Who Is In Charge Here? Me or My Thoughts?

Who Is In Charge Here? Me or My Thoughts?

Have you ever thought about your thoughts? Wondered where they come from? Or even notice at times that they are coming at you like a freight train? That they tell you things you don’t want to hear? Or make you feel badly about yourself and others?

Well you may want to consider that often times you are not in control of your thoughts. It’s like they are on automatic pilot and someone programmed them into your head to keep you occupied. You will notice this more if you attempt to sit quietly, meditate, pray or just take a walk outside by yourself. The unwanted thoughts may come rushing in.

There are so many demands on our attention and so much information coming at us right now it is impossible at times to think clearly and to focus.

So how do we get a hold of ourselves? Our thoughts? The first step is in the noticing. Just observe when your thoughts are racing and that you cannot control them. Next, breath, remember you have a body there too. It would be wise to stay connected to it.

Then comes the work of using your attention to quiet your mind. You will notice that if you push too hard to change a thought in a different direction that thought can sometimes get stronger. No, the goal here is to notice the thoughts and then pick something small and tell it to STOP. Like if you were training a dog. You would not want to let the dog run free for 2 weeks and then try to get him to come back by screaming your head off. You start small. Use the leash, then slowly train him by teaching him what is good behavior and what is not- with kindness, patience and persistance.

Our thoughts are similar. When we notice a thought that does not seem necessary, is harmful to you or those that just want to run rampant, just tell those thoughts “NO” or “STOP”. Again, pick something small and then work your way up to the larger bothersome thoughts. If just telling your thoughts NO isn’t enough, gently redirect your attention to some other task or physical motion. Notice how you are sitting, if your feet are on the ground, if your shoulders are scrunched up in the air, if you are holding your breath and so on. You can train your attention to move away from the bothersome thoughts and onto something else that is there with you in the present moment or just place your attention onto your own body.

This really can help you be in the moment, which most of us prefer if we are able to accomplish it. The truth is, if we are thinking about the past or the future we are not actually in the present. But you already know this.

What you might not be aware of however is that even though you may not be able to control your thoughts from moment to moment, you always have the choice and the ability to control where you attention gets placed.

So why bother? Why not just let that dog run free and behave badly? Because that dog will likely turn into an unruly, nasty, biting animal that tries to cause you and others some harm. The same can happen to your thoughts. Try practicing these suggestions with your attention. It may actually help to improve your mood, your outlook, your attitude and then ultimately, your health and your life!

To Your Good Health!

Dr. B