My spectrum of rigid/focused thinking and setting goals ACTIVITY E. YOUR WRITING PROMPTS PAGE 37-38

Event: When does this happen to me?  Do you get stuck thinking about arguments? If you believed something was wrong will you think about it repeatedly? Will you focus on this even more if something wrong was done to you? How does lack of sleep or food affect your ability to think or act with flexibility? Are you able to complete tasks that other people would find hard or too much work because of your rigid focus or way of doing things? Will you keep working towards a goal no matter how hard it is or how much you want to give up? Do you need certain things to be the same way all the time?  

Meaning: What does this mean for me? How do you feel after hyper-focusing on something negative such as an argument? Will this drain your energy or make you angrier? Does this influence your reactions or behaviour when meeting the person/people involved the next time? Are you able to change these reactions?   Could you achieve a lot with your focused thinking? Are there any particular jobs it might be helpful in? Do you think it might cause problems if you can’t change your focus/behaviours even if you are reaching your goals? What kind of issues might develop? What happens if things are changed from what you expected?

Strategies: To help me change my thoughts I can: How can you stop your thoughts or behaviours from getting stuck? Would it help to record any negative thoughts/events to contain your feelings and either find a solution or reframe your beliefs to something more positive or a different possible outcome?   Event: ______________________________________________ Feelings: ______________________________________________ Alternative/Solution: ______________________________________________

Goals: To help me achieve my goals I can: What makes you happy? How can you use this to set and achieve a goal? Would a treat/reward at the end provide motivation to continue? Would you like to gain a good grade in your exams? What can you do to make sure this happens? Is there someone you can study with or compete against to keep you motivated and on target? How can you use your hyper-focus to reach your goals but maintain a balance so that you don’t become overwhelmed with anxiety about meeting your targets? Would setting small achievable steps to work towards one bigger goal help you get things done?