Are you cut off from your feelings?

[UnicornSightings]

My t wants to help get me out of my thinking brain and gave me an exercise to do that consists of 3 questions to ask myself for a week, whenever I think of it and I’m overthinking it lol!

They are:
What are you doing? (And I don’t even know what that means. In life? Right this moment? There are so many things I could answer as it’s not doing only one thing.

What are you feeling? (No clue. Most of the time. This morning I thought “tired” before realizing that wasn’t a feeling. I have no idea how I’m feeling except when I’m happy, super obviously anxious or angry)

What do you want? (Seriously like in this moment? In life? I have no idea of either!)

The key is not to overthink or stress myself out about it. I’m doing both. Do you guys see a point to this? Would you find it helpful? Do you have any alternative ideas?

 

[Friday]

I see some very good point in it... & I bet after a week you will, too.

My suggestion? Have 2 answer sheets.

- 1 for the off the cuff in that moment responses. Including “wrong” answers like “tired”, or “I don’t know”. You may very well find they’re not as wrong as you think they are, and are as useful -if not more so- than answers you feel good about.

- 1 for the lengthy reasoned responses you want to do that are conflicting with your off the cuff answers, or addendums to your off the cuff answers.

Short & sweet, lengthy & reasoned.

Bring them both in with you next week.

 

[Still Standing]

For me those would be grounding questions. Perhaps he is asking you to be spontaneous and simply say the first thing that comes to your mind. It might be an exercise that eventually helps to break down the barriers that keep you from acknowledging the feeling you have in that moment. But, I am like you...I would try to over-anylize them, unless my T gave more specific instructions on how to look at the questions. It sounds like you need to have him define these a bit more for you.

 

[UnicornSightings]

I see some very good point in it... & I bet after a week you will, too.

My suggestion? Have 2 answer sh...

Omg I love this idea. Perfect! Satisfies my overthinking brain, too. Thank you!!

For me those would be grounding questions. Perhaps he is asking you to be spontaneous and simpl...

He wants me to be very gentle and patient and ask myself the questions in a loop as a way of getting to the core of the questions but I keep getting hung up.

 

[shimmerz]

ask myself the questions in a loop as a way of getting to the core of the questions but I keep getting hung up.

Yeah, I can see this as doing multiple things. I am not your T but this is my best guesses.
1. Stops negative thoughts. He is, from the sounds of things, trying to get you to stop thoughts that aren't helping you and replace them with helpful thoughts.
2. Mindfulness of your thought patterns and how they are affecting you and that you can change them for good results.
3. Teaching you to be able to ground yourself. Which also means being more in the 'now' and not left brain. It is the right brain that needs to be more activated, and these questions are more right brained things.

It is a good thing for him to be helping you with. Your T is laying the groundwork for a healthier foundation so you can move away from the 'trauma brain', which of course, comes with a who whack of dysfunction.