The average person thinks between 50,000-70,000 thoughts per day. Our minds are constantly processing the world around us, each day is a non-stop barrage of thoughts, questions, and observations. The human capacity to think (while great in comparison to other living creatures) is incredibly susceptible to error. Cognitive bias, false assumptions, misinformation, Ego and limiting beliefs are just a few patterns of unhealthy thought that interfere with our judgement.
Just doing what they do, our mind likes to warn us about stuff because our minds primary job is to keep us safe. Your mind would always rather err on the side of caution because it is more likely to keep you physically safe that way, and your mind cares about that more than anything. But that doesn't mean the thoughts actually mean anything. Thoughts are just thoughts.
GIVE THIS A TRY:
Focus on your thoughts, observe what arises in your mind, be it a thought or sensation.
1) NOTICE the thought with gentle curiosity, giving it a descriptor. (Along the lines of, “Ah, I notice: anxiety/one of those thoughts/I‘m catastrophising.”)
2) IGNORE - Let it pass by. Resist the urge to latch on to the thought or feeling just because it 'feels' important doesn't mean that it 'is'. In time, it will fade as the predominant sensation, and you can let it pass by.
3) CHALLENGE - If it doesn't pass, challenge your narrative, we all tell ourselves stories based on what we learnt growing up and through the world around us:
- Ask yourself if what you're thinking is really, honestly true. Look at the facts, not the thoughts in your mind. Do you 100% know that what you are thinking is the truth? This is the first step in knowing whether or not you should believe what you're thinking. If the answer is no, then you need to let the thought go.
- Can you absolutely know the thought is true? Though you might have determined that the thought is true in #1, dig a little more deeply now. Ask yourself why it's true. What facts do you have to support it? What emotions might be influencing your thinking? Is there any possible chance that you're not being honest with yourself?
- How do you react when you believe that thought? Consider what the thought does to you. Even if it is 100% true and valid, it's important to now look at whether or not the thought is worth having. Is it helping you in any way? Is it bringing you down? Is there any value in the thought? If not, you need to let the thought go -- or take action so you can let it go.
4) SELF COMPASSION - What would you say to a friend who told you they were thinking the same? We are our own worst critics - having the same compassion for ourselves as we do a friend really helps us to step back and look at our thoughts with a bit of distance, and give another perspective.
Give it a try. Thoughts are powerful enough to stop us from doing what we really want to do, how powerful could they be if we could notice those that don't serve us and let them go every now and again?!
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