Post by ema2two on Jan 20, 2006 6:26:10 GMT -5
Heard a wonderful metaphor from my son's (age 7) therapist tonight.
She talked to him about the negative self talk people say to themselves and hear. She referred to it as ANTS: [glow=red,2,300]A[/glow]utomatic [glow=red,2,300]N[/glow]egative [glow=red,2,300]T[/glow]hought[glow=red,2,300]S[/glow] After helping him understand the acronym, we talked about the kinds of negative self talk he hears as well as examples of negative self talk people hear in general in various situations, even as adults.
Then we talked about how to get rid of the ANTS! Wonderful visuals (after all she is a therapist for kids) about closing the doors and sealing the cracks so the ANTS can't march in. Having a can of bug spray that you use to mentally spray away the ANTS when you start to realize they are there. How to notice the positives about yourself so that there won't be crumbs on the floor to attract the ANTS.
I loved the metaphor and recognized immediately that it had relavence for us regarding weight management. I asked her permission to share it here, and she said gladly.
What are your ANTS? How do you bug-proof your brain?
I'm getting out my mental Raid and spraying away the ANT that I've been a poor moderator of this section and haven't done what people depended on me to do when I was asked to replace SusieQ (who I think of often and miss and hope is well). I didn't think I was up to the task when asked, ironically due to some reasons similar to those that caused SusieQ to take her hiatus, but said I'd try. I have, and will continue to do so. I don't have the fund of knowledge about psychology and mindful eating that SusieQ does, (not an ANT, a simple statement of fact that I don't feel badly about), so I will continue to post when I have some idea to pass on or of my own, and encourage all of you to do the same.
Now, if only I could make some cute Wildflower-esque graphic of ants marching two by two . . .
She talked to him about the negative self talk people say to themselves and hear. She referred to it as ANTS: [glow=red,2,300]A[/glow]utomatic [glow=red,2,300]N[/glow]egative [glow=red,2,300]T[/glow]hought[glow=red,2,300]S[/glow] After helping him understand the acronym, we talked about the kinds of negative self talk he hears as well as examples of negative self talk people hear in general in various situations, even as adults.
Then we talked about how to get rid of the ANTS! Wonderful visuals (after all she is a therapist for kids) about closing the doors and sealing the cracks so the ANTS can't march in. Having a can of bug spray that you use to mentally spray away the ANTS when you start to realize they are there. How to notice the positives about yourself so that there won't be crumbs on the floor to attract the ANTS.
I loved the metaphor and recognized immediately that it had relavence for us regarding weight management. I asked her permission to share it here, and she said gladly.
What are your ANTS? How do you bug-proof your brain?
I'm getting out my mental Raid and spraying away the ANT that I've been a poor moderator of this section and haven't done what people depended on me to do when I was asked to replace SusieQ (who I think of often and miss and hope is well). I didn't think I was up to the task when asked, ironically due to some reasons similar to those that caused SusieQ to take her hiatus, but said I'd try. I have, and will continue to do so. I don't have the fund of knowledge about psychology and mindful eating that SusieQ does, (not an ANT, a simple statement of fact that I don't feel badly about), so I will continue to post when I have some idea to pass on or of my own, and encourage all of you to do the same.
Now, if only I could make some cute Wildflower-esque graphic of ants marching two by two . . .
.
