This mindfulness exercise on Changing Your History Channel invites you to explore new ways of relating to an old (and perhaps painful) personal story.
We can’t change the past. No matter how much we yearn or plead, the events of our history are there to stay. What we can work with is how the past shapes the present, and how we tell the story. This worksheet offers a way to view an old event through a different lens, in the hope that it may carry a different weight for your present self.
The PDF offers six exercises:
- Recurring story counts: keep a tally for a week of how often one story comes to mind, then ask whether it supports your wellbeing.
- Recalling positive stories: retell a time you felt loved, cared for, and supported, in as much sensory detail as you can.
- Uncovering strength and hope: write about a light-to-moderate challenge that helped you grow, and the lessons it left you with.
- All-time favorite stories: reflect on a story that inspires you and how its themes show up in your own life.
- Finding comfort in neutrality: look for the small, hidden good in an ordinary, neither-good-nor-bad moment.
- Changing the channel: keep the facts and try swapping words that color the story, such as “unkind” for “unknowing” or “terrible” for “difficult.”
The worksheet suggests staying away from deep trauma and choosing lighter challenges. This practice complements professional care and does not replace it. If an old story brings up more than you want to meet alone, consider working with a therapist or counselor.
