Thinking Vs Feeling
When I say thinking vs. feeling, you might be wondering what’s the difference? Well for one, they are two very particular things, and shouldn’t be confused with one another!
While thinking can help you sort things out, it cannot solve your emotional problems.
You may know, cognitively, that there are unprocessed emotions, but you haven’t quite fully ever felt them. It might be because you weren’t allowed when you were younger, you didn’t understand what was happening, or you didn’t have the help, time or space to process. Healing requires attending to you past and present emotions without judgment.
When you do this, it helps transform the way you feel and what you believe about yourself, others, and past events or past traumas that you hold on to.
Let’s delve into this a little deeper...
Thoughts are Internalized Experiences
One key thing to remember is that our thoughts are an internalized version based on our perception of what we experience out in the world. Thoughts are distinct from feelings. When we feel our way through a problem using our thoughts, we must remember that we are feeling our way through our own representation of reality.
Our thoughts can have a major impact on our lives, and we might avoid certain situations or places because they make us feel a certain way. An example would be avoiding going to the top of a building because we are fearful of heights. “ I won’t don’t want to do this because I know that I’m going to feel scared.”
See? Our thoughts have the power to make us feel! This is how thinking differs from feeling! There are so many mental gymnastics that we put ourselves through every day, and the crux of it all is that our thoughts, beliefs, and preconceived notions have a large impact on what we feel.
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Thoughts Are Ways of Dealing With Feelings
Often, feelings come first, and thoughts (thinking) is our way of dealing with these feelings. We are born feeling and are taught to think from experience or learning. If we view it this way, thinking gradually develops and teaches us how to manage our feelings, whether this is positively or negatively. Unfortunately, negative thoughts about ourselves can have an impact on how we feel and act in our day to day lives.
Think about this the next time you start to think negatively about yourself. Are you feeling a certain way, and is it impacting your thoughts?
Thinking Vs. Feeling: It’s Your Turn!
Let’s try something new. I want you to purposefully begin sentences with the words “I feel,” instead of “I think.” You might find this challenging, but it is an interesting experiment and might help you figure out the difference between your thoughts and what you feel!
Let’s go a little further, and think about these:
When you talk about what’s going on in your life, do you often say “I think….” or do you say “I feel”?
Try to incorporate the words “I feel” more often than the words, “I think.” How does this make you feel?
Write these words on the top of a piece of paper and let your feelings flow.
Journal your thoughts vs feelings!
As you can see, there is quite a difference between thinking and feeling!
Let’s take it a little further and change the thought from “I think” to “I believe”. You feel certain things because of your beliefs about those things. This is a tough pill to swallow because your beliefs may or may not be true, and we want to believe that what we believe is the truth.
The truth is that you are worthy.
The truth is that you are loved.
The truth is that you are enough.
The truth is that your feeling don’t have to be dictated by someone else.
The truth is that you don’t have to react the same way or keep unhealthy patterns.
The truth is that your life can be better than it was yesterday.
The truth is that I can feel and be safe.
Knowing these truths help us let go of beliefs that keep us operating on lies we internalized from past circumstances.
Ready to change your beliefs and the way you think or feel about yourself? EPT at Open Heart Holistic can help you heal in a very different way than traditional talk therapy! Emotional Polarity Technique uses the science of forgiveness to resolve adversity in life that causes sickness, chronic pain, and difficult relationships. Call today; I can help you start moving forward - 813-922-8768!