Sometimes it is difficult to objectively analyze a personal problem. This is where various useful techniques of self-analysis can help you sort through each painful issue.

In this article, we will take a look at an effective way of analyzing a painful problem by Lise Bourbeau. Self-analysis is imperative to fully recognize our own issues and problems. The bottom line is to very thoughtfully answer several questions. Such self-analysis determines the causes of the illnesses, but you can use it for solving problems in other areas of life simply by replacing the word “illness” by the word “situation”.

Factors in self-analysis

Self-analysis is not just about gauging your present moment and making a judgment based on that alone. Self-analysis includes many other factors when it comes to looking for the solution to your problems or issues. Here are a few questions to ask yourself as you analyze the steps in your present situation.

1. What adjectives best describe my state at the moment?

Do not worry about how it will look. It may be “heavy”, “gloomy as the weather”, “horrible”, “sharp”,  or “aggressive”. Asking yourself this question will help you better understand the physical basis of the situation.

If you wrote that you are having a “nervous, difficult, frustrating feeling,” then this is exactly what you experience every time you encounter this situation or condition.

2. What does this situation/illness compel me to do?

The answer to this question should have a negative meaning. For example, “to stay away from people,” “not to go out”, “not to eat ice cream,” etc. When you write all the answers, you will be able to see exactly whether your desires are blocked by this situation or the illness.

For example, if you have the flu, then the disease will prevent you from going to work. That is, your physical body blocks the desire to leave home to go to work. It may also prevent you from seeing friends or attending any other functions. You may only feel like sleeping. Do you see how this works?

3. If my wish came true, what would change in my life?

You are using the locked desire of the previous question (“not to go to work”) and imagine what would happen if you do go. What exactly would change in your life if you chose a different version of events?

“If I went to work, I would have finished the report and would finally get a promotion.”

There may be several options. Once you write down all of them, you will understand that these are your underlying needs that are locked by some false beliefs. We have a lot of them and they are very difficult to identify, so this kind of self-analysis will open your eyes to yourself.

4. If I allowed myself to … (the answer to the previous question), what terrible thing would happen in my life?

“If I finally finished writing a report and got a promotion, all my friends and colleagues would start to envy me and would turn away from me.”

The answer to the fourth question will help you understand what kind of false “mental block” closes the road to the realization of your goal.

In our example, a person really wants to get a promotion, but the fear of losing good relations with their colleagues prevents them from it. The disease, in this case, is only an external obstacle. The point is that this person, in fact, does not even know for sure how their friends would react to their promotion, so it is only their own judgment.

After this self-analysis, many things fall into place, and you better understand your own motives. Understanding your motivations as well as your educated guess on how others will react will mold the decisions you make. Self-analysis just allows you to see things from a different perspective and gain insight on the best possible route to take.

Whether it’s an easy decision or a painful one, a choice will have to be made. Always listen carefully and pay attention to detail when indulging in self-analytical actions.

References:

  1. Your Body’s Telling You: Love Yourself! by Lise Bourbeau
  2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

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