Problem:
I am thinking and thinking most of the time I can start on one subject and fly off to another. It seems like my mind never rests. Sometimes I can’t sleep because of everything going on in my mind. I wonder if this is normal. My husband says don’t worry about it. My mother is kind of the same and she does a good job thinking and worrying about just about anything. I am worried that I am teaching my children to be just like me.
I believe I am a perfectionist. I find something else to get done even when I just finished what needed to be done. It is a nightmare, because I do not know when to leave well enough alone.
Discussion:
It seems like people who have the tendency towards perfectionism have a problem shutting things down. That includes their thinking. I remember reading an article that basically a perfectionist can never arrive, as they think they should be somewhere else. It made sense to me.
If we were raised in a way that helped us to develop that kind of thinking, it’s work but it can change. I do realize that when a person is thinking as you do, it is hard to believe that things can change. One of the challenges is to realize that we learned the behavior, so we can unlearn it. It is possible. Remember that most things are possible, we just have to find the pattern of our thinking.
It would help to talk to someone about your problem and hear what someone else thinks. I am suggesting a counselor who will listen without bias and will do their best to help you.
Take your time and find someone to talk to. Make an effort to quit disbelieving and try to realize the opposite may be true.
It may be that you’ve heard that all things are possible. Thought stopping does help. Look at the internet and find skills to better ways of handling your challenges.
To submit problems, contact Juanita Sanchez, psychotherapist, by email at [email protected] or through High Plains Journal.
