| Obsessive Thoughts
Question:
I wake up every morning and obsess about things that happened years ago. Stupid things that I said or did that embarrassed me. I freak out about it all over again and because I remember things like that all day long I am constantly re-living these times and feeling embarrassed and like a jerk. This cannot be good for my already low self esteem Help!!
Brooke
Response:
Hello Brooke
Negative thoughts that we obsess about usually need to be examined and worked on. You need to look at why these thoughts are still hounding you, why is it that you are unable to let go, forgive and move on? Some part of you is holding you back. Ask yourself what would happen if you let go of these thoughts? Why is it that you do not allow yourself to be successful, happy, free, etc.?
Usually underneath these negative thoughts are learned self-defeating beliefs about self. You mentioned that you have low self-esteem, examine those beliefs and you will find them to be based on opinions of others and not on reality. When we realize that we are basing our whole life on other's opinions it sets us free to create our own belief system that is based on reality and truth.
A good way to work with beliefs is to journal about them in a free-flow manner, let your thoughts lead you, from one to the other, until you get to the point where you find where they are originating from. If you don't work on them but just keep repeating them, you are reinforcing those beliefs. You need to dig deeper to find the source to be able to break that pattern of thinking.
Hope this helps.
Regards,
Uzma Mazhar |
