The Majority of My “shoulds” Function

The Majority of My “shoulds” Function 
My “shoulds” are relationships, home activities, recreational and social activities, creative activities, money and finances, self-improvement, sexual activities, self-care, religious and church activities, food and eating, ways of dealing with feelings, and inner experience. When it comes to relationships, I have friends, siblings, parents, teachers, and people in need. In addition, self-care includes appearance, dress, and exercise. The ways I express my feelings are anger, joy, love, sadness, and fear (McKay & Fanning, 2016). For sure, completing this activity requires one to reflect on his or her “shoulds” carefully. All the things that an individual does in life contribute to his or her well-being. On that note, reflecting on a person’s behaviors is crucial since it helps one know where to change his or her behavior and become a better version of oneself.
The majority of my “shoulds” function as healthy guides and not psychological bludgeons that destroy one’s self-esteem. For example, relating well with friends, parents, siblings, teachers, and helping people in need gives me a sense of accomplishment (McKay & Fanning, 2016). The mantra that enables me to address unhealthy “shoulds” is treating others the way I would want to be handled. Specifically, it helps me to always think before acting to avoid provoking others or hurting their feelings. This activity is helpful since it enables an individual to think about things that contribute to one’s healthy lifestyle. As such, a person can identify things that might lead to stress and avoid them in advance. The importance of reflecting on one’s behaviors is to change for the best. As a result, I think it is an essential tool to use with clients so that they can improve their lifestyles by identifying and avoiding “shoulds” that cause psycholog...