Coffee Table Coach
REVIEW DON’T RELIVE By Hannah Bouwmeester
OUR THOUGHTS TRIGGER OUR EMOTIONS In this last issue, I shared how crucial it is for us to not only be aware of our thoughts but embrace the reality that what we think can affect our very DNA (Epigenetics). In this issue we will be talking about preliminary steps you can take to begin to rein in your thoughts and begin to transform those thought patterns, to move from destructive thoughts to those that will serve you moving forward. BEGIN WITH AWARENESS So often we allow our thoughts to run wild. The average person has six thousand thoughts per day coursing through his or her mind without a way to halt the unending stream. We allow one thought to trigger another, we ruminate on past hurts, stresses or the overwhelm we are feeling. Many of the thoughts originated in our childhood and have played repetitively since then, both consciously and
10 – GATHER Veterans
subconsciously. Each moment we entertain these thoughts, our physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being is affected. Awareness allows you to take the reins of control back from your emotions. It creates the opportunity to transform how you react and to unlock different choices. It allows you to consciously respond to various triggers in the way that actually serves, rather than destructs. By becoming aware of our negative emotions we take back the power to measure how far off we are from where we want to be or from our goals we want to achieve, and to adjust accordingly. TAKE OWNERSHIP AND ACTION If you are ready to quit laying the blame of your emotional state at someone else’s doorstep, then you are ready to begin practicing awareness, own your emotional state, and take action to begin to change your subconscious reactions to triggers, both past, and future.
Here are practical steps to begin your journey to transformation: 1. Begin by making a list of events that you know to trigger negative emotions in you. Keep it with you - a running list in your phone is perfect - and add to it when you come across a trigger. 2. Once your list is done, choose the least intrusive and upsetting event to begin “flexing the muscles” of changing your responses to the trigger. IF YOU FEEL THIS IS TOO UPSETTING TO DO ALONE, PLEASE SEEK THE HELP OF A PROFESSIONAL THERAPIST. 3. Center yourself. Remember YOU are in charge of your emotions. Only you can make yourself feel anything about the memory or past event. An effective tool is to remind yourself of who you are NOW. For example, “I am not that six-year-old child (or whoever you were at the time of the event). I
