Murals (2008) by PHANTAST - Graffiti - Cultural Music & Art Association inc. - 98 Milne St. Benleigh
WHEN YOU FEEL UPSET,
it's all too easy to lose perspective on your life temporarily. You tend to see the negative aspects of every situation and sometimes it seems impossible to see the positive parts.
To help you to regain perspective and calm down, imagine that you're looking at yourself from the other side of the room. In a detached way, observe how you are behaving and the thoughts that are passing through your mind. Imagine that you are your own best friend. What advice can you give to yourself to help you calm down, so that you can handle the situation better?
Say 'COULD' not 'SHOULD'.
How often do you use the word 'should' in your daily life? Have you ever noticed how this word adds to the pressure that you put on yourself? Maybe your inner voice is continually telling you that you 'should' have done this or you 'should' do that.
'Shouls' implies you could do better or that you might be doing something wrong. Now think of the word 'could'. This word gives you a choice: it softens the impact of what you need to do. If you eradicate the word 'should' and substitute 'could', you might feel better and not so stressed. Just for today, try substituting 'shoud' for could' and see how much more in control and calm you feel.