Why Thought Work Doesn’t Work

Have you been practicing thought work for a while but still not seeing the lasting changes you want? Or maybe you’re working hard to change your mindset about a challenge in your life, but find that negative emotions still keep popping up. 

Thought work is undeniably powerful, but it falls short in addressing a critical part of our human nature. We’re not robots programmed to think and feel positively all the time; that’s simply unrealistic. 

Introducing emotion work is the bridge to help you get where you want to go.

Thought Work vs. Emotion Work

For those familiar with life coaching, you’re likely aware of thought work - a deliberate process that involves the conscious effort to examine and manage our thinking, beliefs and patterns. 

Its primary objective is to transform and reshape our thinking to help us achieve our desired outcomes.

Emotion work is a lesser-known aspect of coaching, but I find it to be far more impactful and transformative for me and the clients I work with.

Emotion work is the process of engaging with and understanding our emotions, allowing us to fully experience and process them. (Read more about emotion work here.)

While thought work deals primarily with our brain, emotion work focuses more on our heart.

The Limitations of Thought Work

Thought work is a powerful way to help recognize the power of thoughts and their impact in our lives. It enables us to choose empowering thoughts and create positive change. I personally have experienced many life-changing breakthroughs and transformations as a result of thought work. 

However, relying solely on thought work can be limiting. It keeps us in our heads and neglects one of the essential aspects of our humanity - emotions.

Often I see my clients getting stuck trying to jump to a new thought without embracing where they are right now. And then, when that doesn't work, they think something is wrong with them or that they aren’t “believing hard enough.”

The problem is that before you can change, you must acknowledge what is happening underneath your thoughts.

The Next Level: Emotion Work

To truly transform and connect with our authentic selves, we must recognize the significance of emotion work. Emotion work goes beyond just thinking about our emotions and requires us to genuinely feel and experience them. 

Emotion work involves understanding that your emotions are there to send you messages. 

Allowing ourselves to sit with our feelings, be curious about their message, listen to their wisdom, and validate them opens up new paths for growth and self-discovery.

Instead of trying to jump straight to a new, positive thought, it’s crucial to spend time sitting with your current feelings. What are you learning from it? What is so scary about this emotion that you want to push it away? Where is the emotion in your body? 

This allows you to get off the surface and listen to the message the emotions are trying to send you. What would you discover if, instead of trying to buffer it away, you learned to sit back and listen?

Overcoming Resistance to Emotion Work

One of the reasons we tend to avoid emotion work is the discomfort associated with processing deep emotions. Because of this, we often turn to thought work as a buffer, attempting to think our way out of negative feelings. 

However, true growth requires us to embrace the discomfort and resist the urge to bypass our emotions. By sitting with our emotions, we can understand them better, heal from past hurts, and integrate their valuable insights into our lives.

We want our emotions to feel seen and heard inside our bodies. When you’re no longer afraid of any emotion, you can completely change how you live life.

The Life-Changing Effect of Emotion Work

When we integrate thought work with emotion work, we lay the foundation for profound transformation. We need BOTH thought work and emotion work to create the life we want to lead.

Thought work will enable us to intentionally choose what we want to believe and act from a place of empowerment. Emotion work allows us to create a deeper connection with ourselves and clearly understand who we are.

If you find yourself stuck in a thought work loop or triggered by certain emotions, no matter how hard you try, seeking out a coach could be exactly what you need. 

Want More?

Going beyond surface-level thinking and embracing our emotions allows us to tap into a profound source of self-awareness and growth.

If you’re interested in exploring the power of emotion work further, a great way to get started is by checking out my private podcast, Beyond Living and Loving Your Life.

This podcast walks you through exactly how to engage with your emotions on a daily basis - in three minutes or less.

CLICK HERE to get instant access to the free podcast.