Counteract Negative, Obsessional Thinking
Written by clive on 12:06 AMStep 1: Awareness
Even if negative, obsessional thinking impedes your progress toward better sleep, you can take steps to harness that thinking and change it into something that works for you, rather than against you. Your first step is to become aware of your own patterns of obsessional thinking. For one full week, notice obsessional thoughts creeping into your mind, day or night, and jot them down. How many are there? What are they about? Are they lined to a particular situation, or do they spontaneously occur? What does your body physically do as you think these thoughts? (e.g. do you clench your fist, your jaw?) As you drop off to sleep or wake up in the middle of the night, have paper and pencil by your bedside to help you keep track of all these thoughts. You might also have a flashlight or book light handy so as not to disturb your bedmate. Buy a small notebook to use exclusively to chart your sleep progress.
You can use the following shorthand to label each brand of thinking:
FAIL - fear of failing
PERF - tendency toward perfectionism
ANGER - general anger
CATA - expecting the worst, "the what ifs?"
GO - inability to let things go
OBSESS - constant worrying
After one full week, review your notes. Which brand of obsessional thinking do you do the most? Are there any patterns in your thinking?
You may find that you have many other types of thoughts that do not fit neatly into the categories provided here. Simply write them down in your own words and become familiar with them. The purpose is to provide yourself a framework within which to work, so that the prospect of controlling negative thinking does not seem overwhelming.
Step 2: Stop Your Thoughts
After you feel more fully aware of your style of obsessional thinking, you can begin to counteract each thought. Negative thinking arrives with such spontaneity and fury that you will need to arm yourself with as much counterammunition as possible. The ammunition will take the form or positive thoughts delivered with equal force and significance.
OUTWITTING INSOMNIA, ELLEN MOHR CATALANO
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