What To Do With Intrusive Thoughts When There’s Nowhere to Hide
Do you sometimes feel like your thoughts are beyond your control, and some of them make you uncomfortable? If so, you can relax. Intrusive thoughts are very common and usually harmless.
One study reported by Psychology Today asked volunteers to talk about what goes through their minds. They found that the average participant had about 500 unintentional thoughts each day, and about 30% were socially unacceptable or downright shocking.
You can learn to feel more at ease even when your mind takes a little dark turn. Discover how meditation and other self-help techniques can tame intrusive thoughts.
Meditating to Let Go of Intrusive Thoughts:
Let go of judgments. Most of your discomfort probably comes from resisting what’s on your mind rather than from the thought itself. With regular practice, mindfulness meditation can train you to observe and accept your thoughts.
Practice transcendental meditation. Transcendental meditation has similar health benefits to mindfulness, however, it has a different approach to letting go of intrusive thoughts. Unlike mindfulness, which focuses on the present moment, transcendental meditation techniques are used to create space between thoughts. As a Chopra Center certified instructor in Primordial Sound Meditation, I teach people around the world the sound (mantra) form of transcendental meditation. Give us a call to learn more about personalized mantra and private meditation training.
Focus on your breath. Paying attention to your breath keeps you in the present moment. You learn to distinguish between you and your passing thoughts.
Slow down. Most intrusive thoughts last 14 seconds or less. Patiently waiting them out may make them pass even quicker. As a Reiki teacher once said: “When they show up, you can walk them through the home and let them leave, but you don’t need to serve them tea.”
Other DIY Methods for Taming Intrusive Thoughts:
Avoid suppression. Trying to avoid intrusive thoughts usually backfires. It’s like the famous Harvard experiment that asked subjects to stop thinking about polar bears and wound up making it difficult to think about anything else.
Change your expectations. Dreading unwelcome thoughts also reinforces them. Try to view them as a routine part of daily life.
Change the script. If you tend to replay unpleasant events, give yourself something more pleasant and productive to think about. Forget about office politics and focus on what to eat for dinner.
Stay on task. Do you avoid certain activities because they trigger thoughts you find difficult to manage? You may be able to free yourself from such limitations by planning more constructive approaches. Develop more compassion for someone you disagree with instead of shutting them out.
Try to disengage. Depending on your personality and preferences, you may want to minimize your involvement with involuntary thoughts. Consider them irrelevant and carry on with what you’re doing.
Think it through. On the other hand, you may feel more relief when you face things head-on. Write your thoughts down or talk them over with someone you trust if you find that helpful and not distressing.
Rest and relax. It’s natural for your mind to wander, but you may feel like it’s getting too much exercise. In addition to meditation, use relaxation methods like listening to soft music and taking a long walk in nature.
Professional Treatment for Intrusive Thoughts:
It is important to be aware that prolonged experience of intrusive thoughts might require professional attention, especially if the thoughts interfere with daily life or an overall sense of well-being.
See your doctor. While involuntary thoughts usually have no significant effects, they may be more troubling for you. That’s especially true if you have certain conditions such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety, or depression. Let your physician know about any symptoms that are disrupting your life.
Talk with a therapist. Cognitive behavior and other talk therapies can be highly effective for dealing with intrusive thoughts. Ask your doctor for a referral or consult a directory such as the American Psychological Association’s Locator Service or the Psychology Today Teletherapy Directory.
Take medication. In some cases, your doctor may also recommend medications to manage symptoms on a temporary or longer-term basis. Ensure you are working with someone you can trust, and you are following the guidelines and recommendations provided by the medical professional.
Intrusive thoughts may continue to pop into your head, but you can live more comfortably with professional support and simple self-care techniques. If you need more help, talk with your doctor to find the treatment and relief you need.