Springtime is often thought of as a time of rejuvenation, reawakening, restoration or perhaps, just plain old spring-cleaning. This would be a good time to think about a personal kind of change- a psychological makeover. Just as a personal appearance makeover focuses on key elements of one’s appearance, a psychological makeover attends to the basic components of an individual’s psychological makeup.
The following are some questions to help stimulate the beginnings of a psychological makeover and invite an individual to begin thinking of successful strategies for dealing with life’s challenges:
• Generally speaking, are you in emotional balance or, is life an emotional roller coaster? Are the twists and turns in your life usually taken in stride and dealt with in a fashion which promotes and retains stability? For the most part, are you able to roll with life’s punches or does the tendency to be upset by almost anything and everything better describe what happens in your life?
• Are you usually relaxed, laid back, and easy going or is anxiety, tension and being uptight a more fitting label for your behavior? Do you use humor, laughter, and playfulness to meet life’s difficulties or would those who know you describe you as being troubled, always serious, and driven?
• Do your “know when to hold them or when to fold them” or are you instead, driven by a perfectionistic need to control each and every aspect of your life? Can you let go and move on when it is reasonable and prudent to do so or would you be more likely not to know when or not to choose when to let go and cut your losses?
• Is life for you a glass that is half-full most of the time or instead a half-empty, leaky vessel filled with pessimism and negativism? Are you most often full of hope and possibilities or instead do you perceive life as a road full of potholes, speed bumps and dead ends?
• Are you able to establish and maintain trusting, loyal friendships or is loneliness, distance, and disharmony a more suitable description of how you relate to other people?
There are many other components to a healthy psychological outlook but if you want to begin a psychological makeover you may find the preceding questions and thoughts a good place to start.
Harold H. LeCrone, Jr., Ph.D. Copyright 2004
Hi.
I’m an experienced Clinical Practitioner, Administrator, Professional Writer, and Lecturer.
