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<\/a><\/p>\n7 Creative Ways to Manage Difficult Thoughts<\/h1>\n
Sometimes the worst thing about being a creative person is how easily you can get very imaginative in all the wrong ways. And any difficult thoughts sometimes seem to have a very energetic and persistent life of their own!\u00a0If something difficult has happened recently that you particularly don’t want to think about too much, the chances are that your wonderful, wild, impulsive, creative brain will take it and twirl it around, and around…<\/p>\n
And the harder you try to suppress the difficult thoughts, the more they keep popping colourfully and insistently back into your mind.\u00a0<\/b>It\u2019s so frustrating! So what can you do?<\/p>\n
Well, lots of studies have shown that trying to suppress difficult thoughts (or any<\/em> thoughts, for that matter) just doesn’t work.\u00a0It isn’t that you lack self-control.\u00a0And what\u2019s more, trying to avoid or push away thoughts or feelings, can lead to difficulties like anxiety, depression and even phobias.<\/p>\n But the good news is, there are ways that using the\u00a0arts and imagination<\/b>\u00a0can help.\u00a0Your creativity can be channelled to come to the rescue. Below, I offer a few ideas.<\/p>\n But first, an important note: If unwanted or difficult thoughts continue being a problem, do consult your GP or primary care physician (or your therapist if you have one).\u00a0This article does not constitute medical advice or treatment, and cannot replace any advice from your doctor or a mental health professional who knows you personally.<\/em><\/p>\nCreative ways to deal with temporary difficult thoughts. <\/a><\/span>Share on X<\/a><\/span>\n <\/p>\n Try a few affirmations – but the trick is to choose ones that\u00a0both accept<\/strong> the difficult thought\u00a0and<\/i>\u00a0also affirm your worth<\/strong>. It’s very important to include both of these two aspects. Use the word ‘and’ to link them, not the word ‘but’ (‘but’ has the effect of cancelling out one of the parts and weakening the affirmation).<\/p>\n If your difficult thoughts are about a moment when you got things wrong in some way, try \u2018I make mistakes sometimes\u00a0and<\/i>\u00a0I\u2019m okay – I don’t have to be perfect\u2019.\u00a0If you\u2019re filled with painful thoughts about a relationship that went wrong, try \u2018I’m sad it didn’t work out with X, and I am still loveable\u2019.<\/p>\n Use art materials to write out and\/or illustrate your affirmations: you could go big and make a poster, or tiny and discreet, like a decorated matchbox or a mini booklet the size of a couple of postage stamps.<\/p>\n How about focusing deliberately on the difficult thought when it comes up?\u00a0With the difficult thought in mind, let your awareness drop down into your body. See if you can\u00a0get a clearer image\u00a0of it.<\/p>\n If the difficult thought was\u00a0an animal, or a colour, or a shape, or a house, what would it be? What qualities would it have?\u00a0Could you paint it, draw it, or use play-dough to depict it?<\/p>\n Sometimes we use far more energy trying to avoid a thought, than it would take to embrace the thought and see what we can learn from it.\u00a0This sort of approach is far better than avoidance, and can help take the power and sting out of our fears.<\/p>\n Getting stuck in to\u00a0any activity that you find really absorbing\u00a0puts you in a state that psychologists call \u2018Flow\u2019: where for a while you almost lose track of time and just immerse yourself in an experience.\u00a0Gardening, fixing something, cooking, or reading a novel: it all depends on what works for you.<\/p>\n Try\u00a0wetting some thick paper and dripping watercolour paints on to it, and enjoying what the colours do as they meet. Or find an interesting object, such as a shell or a piece of driftwood, and concentrate on\u00a0drawing it, using charcoal or soft pencil. Make sure you\u00a0give yourself permission to accept your drawing\u00a0(however imperfect it may appear) instead of criticising it – this will make the exercise much more effective.<\/p>\n Get a blank notebook, and fill it with a mixture of writing and images. Don’t aim for neatness or perfection: this is a private place where you can splurge.\u00a0Write about the painful thing, but\u00a0be imaginative and write about it from different perspectives.<\/p>\n For example, when you did the embarrassing thing that has been making you cringe in shame, what might the scene have looked like to the bird who was sitting on a nearby branch watching? Or imagine a very wise, loving old person – what might\u00a0they<\/i>\u00a0have to say to you?<\/p>\n Your aim is to take the \u2018heat\u2019 out of the difficult thought, and see it as part of the wonderful, varied tapestry of living. Still difficult, perhaps, and still important – but no more so than many, many other elements that make up your experience.<\/p>\n Sometimes when we are trying to avoid painful or persistent thoughts, we think it will help to keep busy, give ourselves too much to do, and generally get a bit stressed.\u00a0But the stress could actually make things worse. Instead,\u00a0take yourself kindly by the hand and allow some nurturing, calming things into your life.<\/p>\n A yoga or pottery class, knitting, or just half an hour spent walking by the river, can help get some balance in your life, and make you more resilient and able to handle the difficult stuff.<\/p>\n Wrestling with an unwanted thought can be like thrashing about in quicksand: you just get stuck further and further in.\u00a0Instead, try observing your thoughts.<\/p>\n Get still, calm your breathing, and picture in your mind a circus ring, or a parade, with performers walking round or along.\u00a0Each one is holding a sign with your difficult thought on it.\u00a0See if you can simply watch them go by, accepting what they are and letting them move on.\u00a0Don’t argue with the signs, and don’t try to make them disappear: just watch them.\u00a0You may begin to feel calmer after a while.<\/p>\n Distraction might help in the short term, as long as it doesn’t become your main way of dealing with difficult thoughts. But remember: it\u2019s actually best to\u00a0distract yourself with one thing, and not jump from one focus to another.<\/p>\n Try doodling with a pen. Start with a flower motif, or a geometric shape, and let your doodle grow and develop. Try not to judge it – remember, a doodle can really be anything. See if you can just enjoy the ways the doodle gradually takes shape.\u00a0Let yourself get absorbed\u00a0in the swirls, the dots, the lines, the zig-zags.<\/p>\n This isn’t time-wasting: this is you\u00a0making a peaceful space for yourself\u00a0where you can just\u00a0be<\/i>, and not have to fit into anybody\u2019s idea of who and what you \u201cshould\u201d be.<\/p>\n The above suggestions are just a few ideas. Notice particularly\u00a0any that initially appealed to you for a second, but then got dismissed.\u00a0<\/b>What does that dismissing voice say?\u00a0\u00a0<\/b>\u2018That\u2019s just silly\u2019, \u2018that would be a waste of time\u2019, \u2018that\u2019s not what people like me do\u2019, \u2018I\u2019m not good enough\/ brave enough\/ talented enough to do that\u2019<\/i>. Bear in mind that the ideas that got dismissed might be exactly the ones to try out!<\/p>\n Some of the suggestions above may simply be\u00a0<\/b>unappealing or unhelpful for you:\u00a0<\/b>that\u2019s fine, they may not be right for you. And do\u00a0<\/b>listen out for any alternative ideas\u00a0that pop into your head –\u00a0those<\/i>\u00a0might be the ones that are precisely tailor-made for what you need.<\/p>\n If you like the idea of\u00a0<\/b>learning how to understand and manage yourself better through tapping into your creativity,\u00a0<\/b>Art Psychotherapy might be a good choice for you.<\/p>\n7 ways to understand and manage yourself better through tapping into your creativity. <\/a><\/span>Share on X<\/a><\/span>\n And\u00a0if your unwanted and difficult thoughts last more than a couple of days, or if they begin to affect your day-to-day life in any way, do talk to your doctor. Whether it’s psychotherapy, counselling, medication, or something else, there is definitely help out there for you.<\/p>\n 7 Creative Ways to Manage Difficult Thoughts Sometimes the worst thing about being a creative person is how easily you can get very imaginative in all the wrong ways. And any difficult thoughts sometimes seem to have a very energetic and persistent life of their own!\u00a0If something difficult has happened recently that you particularly don’t […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":165,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16,7,22,20],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-52","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-anxiety","8":"category-creativity","9":"category-living","10":"category-love-yourself","11":"entry"},"yoast_head":"\n1. Affirmations:\u00a0<\/b>Poster or Mini-book<\/i><\/h2>\n
2. Look At It Full-On:\u00a0<\/b>Metaphor<\/i><\/h2>\n
3. Get into a \u2018Flow\u2019 state:<\/b>\u00a0Painting and Drawing<\/i><\/h2>\n
4. Write it:\u00a0<\/b>Different Perspectives<\/i><\/h2>\n
5. Be Kind to Yourself:\u00a0<\/b>Self-Care<\/i><\/h2>\n
6. Accept it:<\/b>\u00a0The Circus Parade<\/i><\/h2>\n
7. Distraction:<\/b>\u00a0Doodling<\/i><\/h2>\n
Have a go and see what helps!<\/b><\/h2>\n
Good luck! And do share what works for you, in the comments below.<\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"