“I think therefore I am” (Rene Descartes 1637)

 


Don’t worry about the title of this instalment.  It is not an academic discourse on Cartesian metaphysics (because I wouldn’t have a clue where to start - if in doubt, use a few long words, with no explanation. In that way, people will, incorrectly, think that you are clever!)  It is actually a few words on the use of thought in order to crack down on my emotional deficiencies.

 

My psychological damage will not heal in any conventional manner, and healing (or, to put it another way, rebuilding), is a gradual process involving the adoption of strategies that, at least in part, can seek to address some undesired outcomes. Obviously, the advice and encouragement of others is of massive importance, but we are now moving into areas in which I have a seriously proactive part to play:

 

As I have already mentioned, I am working on the (arguable) assumption that each of our various psychological functions can have an effect on another. Accordingly, it should be possible to use one as a tool, with which to work on a different one. A cynic might say that I am trying to fix a broken tool with a broken one.  Rather than “broken”, though, I prefer to think about it as using one that is (post-accident) somewhat different. It goes, perhaps without saying, that despite all third-party help, using my own mind can ultimately, only be undertaken by myself – hence I am really in the thick of things!

 

Please don’t forget that what I really need to work on, are my emotions

 

In this post, I will talk about a couple of ways in which my use of cognition, can help to repair my damaged emotional state.

 

First, there is a fairly obvious (albeit indirect) one.  That is, to make myself, give ongoing thought as to what personal behaviours, tend to lower my mood. I am now trying to think ahead with a view to an appropriate avoidance or minimalization of the same – trying to think before I do! One outcome of my psychological injuries is a tendency towards impulsive and, sometimes inappropriate behaviour – this renders such steps to be rather a challenge but nevertheless well worth trying to achieve.

 

Moving onto direct ways in which I can use thinking, to battle unwanted feelings:

 

A lot of the time, such feelings are a result of mental fatigue caused by an excess of psychological activity. I have a real tendency to over-think and have a constantly full mind. Such mental tiredness can be manifested in unwelcome and unnecessary confusion and worry, leading to much melancholy and sometimes unexpected (by me and/or the recipient) outbursts – often very ill tempered! It is, however, possible for me to use cognitive processes in order to provide some assistance here.  I have already mentioned, how maintenance of routine and personal organisation etc (all products of cognition). can be used to address some other cognitive issues (such as memory problems).  Well, these steps can also be used as a means of planning my time in advance, with a view to reducing the risk of mental fatigue and its resultant, negative emotional effect.

 

Overall, I need to relax and empty my head, a little, and this requires proactive (cognitive) effort.  It takes some getting used to – we are brought up to believe that laziness is a bad thing. I am now actually, encouraged to be idle – quite a turnaround! I personally find doing nothing, to be rather easier said than done, and as we will see, a full lifestyle is very important to my emotional wellbeing.  It is therefore a case of striking the right balance and seeking to ensure that mentally draining activities and interspersed with those that are less so.


Another way in which I encourage a slowing down of my life, is through meditation and taking some time to surround myself with silence. I like to take walks alone and am blessed with countryside very near to my home. When doing so, I will often try to think about little other, at that time, than the sights, sounds and smells within which I am immersed.

 

Here is where I walked to, last Thursday – what’s not to like?



Thought can also be used in making a serious effort to notice, right at that moment, good things that I am doing, or which are otherwise going on.  This can (and should) lead to retrospective, positive reflection. Surely, that will raise my mood – and it does!

 

I have learned (and it makes perfect sense) that we tend to spend rather too much of our time thinking about (and maybe regretting) the past.  

 

Similarly, we devote a lot of thought to the future. This can lead to unwarranted optimism or (more so, in my case) needless worry. 

 

Both of these types of thoughts can obscure what is going on right here and now – and that might indeed, be something good.  While past and future considerations can have their uses, it is probably worthwhile to think about trying to cut them down and shift my focus in the direction of what is happening right now. 

 

 After all, the past is unchangeable – I can regret it as much as I like but can’t rewrite history. Yes, I can learn from it and perhaps effect some mitigation – but that’s about all. 

 

The future is uncertain – it might never happen, so why spend so much time worrying about it.  Yes, we can make plans with a view to a good outcome, but worry for its own sake, might be needless.  The previously pictured pig (how’s that for alliteration?) can go on a diet and thus render itself less appetizing, but who knows – it might not end up between two slices of bread.  It might die naturally and peacefully, at a great age and surrounded by its family!  Looking at the picture, it is in a nice spot and the sun is shining.  Nevertheless, the glum face suggests it hasn’t noticed this and is just fretting over something that might never happen. I would suggest that it might be spending rather too much time dwelling on a worst-case scenario and ought to spend a little more doing whatever it is that happy pigs do!

 

With all this in mind, I am learning to use my thoughts to still my mind and to sweep away some mental clutter. Not always easy and successful, but at least I am having a go!

 

BUT (unfortunately)


I can (and do) try to adopt all the above-mentioned cognitive strategies.  Of course, they are helpful, but for me at least, they don’t seem to tick all the boxes., Despite their application, I believe that they fail, always to raise my mood (or to raise it sufficiently). Despite their application, I often find it hard to think my way out of a feeling. To me (and not necessarily everybody), the link between cognition and emotion (while it is certainly there) is not always, very strong. Despite my best efforts, I have therefore felt a need to reopen the toolbox, in the hope that there is something else, in there, which can work in tandem with and supplement cognition. 

 

I might well have found it!...

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