{"id":9656,"date":"2014-11-04T11:00:37","date_gmt":"2014-11-04T11:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/?p=9656"},"modified":"2023-03-07T19:31:39","modified_gmt":"2023-03-07T19:31:39","slug":"what-is-perspective","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/what-is-perspective.htm","title":{"rendered":"Your Perspective – Is it Secretly Controlling Your Moods?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"what<\/a>by Andrea M. Darcy<\/span><\/p>\n

Want to change your life quickly? Your perspective is an easy but powerful tool that is used often by coaches and therapists.<\/p>\n

What is perspective?<\/h2>\n

Your perspective, in psychological thinking, is the way you have chosen to see the world.<\/strong> This includes the way you see yourself and those around you.<\/p>\n

Even if you think your thoughts on your life and on the people you know are ‘facts’, they really aren’t. They are a series of beliefs<\/span> <\/a>you have chosen to live from – your perspective.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

You could liken it to standing and looking at a statue, where the statue represents your life.<\/strong> Think about how many other places you could stand and still see that statue. Of course if you were standing on the other side, you’d have a different idea of what the statue looked like.<\/p>\n

Your perspective might feel permanent, but it isn’t.<\/strong> Whether you realise it yet or not, your perspective is actually a choice you have made. And like any choice, it can therefore be changed.<\/p>\n

Why does my perspective matter?<\/h2>\n

The way you choose to see things directly affects every choice you make.<\/strong> So your perspective ultimately determines how your life turns out.<\/p>\n

For example, if your perspective is that people aren’t worth your effort<\/strong>, you will likely not get married or have a family, and will likely work a job that doesn’t involve too much social interaction. You might suffer from loneliness<\/span> <\/a>but at the same time not have to deal with too much conflict.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

If your perspective is instead that people are great and everyone likes you,<\/strong> you might have many exciting relationships or get married, have children, and have a job that means you interact with many colleagues. But you might have rocky relationships when people don’t like everything you do and challenge you, and have constant conflict that causes you trouble at work and home.<\/p>\n

When perspective works against you<\/h2>\n

Note that neither of these above perspectives are necessarily balanced ones.<\/strong> They are too much to one side, choosing to see life as really terrible, or really good. Both of these perspectives are what is known as black and white thinking.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Seeing the world from such a one-sided place leads to ‘cognitive distortions<\/span><\/a>‘. This is a term <\/strong>used in cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to describe thoughts that don’t necessarily match up to the reality of what’s going on.<\/p>\n

CBT is a great form of therapy if you suspect you might be living your life from a skewered perspective. It helps you to start challenging your viewpoints and thoughts and choosing ones that lead to a life you are happier with.<\/p>\n

How does my perspective affect my moods?<\/h2>\n

Your perspective determines your thoughts, and your thoughts create a chain reaction that leads to taking actions. <\/strong>Actions that make you feel either good or bad about yourself and your life. In Cognitive behavioural therapy this is called a ‘behaviour loop’ or ‘maintaining process’<\/span><\/a>. A thought creates feelings and bodily sensations such as muscle tension. These combine to dictate your behaviour, which then triggers another thought, and the cycle continues again.<\/p>\n

Of course if that original thought is negative, you will tend to choose behaviour that leads to another negative thought. So you get stuck in a negative pattern, leading to low moods. If that original thought is positive, you will go on a positive loop. So your perspective is really a main force driving your moods, whether you know it or not.<\/strong><\/p>\n

How can I change my perspective?<\/h2>\n

\"what<\/a>There are many ways you can begin to change your perspective. Not the least of which includes working with a coach, counsellor, or psychotherapist<\/strong>, all of whom are trained on the art of learning how to shift perspective in a safe and positive way.<\/p>\n

One of the ways you can begin? Is to start asking yourself powerful questions<\/strong> about your opinions and choices. Try questions such as:<\/p>\n