This is a very interesting and helpful series Michael, and I'll continue to follow it with great interest. I have something I'd like to add on the question of feelings and thoughts. I think you are totally right that it helps to accept that you will feel guilty for not working and just rest anyway. As well as that, it helps me to remind myself that just because I think or feel something doesn't make it true. e.g. if its a nice sunny summers day, about 21 deg C, and I'm dressed in long johns and a warm shirt and jacket, I'll feel incredibly hot. But its not incredibly hot, its just warm. Feelings aren't facts, they are very personal, and someone else might feel completely different in exactly the same position. So I find it helps me to just ackowledge that I am feeling guilty by saying to myself "oh there's that feeling of guilt again", not making any judgement about it, whether I like it or hate it, whether its true or false, (no big internal arguments about its validity, they're hard to win!) and I just move on to something else, like reading or looking out the window, or thinking about some artwork. Quite often the thought will return again, and I just go through the same process. Anyway, I don't mean to steal your boat, but I just thought you (& Rebecca) might find this interesting and hopefully helpful. All the best, Amanda
I have something I'd like to add on the question of feelings and thoughts. I think you are totally right that it helps to accept that you will feel guilty for not working and just rest anyway. As well as that, it helps me to remind myself that just because I think or feel something doesn't make it true. e.g. if its a nice sunny summers day, about 21 deg C, and I'm dressed in long johns and a warm shirt and jacket, I'll feel incredibly hot. But its not incredibly hot, its just warm.
Feelings aren't facts, they are very personal, and someone else might feel completely different in exactly the same position.
So I find it helps me to just ackowledge that I am feeling guilty by saying to myself "oh there's that feeling of guilt again", not making any judgement about it, whether I like it or hate it, whether its true or false, (no big internal arguments about its validity, they're hard to win!) and I just move on to something else, like reading or looking out the window, or thinking about some artwork.
Quite often the thought will return again, and I just go through the same process.
Anyway, I don't mean to steal your boat, but I just thought you (& Rebecca) might find this interesting and hopefully helpful. All the best,
Amanda