God Wonderfully Made Us – Transform Self Critical Thoughts & Feelings

A few thoughts...

It can be relatively easy to see how wonderful God's creation is. When we go soft with love and admiration as we look at a baby, we are reminded of the miracle of life. Or when we watch a scenic view, we feel awe for the magnificent universe that God created. Yet when we look at ourselves, sometimes we don't feel that wonderful.

Mental illnesses are fairly common - where more than 20% of American adults live with mental illness. 

• One study reported by age 60, 28.7% of women feel “dissatisfied” and 32.6% feel “self-conscious” about their bodies. Roughly 9% of the US population will have a clinical eating disorder. People with eating disorders have the second highest mortality rate of any psychiatric illness.
• Another study reports that nearly a third of adult Americans experience an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives where degree of impairment ranged from mild to severe. Depression affects more than 8% of Americans each year.

These statistics are really centered on people that have a clinically diagnosable mental health issues. This means that there are significantly more people that experience less severe symptoms like stress, worry, overwhelm, poor self-esteem, etc. There are times all of us need a little help to pull out of a slump or professional help to address larger underlying issues.

When negative thoughts and feelings are circling and you are feeling trapped by a fixed mindset, what tactics do you use to quiet the mind and shift to a more positive growth mindset?

No matter what you are experiencing, it is really important to remember that God loves us no matter what! We are wonderfully made! The negative thoughts and feelings that circle and cut us down & the sensation that nothing can change are all LIES!

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Prayer and Journal

What patterns of negative thoughts or feelings do you frequently experience?

Looking back at the last month or so, what situations trigger negative thoughts or feelings? 

During these moments in the past, what has stopped you from reaching out to God?

How can you remind yourself of God's Truth when these self-critical thoughts have been triggered?

As you invite God to help you shift your thinking, what input are you receiving about what is at the root of the negativity?

What do you feel is needed to heal it?

A Tip to Help Shift Into Prayer

Sometimes it is really hard to pray when experiencing negative self-directed mental spin. For example, there were moments in the past where part of the internal monologue was that I was not worthy for Christ's attention. The noise in my mind was too loud for me to hear the Holy Spirit with the message to remember the reason for Christ's sacrifice. Kind of like how Adam and Eve hid from God in the garden of Eden from guilt and shame. Another person I know, goes through periods where pride is the block to prayer - "I can solve this by myself."  

In those types of moments it can help to create enough space, calm and quiet in order feel comfortable and humble enough to start praying. 

Body Scan

When you are feeling self-critical thoughts circle, check to see what is going on in the body. Find a quiet comfortable location. Do a slow scan from head to toe, keying into sensations felt within each body part. Recognize what your body needs right now. Wiggle or stretch out any tightness found. Is there a spot that needs to be held, breathed into or gently massaged, to help self-soothe? 

Vagus Nerve

Not comfortable with this type of exercise? Try stimulating the vagus nerve. It runs behind the ear and can help induce a relaxation response. Gently rubbing along where the back of the ear meets the scalp or lightly pulling your ear upwards can help. (Think of how much your dog or cat enjoys an ear rub, humans have similar nerve structure there.)

Benefits

Getting more grounded in the physical sensations of the body, helps you to "get out of your head." As you start feeling thoughts slow & the emotional intensity reduce, or you physically relax, you should be able to start praying. 

Have confidence that Christ will hear your prayers. Invite God to transform the bullying lies you've been telling yourself. God's works are wonderful, including you!

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My hope for you...

I hope that these words (or what you experience through doing this as a journaling exercise) can serve to inspire and energize changes in how you respond to stress. These are small and simple techniques to help you feel more energized and help you find better work-life harmony.

If you are feeling a significant disruption of thoughts, moods, behaviors, or ability to relate to others and it is consistently impacting multiple areas of your life, I encourage you to seek treatment or intervention. There are resources and Christian counselors that can help.

Interested in other tips on how to boost your energy naturally & reduce stress? Check out these 8 ideas.