There Is Always Less To Do

Sometimes, people will sigh in sessions when we look at what's going on and how we can change their way of seeing things and say "there's always more to do..."they sound worn out at the thought of adding more to their processing of things - a new technique or new part of their routine.

I'd like to think the way forward is taking things away not adding to more.

Imagine your mind to be like an engine; always thinking, always working things out, deciding what to believe, what actions to take next, trying to solve that work issue, doubting, what to do about that tricky friend or the next holiday, processing the books that we read, thinking of a name for a new kitten, wondering if our kids will do OK in the new school year. Our mind judges everything around us - and ourselves too.

And the only tool we have to sift through all this noise and live out our lives is this self same mind. In trying to filter the noise we add more to it. No wonder we're so tired. We can't switch off. We never stop.

I think therapy has the potential to help with thinking less, worrying less, planning less.

I believe that instead of adding more noise we need instead to pause, listen to our initial thoughts and, when we can, try not think at all about what we are thinking but instead to just see those thoughts as they arise. Therapy is a place to both learn these skills and to test these skills.

The road to thinking less begins with noticing more what is going on in our minds as it arises. In therapy, we do this - notice what is happening, what we are thinking or feeling at any time and learn to accept it. From there, an opportunity comes for us to focus attention on that thought or feeling instead of sliding off quickly onto the next thought or wondering if its the "right" thought or "wrong" thought.

I think instead of life being one thing after another, life ought to be one thing and then another. We need to slow down, pause and see what our brain is up to - its always up to something! In therapy we have the opportunity to realise that the less we do, the less thinking and planning we do, the more we are filled with clarity.

We realise that our motivation ought to be do less not more.