By Zach Crooks, LMHC

Every day of your existence you are having thoughts. Most of them are negative and repetitive which causes for one to feel anxious, depressed, or angry throughout the day. I have been honored to meet lots and lots of individuals in this world from all ages. I have seen this theme of “I am my thoughts”. In one way, you are what you think. You are just like a car that runs on gasoline. As long as you put the right gas in the car, it runs properly. Imagine if you put diesel fuel in your car’s gas tank. Imagine how poorly the car would run as you drive it and eventually the internal parts breakdown. Now you have to fix the problem to be able to drive again. In the same way, your mind is your gas tank and it requires you to be mindful of the fuel you put into it.

You are not your thoughts, you are the observer of your thoughts. You choose to entertain the thoughts that you are having. It is your choice to observe a negative thought as if it is a bird flying through your home’s window. You can either let the bird fly out of the window or you can spend the time chasing it around the house. Repetitively trying to defeat this bird that is skilled at flying freely around the open spaces. This is a tiring task at hand and yet all’s you have to do it stop and let the bird free itself.

Your anxiety and depression has roots in these negative thoughts. So, how do you or anyone else plant good seeds to live a calm and peaceful life? You are back to the fact that you are not your thoughts, you’re the observer of them. Think of yourself as a tree being planted. You must first be planted in good, healthy soil. You need good nutrients from that soil and you will need water to spring forth into the world and grow higher and higher. In the same way, your thoughts need to be positive and good.  

It all starts with your morning routine and your nightly routine. If you can take less than 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes at night doing an activity that focus’ on positive mindsets; you will be victorious in your day. One morning practice is to look into the mirror and tell yourself what 5 things you are grateful for in your life. The key to this one is that each day you have to identify new things to be grateful about. Another practice is completing 5 simple tasks in the morning and giving yourself praise for the accomplishment. I’ve been told that making your bed is the simplest task to complete. Per the nightly routine; Go back to the mirror and ask yourself “did I do better today at ___?” and answer honestly. If it’s a Yes, praise yourself. If it’s a no, then phrase it in a positive way e.g. “No, I fell short. I will most definitely do better tomorrow”.

I invite you to imagine your life without anxiety, depression, or interpersonal struggles. Imagine how magnificent it would be to feel positive all the time. Feel like you are in control of your world. That you choose to think positive, enriching thoughts that lead your life to your goals. One day, I know that you will get there.

Until the next moment,

Zach Crooks LMHC