We all see the world from our own unique perspective and the way we interpret events and situations has a lot to do with our core beliefs, the fundamental views and assumptions we make about ourselves, other people, and the world. You can think of core beliefs as a tinted window or pair of sunglasses that colors our view– and changing the color can make a big difference in how you interpret and respond to what you see.
Our core beliefs often become automatic thoughts that are operating in the background all the time without us even noticing. When those automatic thoughts are negative, it can lead to a lot of stress and interpersonal problems, so it’s important to raise our awareness of our thinking style and understand where our thoughts come from and why we feel and act the way we do. You can raise your awareness of your core beliefs and automatic thoughts just by paying attention to how you talk to yourself and noticing any general patterns that emerge. Is your self talk critical or uplifting? Self-defeating or self-affirming? Or maybe some combination of conflicting thoughts? Once we have a good idea about your default thinking style, then you can decide if you want to replace any your unhelpful perceptions with more positive and realistic core beliefs. Here is a quick exercise to help you get started with identifying your self talk and core beliefs and figuring out how they serve– or don’t serve you well in your day to day life.
Changing core beliefs and developing positive self talk is a difficult and time consuming process, but well worth the effort! Having a foundation of self-affirming core beliefs and automatic positive self talk can drastically reduce stress, depression, and anxiety. It is truly amazing the changes that occur when you are able to embrace your self worth and approach every situation with compassion for yourself and others. Having the skills and supports to cope with challenges makes life so much more manageable. We are here to help you with that process! Contact us today to make an appointment and let’s start this journey together. We look forward to connecting with you!