Congratulations and welcome to lesson 4.
This lesson is a really important one because you are going to learn how to challenge your negative thoughts.
While it’s true that none of us are perfect, and that’s completely natural – in fact I wouldn’t want it any other way as I believe the imperfections and quirks we possess are what give us character – there is a big difference between obsessing about our perceived imperfections and letting this dominate our lives.
Let’s be completely clear for a moment: there may well be certain bodily features about which you’re not happy, that cannot be changed. But focusing purely on these while disregarding others that are either perfectly fine or can be influenced, is not healthy.
Therefore, a part of this process is examining and being honest about that which you can change and learning to live with that which you cannot.
Because, being pre-occupied with your issue, robs you of opportunity. It can stifle your true personality and prevent people from seeing the real you.
People with body-image issues often spend an undue proportion of their time fearing worst case scenarios. In other words: Catastrophising.
This is hugely stressful.
Today’s exercise is all about challenging those fears and preventing anxiety from influencing your thoughts and actions.
In the previous lesson, you practised being more conscious about your thoughts, specifically the negative ones. You also began to explore the wider context such as the external circumstances and your reactions.
Today you will learn how to challenge these thoughts via Socratic Questioning.