Objectifying is a skill that empowers a person to look at a situation, and observes the emotions, thoughts, and impulses that coincide with a particular circumstance. The key components derived from one’s ability to objectify are awareness and choice. To objectify is the opposite of impulse reaction or gratification. It is a soothing skill because like SDB (slow deep breathing) it will help you stay calm and safe.
Your objective is to focus your awareness on the stressful situations, emotions, thoughts, and impulses that partner with your situation. All the while describing what is happening to you, what you are feeling, and what you are thinking. Similarly to the way in which a TV reporter may explain a new event. That is, describe your circumstance as if you were observing everything from the outside. Your job is to report everything without reacting to your observations. Remember, to objectify is to describe what is happening, without reacting. It is an unbiased approach design to provide clarity of thoughts.
Objectifying is a hard skill to develop. Some may say it is even harder than SDB because it requires a greater amount of self-control. To learn objectification is an especially tough skill for you to acquire because of your psychotraumatic experiences (your instinct is to numb, deny, forget, or stuff stressful feelings). However, with the combination of your journal writing, and SDB techniques it is possible for you to overcome your past setbacks and create a new life story for yourself. This pairing of skill sets can empower you to objectively describe what you feel and think without acting on your emotions until, with full awareness and choice, you consciously decide to do so.
Each of the Self Soothing Skills mentioned in the previous article on Slow Deep Breathing, act as a foundation for future positive habits. Master one skill, and the techniques to follow will follow more easily. To objectify one skill will take longer to master, but that is completely normal and okay. Recovery from what you have been through takes time, and it is the time you spend on nurturing a new you that is time well spent.
For continued assistance see the Objectifying Self-Help article located below or speak directly with a BlueSky Behavioral Health expert today.
Objectifying is used in tandem with SDB to prevent you from impulsively reacting in a self-injurious way to stressors. The two practices will help you get a feel for what it means to objectify, and the positive outcomes associated with the personal growth tool.