Our Parent’s don’t always get it right
Thinking a bit more about the introjects I touched on the other day, I think it’s very easy to take on board what our parent’s (or caregivers) tell us (and our teachers and other authority figures) as we are taught to believe that they are always right.

Now that I’m a parent myself I know this to be 100% not true, I literally wing it everyday, as I’m sure lots of us do.

So how can we let go of these values and beliefs that have been passed to us by others?

Mindfulness
Being mindful of your thoughts and where they come from is a great first step, maybe think about and write down all the things that were said about you as a child, also be aware that thoughts are just thoughts, and not necessarily true.

Analysis
Analyse the negative beliefs you have about yourself, think about where they came from, and try and reframe them as positives

Positive affirmations
The more we tell ourselves positive things about ourselves and the world around us, the more likely we are to eventually believe them, practice these affirmations daily.

Self-compassion
Be kind to yourself, negative self-talk can be really damaging, and once it comes in to your awareness that these words have come from others, it is really important that you are kind to yourself. Including through self-care.

Talk about it
It can be tempting when struggling to retreat from the world, but when you talk about things it helps you to stay in touch with your feelings and make sense of things. It also provides an outlet for you to remove bottles up feelings and weight from your heart and mind. You can talk about things with anyone, including through counselling.