘thing’ is.
The suffering that goes on inside our minds is not reality, says Byron Katie. It's just a story we torture ourselves with. "All war begins on paper," she explains. Write down your stressful thoughts, and then ask yourself the following four questions:
Is it true?
Ask yourself if the thought you wrote down is true.
Can you absolutely know it's true?
What evidence do you have that proves that your thought is true? Our little voice loves to play havoc with reality. Seek evidence.
How do you react—what happens—when you believe that thought?
Observe your internal cause and effect. What do you feel? How do you treat the situation you've written about, how do you treat yourself, when you believe that thought? Make a list. Be specific. Yep, this means you’ll need a pen and paper with you. Don’t use a device. Writing is kinaesthetic–you feel it.
Who would you be without the thought?
Imagine yourself in that situation or the presence of that person, without believing that thought. How would your life be different if you didn't have the ability to even think the stressful thought? How would you feel? Which do you prefer—life with or without the thought? Which feels kinder, more peaceful?
This works with anything. It helps to put yourself in the other person’s shoes – to look at the situation from another point of view. Your mind, the Great Trickster as John Kehoe calls it, will go to great lengths to twist the truth to suit its point of view.
Seek the truth.
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