How to stop the flow of thoughts in your head - simple techniques for clearing your mind

In this article we will look at methods that will help get rid of bad thoughts in your head.

Negative thoughts can be debilitating. They are burdensome, take the joy out of life, and distort your view of reality. Therefore, it is often recommended to replace negative thoughts with positive ones in order to improve any area of ​​your life. This sounds great in theory.

However, in practice, getting rid of bad thoughts is not so easy, especially if there is also a reason to be upset. After all, you can’t stop your negative thinking with the press of a button or the wave of a magic wand. Therefore, in this article we will look at psychological proven tips that will really allow you to get rid of these types of thoughts and close the door to any negativity in your head!

How to get rid of bad, obsessive thoughts and negativity: recommendations from psychologists

The nature and cause of the negativity in your head may be different. Someone really experiences severe trauma and cannot pull themselves together to enjoy life again. And someone, due to neurosis, induces negativity on himself. But it is important to understand that you need to get rid of bad thoughts without fail and in any order!

Follow!

Important: A bad habit of many, which becomes a stimulus for the appearance of obsessive thoughts on every issue, is talking to oneself. Yes, they may already be in automatic mode. But teach yourself, as soon as the voice appears in your head, immediately switch your attention. For example, calling someone on the phone to talk. This is what often becomes the reason for replaying a problem in your head, which for the most part you yourself invented. Just with different scenarios, but always with an unsuccessful ending.

By the way, previously such conversations alone with oneself were considered communication with evil spirits!

The first rule will be precisely the fight against replaying the plot in your head and suppressing your voice. If you get rid of this habit, you will spend significantly less time on an hour-long monologue. But other methods of dealing with bad thoughts will help you with this:

• Regularly drink chamomile or mint tea with honey (not sugar) every evening (not coffee after 18:00) for calm, no matter how trivial it may sound. If we talk about more radical methods, then you can use Valerian or Glycine, but also on an ongoing basis for about 10-14 days. It is this method that comes first, because only by calming down can you put things in order in your head. Moreover, often neuroses and movie problems in the head are the result of an abundance of caffeine and poor sleep.
• Now we rely on psychotherapeutic distraction from bad thoughts and even their persecution! And to do this, you must stop identifying yourself with your thoughts. In other words, we block ourselves from their influence - they should not control you and occupy your time and attention. Remember - this is just an echo of the day, stress at work or a quarrel in the family. This is neither the truth nor your reflection! It's just a lump of your different thoughts that got mixed up.

Dress correctly!

• Next you need to accept them! It sounds like crazy at first glance, but you shouldn't be afraid of your bad thoughts. As soon as you can let go of the situation that you are replaying in your head, it will stop haunting you.

Come down from the clouds to the ground, live consciously

Well, we've talked about money issues - now it's time to start talking about a more “earthly”, realistic approach to life.

Three-time Triple Ironman champion and scientist Christopher Bergland believes that getting your head out of the clouds and living fully in the present moment is easier than most people think. Bergland breaks down his path to mindfulness into three steps.

“Stop. Take a breath. Think about your thoughts. This simple technique will help you stay calm, focused, and balanced throughout the day,” advises Bergland.

For those who want to explore this issue more seriously, there are more serious meditations and techniques that help achieve awareness. For example, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR).

How to get rid of bad, obsessive thoughts and negativity: exercises

• Exercise “Face Fear”. You must imagine everything that worries and scares you! And you have to experience this emotion of adrenaline and fear. We are afraid of the unknown, but if you dare to take a step, you will find relief. By the way, remember the first lesson from Remus Lupine from the filmed serial book “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban”, which was based on the fight against fear. He's afraid of laughter! Take note to combat bad thoughts, which, like fear, are born only in our heads!

• Writing down your thoughts on paper can also help you with this You must subtly describe all the facets of your thoughts and the plots of your problems. At the same time, sometimes the decision will come by itself, and bad thoughts disappear. If possible, talk to someone close to you, but don’t turn these conversations into a habit of constantly complaining. And remember one thing - this should be a voiceover of your bad thoughts, but not complaints!
• Now let's move on to blocking bad thoughts. Positive visualization will help you do this. Of course, not everything is so easy, but when you visit a bad thought, reprogram your brain like this: either even such or a bad outcome from your situation/problem will bring you experience and benefit; or you do something different and end up winning again. By the way, we invite you to read the article “Visualization: what is it and how to do it correctly?” Exercise "Switch". We take our fears and bad thoughts and present them in all their colors! Disguise them as a switch or switch (can be placed inside). And when you have outlined everything in detail, press the switch and close these memories in your head.

Let go

• Let's solve this algorithm and find a way out! Bad thoughts become intrusive only when you cannot solve some issue! It doesn’t matter what your problem is, but all this just means is that you don’t like this outcome. Although you don't fix anything. Let's look at an example. You are consumed by the thought that you don’t see your family, you don’t get anything done around the house, but your salary doesn’t increase. And all because you cannot refuse help from your colleagues or boss with some project. And most of the time you sit at work for no reason. This is the simplest option to understand the essence of the problem. That is, you need not be afraid to express your dissatisfaction or the reason for the refusal, or demand additional compensation.

Falls are also needed

What helped me the most

Probably, like every person, I asked questions. What is a sense of life? Where did it all start? Why does anything move at all, why do planets rotate, why are there different colors? And it was clear that the answers to these questions would help somehow calm down, make things easier.

Not to say that the answers were found (they probably never will be), but with their help I understood important things. I realized that a person still has a purpose, there is a meaning in life, there is some kind of mission. Therefore, obsessive thoughts (about illness, about an accident, about death in the end) are just little things that arise along the path of life.

For myself, I argue it this way:

• Without man there is no meaning to the existence of matter.
  If no one “observes” and interacts with matter (look at the sun, watch the movement of a river, look at the planets through a telescope), then it is as if it does not exist. Somewhere in space there are huge boulders of stone spinning, but it turns out that they are not there. Without consciousness capable of cognizing matter, nothing in the world is needed. Therefore, we can conclude that matter is inseparable from consciousness. The Universe needs a sufficiently developed cognitive subject (man) so that he can evaluate its creations. It exists for a reason and it needs us .
• There are different levels of life. Mineral, vegetable, animal and human. For example, a goat is an animal level, grass is a plant level. If a goat chews grass, the grass will not understand what is happening to it. She does not have eyes, nose, or developed bodily sensations. In other words, the intellectual level of the grass is lower than the intellectual level of the goat.

  Why then did we decide that man is the crown of the universe? Maybe we just don’t have “organs” to communicate with the Higher Mind? Maybe there is something higher that gives our life meaning? (argument taken from lectures by V. Efimov)

Such faith in something greater helps to drive away petty problems and, in particular, throw obsessive thoughts out of your head. Personally, she gave me an understanding of the existence of a Higher Mind, a Unified Consciousness, God (as you like), which endow human life with a mission.

Indeed, it’s not easy for us to grind the earth’s resources, we need to do something in this life. And until you do this, terrifying predictions and images in the brain are nothing. No one needs your death, illness and suffering if you live in harmony with providence (conscience).

How to distract yourself from bad thoughts: tips

Thanks to these tips, you will understand how to learn to close yourself off from bad thoughts, developing a strong immunity to them.

• Distract yourself with positive activities that you actually enjoy!
  Yes, it sounds a little corny and seems complicated. But being busy gives you less time to focus on your thoughts and can also remind you of the things you enjoy. Find activities you enjoy or try something new.
• Have your own hobby! A lot of psychologists insist that it is these little things that make us a person. Let go of your thoughts, plunge into creativity and give in to the impulse! You will not only shut down negative impulses, but also receive an inspiring charge of positivity!
• Go for a run. It tires your mind and helps reduce stress through physical activity.
• Take a walk outside or somewhere you enjoy, such as a park. In general, make it a rule for yourself to go for a walk every day for at least half an hour, and not sit within 4 walls alone with your thoughts.
• Watch a funny movie/TV series or read an exciting book. This method, of course, will not save you from replaying the problem, but it will help you to distract yourself. And if there is also an interesting plot, then you can even learn a lesson for yourself on what to do.
• Spend time with a friend, family member or social community. Staying connected to others can help you feel more positive and take your mind off yourself.
• Do good. If you are having a really hard time and your thoughts are attacking you, do something good. You probably see poor, disadvantaged people or animals every day. Just take them some of your things, feed them, and give them your time and attention. You can also go to an orphanage or boarding school and bring fruit, cereal, formula or diapers there. Having done a good deed, your soul will feel much lighter. And your negative thoughts will make room, because you will be thinking about these people and this situation for many more days.

The power of kindness

• Clean up your home. Yes, cleaning itself is calming, but unnecessary things also attract negative energy into your home. And it, in turn, causes negative thinking in your head.
• Take risks and get some adrenaline! It will help you get rid of bad thoughts in your head. Any new impressions bring new colors to our lives and give a charge of positivity!
• Take care of yourself. Taking good self-care can help you cope with negative thoughts too. Eating well, getting enough sleep and regular exercise can help you feel better mentally and physically. Also, allow yourself to sometimes go for a massage, get a mask, or just buy a new item. It's a small thing, but it can bring a drop of joy into your life! Try to eat a balanced diet that includes plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean protein. Avoid junk food, as well as excess sugar and fat.
• Sleep 7-8 hours. Please note that this is a recommendation for adults. Some people can sleep less and still feel great.

Important: Give up bad habits! They don’t calm down and certainly don’t solve problems, but they take a lot of energy and potential!

A vicious circle that needs to be broken

Just keep meditating

If any of these tips puzzle you, don't worry. The more you practice, the easier it will become for you.

"Remember, the essence of meditation is quite simple," says Deb Shapiro, co-author of Become Different: How Meditation Can Transform You and the World.

"Meditation is simply being still and calm," Shapiro explained to Best Health. "Nothing more. In this quiet and peaceful place we realize who we are.”

Over time, regular meditation exercises should help you feel clearer and more focused, gradually eliminating any worries or worries.

• 7 tips on how to develop intuition and act at the behest of the subconscious

Getting rid of bad thoughts: mistakes to avoid

There are small steps that certainly won’t get rid of bad thoughts:

1. Self-pity! Once again we emphasize that all our thoughts materialize, including pity. You are simply immersed in your problems, moving away from getting out of the situation.
2. Excessive severity with yourself. It works on a different principle, but the result is the same. It will not solve the problem, but will only create new fear.
3. Repeated replay of the unsuccessful ending. Remember - this is just a work of your imagination! But it will prevent you from acting, because there is already a fear of failure in your soul.
4. Constantly putting off until tomorrow. This is not only working on yourself, but also any important matters. Their accumulation creates a baggage of busyness and negative thoughts.
5. Fighting negative thoughts. Never intentionally fight negative thoughts. Thus, you declare war on them, and they will shoot back. You can't win this fight!
6. Judging yourself for negative thoughts. Negative thoughts just exist. They are part of our life. However, it is important that you get back to normal and feel positive again.

Negative thoughts are a normal process of the brain and its combat mode. It's up to you to decide what approach you take to this fight against negative thoughts. But never let them take over you. After all, you can always find a way out!

Clear your mind

Clarifying your mind is perhaps one of the most important reasons to take up meditation. You create more opportunities for clarity, focus and insight, says Dustin Brown, owner of Melbourne studio Warrior One Yoga.

“Whenever you think, communicate, or talk on the phone, you may be in deep contemplation rather than being fully present,” Brown explains.

“But when the environment is silent, there are moments of flash and awareness,” he adds. – At such moments, you realize more clearly: “Am I happy with my activity, my day, my week, my life?”

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Thinking NOT Childishly: The “Secret” 4-Step Technique

1. Step. You need to catch yourself in a negative emotion and track this moment.
2. Step. Recognize that there is a negative emotion, talk it out, get it out of yourself - say “yes, I’m angry now...”, “yes, I’m scared...” and the like!
3. Step. Make yourself an intention for the future: say “...now in such situations, I will be more balanced, calm, confident... etc.”
4. Step. To switch, either to the positive (if this is possible now), or to something that gives positive emotions, you can ask yourself the question: “What do I want?” Treat yourself and let your positive thoughts come to you.

Typically, this four-step formula works 90% of the time, but if you want more techniques, read on.

Make a gratitude list

Sometimes we forget about all the good things in our lives. It seems that there is no way out and there is complete failure on all fronts. So, sitting in a cozy and warm apartment, having come from his favorite job, a person may think that his life is a cesspool, and he is a complete loser. And all because of a coincidence of minor troubles during the day or an unfinished project hanging over the soul.

To cope with this condition, write down all the good things in your life that you are grateful for. For example: “I am grateful for my appearance and health,” “I am grateful for loving and beloved relatives,” “I am grateful for true friends.”

Look at the resulting list and see for yourself: minor troubles cannot outweigh this.

Mentism in depression

With depression, patients experience streams of negative, anxious thoughts. This condition is called depressive mentism. A patient suffering from depression experiences feelings of shame, fear or guilt. Quite often, patients receive images of future problems.

The object may be the illness of loved ones, scenes of suicide or one’s own burial. Spontaneously arising thoughts reflect the reduced mood background characteristic of people suffering from depression. At the same time, the patient finds the images coming to him quite attractive, although he is afraid of translating them into reality.

How not to help yourself. TOP 3 dangerous ways to fall asleep

Method #1 – alcohol before bed

Drinking alcohol before bed will not help you sleep better. Moreover, alcohol will impair the quality of deep sleep. Moreover, attempts to relax this way regularly can lead to addiction to strong drinks.

Method #2 - sleeping pills without a doctor's prescription

Do not experiment with synthetic drugs on your own. It’s another matter if they were prescribed to you by a doctor who, based on your condition, selected the dosage and duration of use. Otherwise, you may further disrupt your natural sleep rhythms.

Method #3 – strength training before bed

Strength training activates the nervous system. And, instead of resting in the evening, you can get a boost of vigor and activity. Finish physical activity 3-4 hours before bedtime. Another thing is stretching, simple yoga or a short walk before bed. They will bring more benefits than heavy iron.

The Thinking Trap

Trying to get rid of unpleasant thoughts, we unwittingly fall into the trap of our own thinking. As soon as we tell ourselves not to think about something, the brain focuses on the task and diligently reminds us of it. The formula “don’t think about X” necessarily includes X – the very thing you shouldn’t think about. This phenomenon has been known to man since ancient times and is reflected in many fairy tales and parables.

“To make your wish come true, repeat the spell after me, just don’t think about the white monkey,” Khoja Nasreddin punished the greedy money lender when he asked to conjure a beautiful appearance for him. Of course, the glorious trickster and expert on human nature did not risk anything - after such an instruction it is simply impossible to drive the forbidden image out of your head.

Treatment

Professional psychiatric help is relevant. If this pathology is one of the manifestations of schizophrenia, drug therapy with the use of antipsychotics is necessary. Only a doctor can prescribe medications: self-medication should be avoided so as not to worsen the patient’s condition.

If necessary, antipsychotics are taken together with antidepressants. Therapy of mentism, manifested as part of Kandinsky-Clerambault syndrome, is carried out in an inpatient setting. Psychiatrists decide how treatment should be carried out to relieve the patient of unpleasant symptoms.

In addition to drug treatment, psychotherapy is widely used, and an integrated approach is especially effective. In acute forms, there is every chance that as a result of the treatment, the symptoms that bother the patient will quickly disappear. If the disease has become chronic, it is more difficult to cure, which is associated with gradually increasing personal changes.

Be afraid, but act—increasing self-confidence

Self-confidence is the main personal quality that is not born on its own; it needs to be developed. Self-confidence helps remove negative thoughts, fears and instills faith in your dreams.

I bring to your attention several exercises, the systematic implementation of which will increase your powerful self-confidence.

Exercise "Top"

Take a deep breath. Try to make sure no one bothers you now.

Imagine that you have your book of life in your hands. This book of life contains all your victories, from small to big.

The book itself opens at the right moments, and you see with your own eyes your successes, from a very young age to the present moment.

See these victories, feel them, from small to large. Hear what you heard, remember the details, feel your state of triumph with your whole body, enjoy and be nourished by it.

Fine.

Take a deep breath and open your eyes.

Do this exercise once a week and your confidence will skyrocket.

Exercise "Beam"

Let's use our imagination in this exercise. Take a deep breath and breathe for a minute or two.

Now imagine how a ray of light is directed from the sky towards the top of your head. This is a very beautiful, gentle, warm ray, for some it can even shimmer.

And now this ray gently touches the top of your head and slowly begins to fill you with confidence. You feel confidence filling your body from head to toe, your thoughts calm down, your emotions calm down.

Breathe like this for 3-4 minutes and open your eyes. Stretch a little, take a walk.

Fine.

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Operation Y: How to develop self-confidence in 3 seconds

There are many ways to increase a person’s confidence; today I will share the simplest, but in my opinion, the most powerful exercise for gaining self-confidence. It is done in just a couple of seconds.

You will need to walk, with a straight posture , a few meters forward.

Lift your chin, tuck your stomach, spread and lower your shoulders. Did you feel the difference?

If you take your steps slowly, then in just a few seconds you will most likely feel magical self-confidence. Maintain this feeling for as long as possible while you are in this state.

If you want to learn more self-confidence exercises, then take a look here...