627: How to stop your mind dwelling on unwanted thoughts
This week, on the Anxiety Slayer Podcast, we’re sharing some wisdom teachings on the nature of the mind, and how to stop getting caught in anxious thoughts.
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Points covered in this episode:
The mind creates it’s own disturbing dialogue. It stores the impressions of all our past experiences, and these gathered experiences form our default inner dialogue. That dialogue can kick off as unwanted thoughts without any apparent cause or provocation.
The mind has a negative bias which will disturb us by imagining problems that don’t exist, and by exaggerating small challenges into big worries.
The mind creates F.E.A.R by showing us False Evidence and making it Appear Real.
We get into trouble when we believe the mind’s propaganda and we see its story as fact - at any time we can use our intelligence to choose something different.
Thought Stopping Practice
Conscious Redirection
When your mind whispers fears in your ear:
Stop and take a deep breath
You might even say stop out loud
Question the mind’s evidence and authority
Redirect your attention to your truth right there and now in this moment.
One of the easiest ways to do that is to say, “Right now, in this moment, I am here and I am doing this.”
State where you are and what you are doing.
Getting back in the present moment
Feel your body making contact with a surface that’s supporting it.
List three things you can see
Two things you can hear
One thing you can feel
Get grounded back in your body and regroup
The trick of the mind is to make us believe it’s our only voice but it’s not the truth.
“When we speak of my mind, we are defining the mind as an object that belongs to us and not as ourselves.”
Other tips
Try labelling your thoughts without emotional engagement. Use simple labels like thought, or worry. But don’t get into it, keep it brief and simple.
Try thinking of your thoughts as temporary and changing like the weather. Imagine your thoughts floating by like clouds in the sky.
Don’t try and stop or fight your thoughts, this gives all your power to your mind. Instead stop, breathe and re-direct.
Remember: “This is my truth right now. I am here and I am doing this.”
And, of course, learn and use any other techniques that can help you tame your thoughts like EFT Tapping.
You can find out more about the teachings in this podcast in our How to Calm Your Fragile Mind Course on Teachable
We recorded a conversation for our Patrons where we share some of our favourite quotes and insights from Ayurveda and the Mind by Dr David Frawley. Listen here