6. How to Feel Better, Part 2
Do you spend a lot of time thinking about your past, especially parts of your past that bother you? You might feel as if you could feel better if only the past would loosen its grip on you. I am here to offer you an alternate way of thinking about that so that you have a path forward.
We can't change the past, but we can change how we think about it now. Dividing this discussion into two segments – quantity and quality – I start by talking about quantity (how often we think about the past) and will dive into quality (what we actually say to ourselves about the past) in the next episode.
Our brain has certain default settings that cause us to think about the past repeatedly, but we don't have to fight against those settings and, in fact, shouldn't. We can use them to our advantage. You can learn this skill and learn how to think about your past less often. It's so worth it.
Show Highlights
how to change the way you think about the past
quantity of our thoughts about the past
why repetitive thoughts are a default setting of your brain
how we can actually use our brain's default settings to our advantage
the disconnect between reality and how our brains have evolved
how to bring yourself into the present when you're fixated on the past
Resources
Our Modern Emotional Lives, Episode 4 - “Perfectionism and What It’s Costing You”
