Burble Activities
Wellness for the Mind
Activity 1
PREMISE
When you change the way you think, you change the way you feel, which changes the actions you take or don’t take.
ABOUT
This exercise uses a simple math equation of:
Thought + Emotion = in(Action)
Before we begin, lets acknowledge a few elements of this exercise:
There are things you are not doing or accomplishing in your life;
You have subconscious inner thoughts that dictate your actions; and
You are driven by emotions that are a result of your thoughts.
If you allow yourself to believe the above is true, THEN, when you change your thoughts, in theory, your emotions will change. So let’s test this theory.
Sure, you know what these words mean, but Burble is big on taking a peek at their definitions and then also giving you a chance to digest WHAT your definition of each word is!
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something (such as an opinion or belief) in the mind
the intellectual product or the organized views and principles of a period, place, group, or individual
a developed intention or plan
reasoning power
the power to imagine
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a state of feeling
a natural instinctive state of mind deriving from one's circumstances, mood, or relationships with others.
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the fact or process of doing something, typically to achieve an aim
the way in which something such as a chemical has an effect or influence
a thing done
a manner or style of doing something, typically the way in which a mechanism works or a person moves
STEP 1: Thing about a situation you are currently experiencing that you feel you should be doing more, taking more action, having different outcomes, or behaving differently than you are currently.
Example: I should be making more money.
STEP 2: When you read your above situation, what does the voice in your head THINK about what you are experiencing?
Example: I don’t deserve a raise. Other people are smarter than me.
STEP 3: When you read your inner thoughts, what emotions/feelings come up for you?
Example: I feel hopeless.
STEP 4: When you have these thoughts & these feelings, what do you do? Meaning what is the results of these emotions and thoughts? Do take action or withdraw and in what way?
Example: I work harder hoping someone will notice.
Take a moment to assess your Thought + Emotion = (in)Action
How do you feel about this pattern?
How is this working for you? How is it not working for you?
Is this pattern rational? Irrational? Both?
Was there something in the past that may have caused you to think and feel this way?
Ok great. Now that you have assessed your pattern, let’s show you how to shift it.
STEP 1: Go back to your original thought about your situation in Step 2. What is a different thought you COULD have about this situation?
Prior: I don’t deserve a raise. Other people are smarter than me.
New: I work hard and want a raise.
** NOTE: You may not believe this statement to be true just yet. BUT, it’s a thought we can try on to help shift an emotion and then action. See how it feels. THEN determine if you want to buy into the statement or not later. It may feel pretty good that you want to think it more!
STEP 2: When you have this new THOUGHT, what is the emotion that comes along with it?
Prior: I feel hopeless.
New: I feel lighter. More Confident.
**Note: There may be the initial emotion that comes up and THEN a second emotion that judges the first one as not true. Try to focus on the pure emotion that comes with the thought.
STEP 3: When you have this new THOUGHT + EMOTION what changes in your action potential or desire to do something about your situation.
Prior: I work harder hoping someone will notice.
New: I want to open a dialogue with my boss about a raise
As you can see this is a simple math equation that can be played around with to see how different thoughts or emotions can produced different actions or inactions. The more you practice this the easier it becomes to reframe our mind.
Part of what we are doing is getting the mind to think differently while also opening up new pathways and options for the mind to follow when negative thoughts pop in! The more you do it the easier it becomes!
Good Luck Practicing! And stay tuned for our next activity on BELIEF SYSTEMS!