15/08/2024
The alarming thoughts men have each day
And how I overcame mine...
You can too...
My head used to be full of these thoughts...
‘You’re a failure’
‘You’re worthless’
‘Your life is pointless’
‘Just have another beer’
‘You’re a bad father and husband’
‘What’s the point of being here, you might as well be dead’
And I know lots of men have the same ones – they’ve told me
I learned the trick to deal with them
Did they stop?
They didn’t
They just got less over time
And I learned to see them differently
How did I do this?
Meditation
I sat quietly noting the thoughts down on some paper one day
I labelled them 'negative thought' 'self-critical thought'...
I saw the thoughts as thoughts
They aren’t me
I learned to re-label them, to see them differently
They’re trying to do something to protect me
Keep my life the same
Minimising risk
From the past
But now, they were just minimizing joy
So I learned to practice new thoughts
‘Every day, I aim to bring good into the world’
‘To help others with their problems’
‘I am a good dad and husband’
‘‘I am safe’
‘I am happy and healthy’
‘I am at ease with the world’
‘Incredible things will happen today’
I say these things to myself.
When meditating, driving, exercising
And you know what – the more I hear them
The more I believe them, my new truth
And the old thoughts do come
And I choose to let them go.
Summary:
Many men have a stream of negative thoughts
We can learn to recognise them as just thoughts, not our identity
We can let go of them if they do not serve us well.
We can learn new thoughts for a happier life.
✍️ Have you ever managed your thoughts?
🔔 Follow Dr Edward Rainbow – Men’s Mental Health Long Term, No Meds.
♻️ Share to add value to your network
