We asked you to record any difficult experiences you had with other people and how they made you think and feel. We then asked you to write down what your best friend might say to challenge those thoughts.
The point of this activity was to make you aware of your thoughts about other people and their behaviour. Although some people do react negatively to visible differences, it’s important to remember that this isn’t always the case.
Let’s look at what you might think if you saw someone staring at you? Do you automatically assume that the person is judging you? Do you take it as a personal insult?
A negative thought might be:
- That person was staring at me and doesn’t even have the guts to look me in the eyes
- How dare they?
Did you find it easy or difficult to think of best friend statements to challenge your negative thoughts?
A positive thought might be:
- That person was just looking around, people are always looking about. It doesn’t mean that they were looking at me, or they turned away because they didn’t want me to notice.
Try and consider the way you respond to other people. Do you tend to assume the worst of people?
Next time you find yourself in a difficult situation, try to take a step back and think about it more positively. If your first thought is negative, challenge your thinking about what’s happened. Was the person really staring and turning away or was it an accident? Even if they were looking, were they being rude?
Look at your journal
Are your thoughts normally negative or positive? Continue recording difficult experiences and how they make you think.
Make a point of thinking about what you’ve written. This’ll help you get to know yourself better, so you can spot negative thoughts and can start thinking more positively.
Carry on recording 3 good things that happen to you each day. This can lift your mood and make you feel better about yourself. The key to getting it right is practice, so the more you try, the easier it’ll get.
Journal
Title: 3 good things that happened today
Congratulations on completing these activities!
It’s very important to try and practice what you’ve learnt between sessions, and by having a go, you’re well on the way to success with Face IT.
Hopefully you found it useful and understand the point behind it. If you’re struggling with it or you’re not sure what the point of it is, try having another go.
If you’re still not sure please email the Face IT Team on: info@faceitonline.org.uk
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