This week I’ve noticed just how difficult it is to separate ourselves from what is going on inside our head.

The powerfully negative stories and ideas in people’s heads can drive them to distraction, wreck their concentration and ability to make reasoned decisions, rob them of a relaxing weekend or activity, affect their eating and interactions with others as well as rob them of a good night’s sleep.

When we think about the content of the stories we tell ourselves such as the “I’m a failure” story, or “Others are happier and more successful than me” story or the “I’ll never get out of this” story, then we can better understand the power of these stories. Maybe these stories have an element of truth - and so it’s easy to become caught up in and embedded in ideas that are so damaging to our peace of mind.

The stories we have in our heads have, for many people, been there forever. Maybe they become more insistent, more negative and more powerful when you are under stress or feeling vulnerable and unhappy. The story lives physically in our mind - contained in a group of cells that fire together to link memories, ideas, images, thoughts, and feelings. Therefore this story can become a habitual way of thinking - a series of ideas in a story that is easily triggered, and easily recalled and embellished. After all, your mind has the ability to dream up endless suggestions and reasons why things are or why they were.

What you can do

Notice if you have a story that effortlessly comes to mind - but repeats the main ideas again and again? Can you see the story as a habitual way of thinking - rather than something to believe in? Is this story helping you get to where you want to be?