Welcome.
My name is Alexis,
Management and mindfulness practitioner.
Thank you for joining me on this exercise on Socratic questioning.
This exercise is rooted in ancient Greek philosophy,
Where it was established by Socrates,
And forms a foundation in today's modern psychology practices.
Thank you for investing this time into yourself.
Today we will be using Socratic questioning in a visualisation.
This visualisation will help you to better understand your reactions,
Assumptions,
And any unhelpful thought patterns that may be triggered for you in certain situations.
I invite you now to settle into your body by taking five deep belly breaths.
In through the nose,
And out through the mouth.
In through the nose,
And out through the mouth.
In through the nose,
And out through the mouth.
Now,
I'd like for you to recall a recent situation in which we will reflect upon.
Perhaps one where intense emotion was triggered.
It may have been a conflict,
Or a situation where the actions of another upset you.
I want you to re-visualise the situation.
What were you feeling during this interaction?
What were the thoughts that went through your head during this interaction?
What were the things you said during this interaction?
And what were some of your behaviours during this interaction?
Just sit for a moment now and relive the situation.
Feel it,
See it,
Think it,
Relive it as if you were there again.
Now,
I'm going to ask you a series of Socratic questions.
These questions are going to help you to challenge any beliefs and unhelpful thoughts you had towards the situation.
What must you have believed during this interaction?
To feel the way you did,
To think the thoughts that you thought,
And to act in the way that you did.
What were the beliefs going through your head about yourself and the other person during this interaction?
What evidence do you have to support the beliefs that you have during this interaction?
Are there alternative views that possibly explain this interaction?
Was your reaction a realistic response or train of thought during the situation?
Was your response helpful in the outcome of the situation?
What unhelpful thinking patterns exist in this situation?
Are these patterns coming up because any of my beliefs are being triggered during this situation?
Is this pattern of behavior,
Is this train of thought going to achieve the outcome that I desire?
How might this pattern of behavior or train of thought affect those around me?
Are there long-term implications of my response and behaviors in this situation?
What questions could I have asked the other person instead?
What actions could be taken instead to achieve the outcome that I desire?
Remember that the only power we have in any situation is a power over ourselves and how we choose to react or respond in a situation.
Revisualize the situation now,
Responding in the manner that you desire to achieve the outcome that you want.
What is the purpose of this exercise?
The purpose of this exercise is to not ruminate on the past.
The purpose of this exercise is to allow us the time and the space to reflect on our actions and identify unhelpful thinking patterns.
So we were able to begin understanding how it is we desire to respond when we are triggered in future situations.
It's not until we understand our triggers and understand our patterns of behavior in response can we begin to bring mindful awareness around how we can begin to change our behaviors to achieve the outcomes that we desire.
The next time you find yourself in a triggering situation,
I invite you to pause.
I invite you to visualize the outcome you desire.
And I invite you to act in accordance with what will help you achieve the outcome you desire.
Thank you for joining me in this exercise on Socratic questioning.
I hope this helps you understand your unhelpful thinking patterns and begin to rewire them to help you achieve what it is you desire.
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