Pressures List

No one escapes the impact of pressure on our lives. Pressures can run from the minor to the major and the collective impact of these pressures is usually something we are not fully aware of. Much life the Suffering Inventory I have posted previously, the Pressure List is the groundwork for beneficial effective therapy, whether you use it with your therapist or just for personal reflection. The directions are simple: list ALL the pressures you feel. There is nothing too trivial or too sensational to add to this list, allow the list to be exhaustive. For example: “I feel pressure to always be a perfect parent…I feel pressure to be funny….I feel pressure to make a certain amount of money…” and so on. Set a timer for 10 minutes (this is an important step) and try to not stop writing all the pressures you feel, even if they do not make sense. Once you have the list complete. Stop and take a few minutes to close your eyes, take a few deep breaths and just reflect on the impact this exhaustive list of pressure has had one you. Do not rush this process, often times there can be powerful emotions provoked when we really give ourselves the honest attention we deserve. Once you feel satisfied with the pause and reflection, reread the list and circle/highlight the pressures that seem the most impactful to your current life. Try and distill down a list of 3-5. After you have the list and top 3-5 detailed your done, bravo. With this list you can explore personally or with your therapist how these pressures shape your thoughts, feelings, emotions and behaviors. If you want to explore things more formally, stay tuned for further journaling exercises that can be built upon using your specific list. Take care and be well.