Correcting the Ways We Twist Our Thoughts Can Lead to Better Overall Emotional Health

Thinking about things in a realistic way allows us to make better decisions and to take action more effectively. Attuning ourselves to reality can bring out the best in us and can enhance the quality of our relationships. When we base our thinking on the reality of a situation, our emotions can correspond appropriately to the situation and can be expressed approprately as well.

When our thoughts become distored, falling away from their grounding in reality, it often becomes difficult to find the best course of action to take when making decisions. We cling to distored thoughts, we limit our options and our decisions often lack a basis in reality. This can lead us to feel helpless, anxious, and hopeless when trying to deal with real-world issues. We may find ourselves falling into the same bad situation repeatedly, never really learning from the lessons of the past.

Let’s look at a number of ways in which we may engage in distorted thinking.

- All-or-Nothing Thinking - This type of thinking makes things seem more predictable and give us some feeling of control over potenially chaotic situactions.

- Overgeneralization - You base a conclusion on a single negative event and think that this is the way things will always be in your life.

- Mental Filtering - This happens when you focus exclusively on a single negative event and then preceive the entire situation as negative.

- "Should" Statements - We use "should", "must", and "ought" when we punish ourselves before we can be expected to do anything correctly. These statements set us up for feeling pressured and resentful, and they work against accepting others or getting to know ourselves as we really are.
We seldom question how we think. Our thinking is an integral part of our daily experience. It may never occur to us that our feelings, our moods, and the way we deal with situations, and how we handle our relationships are very dependent on the clarity of our thinking. Many people use coaching as a way of exploring ways in which to think more clearly about things.

I help clients work out solutions according to individual values and lifestyles.

I have a few spots still available for August coaching. Call me right now: 949-721-5732

Or you can email me at MotyKoppes@cox.net. You deserve more in your life, and you can start going for it today!


Warmly,

Moty Koppes, M.A., PCC
Personal/Professional Development Coach

"Some people make victims of their disadvantage, while others are victimized by their disadvantages."