Have you ever wondered who all the people are in your head? No, you’re not going crazy. Its all the different aspects of your personality interacting with each other. We use them to make decisions and make sense of the world. We find ourselves saying phrases like: “On the one hand I feel like this, but on the other …”, sometimes its difficult to know which one to go with.
We may also have unwanted voices in there putting their opinion in, it might be an echo from our past – a parent or teacher judging or criticising us.
Organising these aspects is a useful thing to do but first we need to identify them. This may seem like a strange thing to do – after all, we live with them every day. But some parts of us are kept hidden from others and sometimes from ourselves, they are just too difficult to deal with, but that doesn’t stop them popping up and sometimes speaking out.
Exploring these parts and learning how to manage them, or even reduce them, allows us to feel more in control of our lives. We know when we are triggered and what our response might be in a stressful situation and so we can prepare ourselves and quieten that voice.
Thinking of ourselves like this, helps us to reduce our inner conflict and in turn provides us more capacity for other pursuits like; fun, love, joy and work. We can imagine it as a team working together internally to get the most out of life.
It might be better to be guided through the process with a therapist, but you could start by writing down, or drawing, the different parts of yourself. The louder ones could be bigger or brighter colours. Also consider who’s in charge – this may change – so you can give the driving seat to another aspect when its appropriate. Imagine when you are on holiday and playing in the pool – perhaps your inner 10 year-old wants to play for a while. In a business meeting, that might not work! So, your inner child may need a nap or to take a back seat for a while.
Gradually you will gain more peace and harmony and be more in touch with what’s happening internally. Allowing you to focus on, and enjoy, the present moment without the distraction of a battle going on inside.