Thoughts That Make You Pick and How to Change Them
I hopped in front of my video camera (iPad) yesterday and just started talking. Then I skipped onto iMovie and by the time I jumped onto YouTube today, voila, I had created a four-part video series teaching you how to identify thoughts that get you to pick your skin, how to choose new thoughts that will lead you away from picking, and how to automatically have the new success thoughts. It takes a method and it takes practice, but I have seen in my clients that it absolutely creates the freedom and ability to choose to do something else rather than pick.
You can play all four videos in sequence on YouTube via the play button above - that links to the whole playlist.
In the first video, I talk about how the voice in our head lies to us all the time, but luckily it is changeable. When you have only one voice in your head telling you you need to pick, you have no choice. I teach you how to choose a more helpful thought to "answer" the thought that gets you to pick, thus giving you a choice and the ability to choose what you really want, long-term and not just in the moment:In the next video I talk about "should" and "shouldn't" and how they keep you picking, and how adding in a "could" thought is needed to get you away from picking. Do you say to yourself, "I shouldn't be doing this" while you are picking? If so you need to watch Part 2:
In the third video I illustrate how to let go of the general negative thoughts that get you to pick. Thoughts like doubts, fears, thoughts of anger, etc. often lead us straight to picking. Here I teach you how to use Byron Katie's four questions of inquiry using the example of a common pre-skin-picking thought "I have too much work - how will I every get it done?"
Finally, we get really practical in video #4. I show you exactly what exercises you need to do to add new thoughts into your mind that will help you succeed in becoming free from skin picking. I tell you how to create your master list of the thoughts you're having and the new thoughts you are going to answer them / replace them with. Then you need to make either manual index cards or use the app Brainscape, which I demonstrate in the video. Finally, it's just repetitive practice, practice, practice until you automatically have success-making thoughts!
I trust you enjoyed these videos and learned a lot. The real work begins now, when you implement what you learn. I go way more in-depth into the types of thoughts that cause you to pick in my book, Skin Picking: The Freedom to Finally Stop (also available as an audiobook here).
If you're realizing how much work it is to become free from picking, and feeling like you can't, or don't want to, do it alone, contact me to see how coaching can make all the difference.
Loads of support,
Annette