Live the life you want to live
Saturday, November 7, 2015
Thursday, November 5, 2015
Press Play
At times life can be boring and we often have many mundane experiences that causes us to reminisce on past experiences or encourages future-focused thinking about what life will look like after some event is complete. In fact, a 2014 study showed that we are so uncomfortable with our mundane experiences that we rather shock ourselves to deal with those experiences. Life can also be filled with bad experiences as well that evoke negative emotions causing the desire to again reminisce on past enjoyable experiences or think about what everything will look like in the future. Personally, I notice when I get frustrated with school, I begin thinking about all the experiences I have potentially missed due to being in school for my entire life or how life will be better when I finally graduate.
While "rewinding" to past experiences or "fast-forwarding" to future experiences is beneficial to some extent, it may cause more turmoil if done in excess. Many of my instructors have stated, "past-related thinking is the basis of depression and future-related thinking is the basis of anxiety." So how do we "press play" and stay in the "here and now?" And how do we deal with the present when it can be boring or aversive to us?
The first step is awareness. We have to be aware that life operates on a continuum with boredom on one extreme and excitement on the other. Life isn't about being at the extremes all time as our bodies would not be able to handle the excitement every second of the day. We also have to be aware of the ebb and flow of life. Our emotions and experiences peak and valley all the time as they are like waves on the beach where they rise and subside. Start thinking about your thinking [yes, it does sound weird] and begin to identify when you are not staying in the "here and now."
There are many ways to work on how you can "press play" in your life which I will discuss on the blog but becoming aware is often the first step you have to take in order break any of your barriers.
Press Play in your Life!
-BB
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