Obsessive thoughts - uninvited guests, continuous, distressing and painful units of the mind, which often have no ground under them. They either paralyze the ability to make a decision or lead to impulsive actions. Parents are overly worried about their children, businessmen are worried about their job, students can not sleep all night before the exam. All of them, most likely, did everything possible, but continue to torture themselves. And worst of all - even the realization that these are obsessive thoughts does not save them. They relate to the past or future, but not the present. These are not thoughts, but excessive worries in a situation where nothing can be done.
This article has collected tips to help you cope with obsessive thoughts. Get ready for the fact that it will require long-term work on yourself. But in return, you will get rid of stress and anxiety, as well as a clear mind and calm.
1. Stop and enter into dialogue
The next time you catch yourself with an obsession, stop. It seems impossible only when you do not try. Thoughts can be stopped if you want. Literally tell yourself not to think about it.
Then write this thought on a piece of paper, and opposite it is three counter-thoughts.
Obsessive thought: I can get into a car accident when I go home by car.
Counter-thoughts :
- The fact that I can imagine this in my imagination does not mean that this will happen.
- I thought about it a thousand times and this has never happened.
- The probability is too low. I comply with traffic rules and carefully monitor the road.
Surprisingly, it does not matter what quality counter-thoughts will be. Obsession remained undeniable for many days (months, years). When it is diluted with arguments (even far-fetched), you begin to think. Just thinking about a problem is the opposite of scrolling the same plate.
2. Get rid of them
Obsessive thoughts immerse a person in an unproductive state. They lead to unconsciousness and narrow the focus.
There is an old simple technique: put a rubber bracelet on your wrist and every time you scroll through these thoughts in your head, stretch it and beat yourself. This technique is popular in NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) it allows itself to be “punished” for inappropriate behavior and to pay conscious attention to thoughts that are not good.
3. Realize what is real and what is not
Entering ourselves into an unconscious state, we stop distinguishing truth from fiction, we do not understand what reality is. The fact that you can imagine the worst-case scenario does not mean anything by itself. This is just a fantasy.
Sit and close your eyes. Now imagine that you clap your hands. Then actually clap. Can you tell what the difference is? Sure you can.
Fantasy and imagination are great tools for a creative person, but when it comes to anxiety and worries, it is important to understand that this is an illusion.
Always distinguish real from fictional pops.
4. Calm your mind
Does anxiety give rise to thoughts or vice versa? Probably both options are possible. We considered the second option, now it is the turn of the first.
Anxiety is a kind of mental state in which "something is wrong." You cannot answer these doubts with the help of critical thinking, so you have to think up.
Therefore, first of all, you need to get rid of this condition. There are several ways to do this:
- meditation
- Breathing exercises
- Keeping a diary
- Doing sports
Speaking about sports, it should be said that athletes are less likely to experience stress and anxiety. They are so often obsessed with watching their body and doing physical exercises that they simply don’t have time for all this. Sport is also a kind of meditation.
5. Watch the world and your thoughts
Have you ever sat in a cafe or strolled just watching what was happening? This ability kills many anxieties and obsessive thoughts.
No need to judge, compare, blame, just watch. This is meditation in real life.
The same is with your thoughts. Pay attention to them and when you notice calmly and unobtrusively drive them out of your head. Get away from them.
Follow these steps:
- Close your eyes.
- Take a few deep breaths and pay conscious attention to your thoughts and what paintings they draw in your head. Watch them with interest, but objectively.
- Imagine how these thoughts leave your mind, becoming the past. Feel free from them.
They may be back, so repeat these three steps.
You must have noticed that the main way to get your thoughts through is to be aware. Awareness does not solve all the problems but copes with such thoughts remarkably.
Good luck!
very very nice post and well written.
Seems you have experienced difficulties in life and have successful overcomes them.
I have written a similar article, you may like this :
http://www.healthymind.xyz/tips-for-how-to-have-healthy-mind/
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