Envy

Hi! Dunkin here. Today I need to process a little. My cousin, Waffles the Cockapoo, has been staying at my house since last Thursday. Don’t get me wrong, I really like him! He’s my cousin for Pete’s sake, but sometimes I have to say … I’m not a fan when Mom pays a lot of attention to him. It kinda starts to trick my mind and my brain tells me I’m not important, that Waffles is cuter than me, and that Mom maybe won’t love me anymore. Even writing it, I know that’s ridiculous. My mom loves me a lot- almost to the point where other people think she’s a little weird because I mean so much to her. So, why does my brain trick me like that??

Mom reminds me that thoughts are just thoughts. She tells me not to judge myself for having distressing thoughts or tell myself to stop thinking them. The more I tell myself to stop thinking about something, the more I’ll think about it. You try it- look around and notice one item (vase, pencil, computer, phone, etc). Notice it intentionally for about 20 seconds. Now… STOP THINKING ABOUT IT! That doesn’t work, right? All you’re doing is thinking about that one item. We can’t stop our thoughts but we can intentionally let them go. Mom tells me to picture a leaf on a stream. It’s possible to let the leaf float down the stream without judgement or interference. It’s the same with our thoughts. I picture putting my thought on a leaf and floating it down the stream. No judgements.

The next time I get a little jealous of Waffles and start to have wacky thought about not being loved, I’m going to float them down a stream. It take some effort, but is a lot more freeing than holding onto them.

Now, onto the important part of my day- I need a snooze!

For more about thoughts just being thoughts visit: https://contextualscience.org/about_act

#mentalhealth #acceptanceandcommitmenttherapy #ACT #thoughtsarejustthoughts #rushforddogs #leafonastream #dogs #labradoodle