November 1st is Give up Your Shoulds Day, this is a great day to remove all shoulds from your speech and thought. Should is a horrible word because when you think and speak that nasty little word you are consciously or unconsciously putting unnecessary pressure on yourself. There are plenty other substitutions you can use in your thoughts and speech that can take will ease what you think you “should” do and still get the job done.
You have probably heard the phrase “Never Should on Yourself”, a wonderful phrase that if put into practice can release negativity and stress. Here are some examples of what people naturally think they “should” do:
- I should clean the house today
- I should send my friend a card or gift
- I should take out the trash
- I should work harder
- I should be a better person
- And so on….
So how do you correct these statements and thoughts even if they need to be done? That is exactly what Give up Your “Shoulds” day is about learning how to reframe all the necessary tasks into a desire. Here are examples how you can reframe those thoughts and statement into ones with less resistance
- I want to have a clean house because I feel better when it is less cluttered
- I desire to send my friend a card because I miss her/him and want them to know I have been thinking about them
- I like to take out the trash so I can have a sanitary home
- I want to increase my productivity and organization at work so I can work less and make more
- I am a great person, I want to give more to others because when I do they know I care and I have feel like I have made a difference
Now these are just a few ways to reframe the statements and in most cases it is best to Desire vs Want. By learning to stop think and saying should your entire outlook on life as well as your sense of peace will change for the better. National Give Up Your Shoulds day it a great place to start ridding yourself of the “shoulds” forever. We are conditioned with these words from childhood so depending on upbringing and current life situations it may take more time for some than others. Here are some great techniques that will help you never should on yourself again:
- Write down every time you say the word and then write down the reframe- there is a lot of power in writing and can quicken the process of ridding the negative words from your life
- Counter your “should” with a “desire” instantly, the second you should on yourself reword it in your mind
- Tell others what you are trying to do and why and ask if they can help you – so many times we are unaware of when we say the word so having the extra assistance can be quite helpful
If you have any techniques or tips for Give up Your Shoulds Day 2015 please share them with us below!
