Cognitive Restructuring

The book I am reading encourages the use of jealousy maps to bring out our inner tension and act on it. This is a more positive reaction than to muck around and feel envy. That is the difference: to distinguish between jealousy and envy as envy is the more sinister variety. Jealousy allows us to act and do something about. So let’s give it a try:

Who: Alice
Why: Alice is always the center of things with good skills in presentation
Action Antidote: Stop moping around and act natural and be more sociable

I think this is a good exercise in so-called cognitive restructuring. A technique that tries to correct faulty thinking. I guess that is what is happening when I get anxious and fearful. So if the triggering thought is ‘’I will lose my job’’ then one should respond with ‘’I will find another good job’’.

Last night I had a dream where a colleague – actually one of the customer I worked with (one who often criticizes my work and therefore gives me pressure) and I had lunch together. I did not have money and he gave me the money I needed to buy food. We sat down together in a place with a pool and had our lunch. It is a strange dream. Especially involving someone that I am often at odds with at work although he seems to be reasonable and we often have some good moments as well. I saw him in the hallway yesterday and he gave me a strange look. My imagination started to play again (faulty thinking) and I thought that his look meant that he knew something about me. Perhaps he knew that I would be retrenched soon. SO may strange and paranoid thoughts swirling around. I guess it was this encounter that may have triggered my dream.

During these days of change at the office, one cannot help but misinterpret signals one gets from other people. The tension always results in faulty thinking and paranoia like who is next in the chopping block. Admittedly the company it doing it’s best to prevent this kind of thing by being above board and open in all its actions. I guess this is the best time to correct one’s thinking otherwise one will be an emotional mess. I like my friend Paul who was retrenched but he is taking it very well. In fact he invited me to play golf last Saturday and we had a good time.