Vladimir Levy’s approach to let go of any situation and stop worrying

Sometimes it is terribly difficult to let go of a situation that has knocked the ground out from under your feet and return to a full happy life. At such moments, it seems that the solution to the problem simply does not exist, and therefore a person quickly panics and then he feels especially helpless.



Meanwhile, in his brilliant book entitled “The Art of Being Yourself”, Vladimir Levy long ago described in detail the effective mechanism of working with such problems. And today's edition. "Site" He will gladly remind everyone who needs it.

The method described in the book of a famous psychotherapist is called the “Paradox of the log”. It helps not only to clearly identify problem areas in life, but also teaches you to cope with the experiences that arise in connection with this process.



In order to most easily explain the mechanism of overcoming negative thoughts, we offer you a brief summary of this method.

Imagine that you are in the forest and there is a log in front of you on the ground. You need to go through it. The log is reliable and stable, so the probability of falling from it is reduced to zero. Well, even if you fall, in the worst case, you get off with a small bruise. Therefore, you will surely not hesitate to walk through it. Isn't it?

The same thing happens when you have to solve a simple life task. One that you've dealt with before. When a person knows what awaits him, he acts more confidently and in most cases practically does not feel anxious.

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And what if the same log is raised to a height of several meters? Will you remain as calm and unwavering in your intention to walk through it? The answer will probably be no.

This situation can be compared with experiencing a difficult life problem. Such a problem when the chances of successfully overcoming the problem are not more than seventy percent.

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And finally, the biggest challenge. Imagine that the log is a bridge over a chasm several kilometers deep. Moving to the other side is essential. What would you do in such a situation?

The same emotions that this situation causes, a person experiences at the moment when cardinal changes occur in his life, or are just planned. For example, changing jobs, parting with a loved one, pregnancy and so on.



The only thing we focus on is the fear of falling into that deep and terrible abyss. In other words, the probability of losing control of the situation and not coping.



This is the fear that we need to work with. First of all, you need to admit that such fear exists. Then you should understand the causes of its occurrence and answer the question: “What will happen if I lose control of this situation?” Having identified the possible risks, you should prepare for yourself the so-called airbag - an action plan that can be applied in case of failure. Well, after a person provides himself with a backup plan, anxiety itself recedes.