The Ping Pong Match

The cursed Mental Ping Pong Match! If this were an Olympic sport, I bet I would be the most decorated athlete in the world! It’s a game I practice and play every single day of my life. Vacations? Still playing. Weekends off? No way! Taking a break does not exist in Mental Ping Pong!

Who knows what I’m talking about? Who else has that constant battle inside your head? One day you’re strong and confident and are determined to say “Yes!” to anything. And you do! Then you wake up the next day and your brain says, “What the hell were you thinking?! There’s no way we can do that!”

So starts the ping pong match.

I’m gonna do it!

Nope! No I’m not.

I’ve got this! Come at me, bro!

Nah, Imma be on my couch with my cat.

It’s exhausting! This could apply to anything, whether it’s going to a party or going to your mailbox when the neighbors are out. Calling in sick to work or calling to order a pizza. Asking someone for a ride or calling Uber. Take your pick. If it involves social interaction, you’d better believe I’ve got a good grip on that paddle, ready to return that annoyingly bouncy little ball.

One way to serve an ace to your opponent is through externalization. It’s been suggested to me that a good method to try when shutting down the game is to take that opponent out of your head and view it as a bully (for lack of a better term). Fully visualize it! Give it a name, a hairstyle, a smirk on its face, and then talk to it. If you’re alone, talk to it out loud! But be double sure you’re alone, because if someone sees you talking to nobody, you’re surely gonna spend the next week overthinking about whether or not that person thinks you’re completely insane.

Yell at it! Scream your little heart out! Let that thing know that you are taking control and you’re not going to let it take you out of the action. Tell it that you are a force to be reckoned with and you will not let it win anymore. You’re going to that party and you’re going to enjoy it, however that looks for you. It doesn’t matter if you’re quietly sitting in the corner observing or chatting up the one person at the punch bowl who you just found out loves horses as much as you do. You’re going to be fine! And when your social meter hits full, thank your host, grab your coat, and head for the door.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I know it’s way easier said than done, but it’s a good starting place if you’re tired of leaving yourself out of things that you know you would enjoy. I can say with 95% certainty that you will not be successful the very first time. It takes practice, but keep trying! And hey, maybe you’re in that 5% that it does work for right away.

Wherever you are, this could be your first tiny little baby step towards ending that ping pong match. If you decide to give it a go, leave a comment and let me know how it goes! I’d love to hear from you!