THE SOURCES OF MY DISCOMFORT
SORTING THEM OUT AND ...
From A Star Is Born (movie): "Are you a figment of my imagination or I one of yours?"
"It seems that our task is to identify what we're strictly creating from our imagination. Then we can 'uncreate' it, using the same process with which we created it. Or we can create a replacement. But it is incredibly stupid to leave it in place if it is needlessly and illegitimately causing us emotional pain."
The BuddhaKahuna
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WHAT IS IT, REALLY?
Discomfort = An emotion combined with a thought, manifested in a chemical sensation interpreted as discomfort. (The "interpretation" part is an essential ingredient. A self conversation of "This is just a passing chemical sensation of no significance" would have a different meaning and create a different result.)
MY SOURCES OF DISCOMFORT
Hunger or feeling like I've got to eat something
Anxiety, uneasiness
Boredom, need for stimulation
Stress
Stiff muscles, sore back or neck or ..., headache
Tired, but having that not be ok
Thinking I should have more, do more, be more capable of, or "be" more
Thinking things will be or could be bad and that I'll suffer in the future
The thought of my sacrificing some pleasure/comfort. (Such as "having to" do something
mundane but necessary and not enjoyable)
MY THOUGHTS UNDERNEATH THIS ARE OFTEN...
I'm not succeeding fast enough, therefore I am unhappy and fearful that...
I'm not good enough.
I don't want to have to think hard.
I don't want to do what has me thinking about things that make me feel anxious. (If I am going into the office, I know I'll run into some problems or be doing those things that are associated with the possibility that things won't work.
THE CURES
If there is a legitimate need, the cure is always filling the need.
Legitimately hungry - Eat something (also just deep breathing and relaxing works)
Stressed - Destress. In other words, do the opposite of what is stressing you and what
causes the physiological tension (yes, it is mechanical).
- Say the opposite of the distressing self-talk
- Address and solve the problem/threat
- Relax the tension away, breathe deeply and slowly (sends signal to fear center that "all
is safe"; this is physiologicaly wired into our system, where we can send signals both
directions)
Mostly, it seems, since discomfort is actually felt tension or sensation in the body, I can choose to just pause, breathe deeply and slowly and relax - and it will go away - unless I restimulate it with the same stupid thought. In the latter case, I should, of course, revise and correct that stupid thought, so I can stop my suffering. (Duh!)
