Mind Matters
Thoughts… ‘hmmm’ what are they really?
Where do they come from?
Is it possible to even stop thinking?
These are some of the curious questions which are often pondered.
For a lot of people over-thinking with a head full of whirling, confusing, repetitive thoughts is a problem faced daily affecting many areas of life, in particular sleep; leading to overwhelm and even depression.
The thing is, the human IS a ‘thinking being’ and each person has an individual unique world paradigm, which is created through their thoughts.
Take a moment to consider what your life would be like, if you didn’t have the capacity to think?
It’s almost unimaginable! Yes, perception of everything is derived through our thoughts AND there’s only YOU inside of YOU! Which means that your thoughts can only ever be created by you and no-one else. Of course, it is true that we may be influenced by other people in some way or other, however, it is still a choice as to the nature of our response in the way we think about what is being experienced at any time, in all situations and circumstances.
This is GOOD NEWS!
What do I mean by this? Well, when you recognise that something doesn’t ‘feel’ ok, this is a sign, a clue, that maybe what you are thinking about is unhelpful, or there’s a conflict not being addressed and just maybe now that a connection has been identified, intervention can take place by interrupting these dominating and habitual thoughts, which when ignored, eventually manifests into worry and anxiety about the future, with over analysis being a debilitating consequence. Many people, are completely unaware of the beliefs that they have unwittingly allowed to develop – a belief is a collection of thoughts.
“Mental Health is a topic and a reality which affects everyone in some way, shape or form and the sooner the stigma is removed the better, so that it becomes universally accepted and is acknowledged as an integral part of a human’s life, equal to the importance of the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects.”
HELPING YOURSELF
Helping yourself with conscious thinking, becoming aware of what thoughts are arising is the first step to recognising knee jerk auto responses and going down a familiar path of negative thinking. Over time, these can become obtrusive and destructive patterns which are deeply rooted in the psyche. For example, picture a garden which has daily work done on it, now imagine its neighbour who rarely tends to their garden and in your mind’s eye you will have already conjured up two gardens of stark contrast; one looking very pretty, with form and symmetry, whilst the other overgrown with masses of tangled weeds. The thinking mind is similar, the more consistent attention it is given, to provide it with the ideal conditions for nurturing and nourishing, yields beautiful and bountiful minds of creativity and clarity.
THE BIGGER PICTURE – THE META PERSPECTIVE
As science demonstrates, everything (and I mean EVERY thing) in the Universe is a form of ‘energy’; every atom, every molecule, even every thought has an energetic field, value, resonance, a vibration. The lower and heavier a thought, the lower and heavier is the feeling directly interlinked in the physical body.
“A weird and wonderful fact: Neither thoughts or feelings can be held, or touched, or grasped, yet they are very real and there to enhance the human experience; truly a force to be reckoned with.”
Nature is absolutely amazing, it has provided each human being with its very own inner sat-nav, to sense in every moment where you are, compared to where you want to be.
“Are you feeling on track (content, happy, peaceful etc)? Or is there a feeling which indicates you are off-course (frustration, sad, angry etc)? “
So is your ‘mind full’ filled with ‘mind less’ thoughts, or are you being ‘mindful’ about the thoughts you think, choosing better feeling thoughts each time you notice old patterns of thoughts and behaviour; dissolving emotional tension around unresolved hurts, for peace of mind and life-long transformation!?
MORE GOOD NEWS!
Every moment offers us a brand-new opportunity to think something different, to create welcome and desired change to get you back on track; feeling good about yourself and life as a whole without further self-induced pressure. NOW is a good time to let go of the old stuff, old programmes which no longer work and just keep repeating unwanted trails of thought.
HELPING THE PROCESS OF MINDFUL AWARENESS…
STEP ONE
> Recognise what is happening and specifically what are your thoughts
STEP TWO
> Acknowledge each troubling thought as you notice and make peace with them
STEP THREE
> Find a soothing thought which is more relaxed and build on that
“Be mindful of what you think about most, for that, is what expands;
Conscious choices = +Fulfilment!”
Here’s a great proven ‘self-help exercise’ which is quick, simple and very effective.
Creating space, time to pause, check in and evaluate. Enables a better-chosen feeling/thought and be able to choose to do something different, a conscious action of change results in a different outcome.
“Consciously interrupting a cycle by taking a ‘Rescue Breath’: a calm, s l o w, deep inhale through the nose, hold for a moment and then breathe out calmly, s l o w l y, deeply, either through the mouth or the nose.”
This can be done anywhere, anytime and is one of the first mindfulness tools shared with my clients as an appropriate intervention to provide instant relief calming and soothing the nervous system sufficiently, reassuring the mind that all is well. As with many newly introduced techniques, they take practice to become a great source of consistent success; noticing and embedding positive results which in turn create strong and healthy thoughts.
EXERCISE FOR HELPING THE PROCESS OF LETTING GO…
STEP ONE
> Get a blank piece of paper plus pen/pencils/paints
STEP TWO
> Offload everything that is a concern to you; write/draw express it as it is, use expletives in other words just say it as it is
STEP THREE
> When it’s all out and there’s nothing more to offload – get rid of it; tear it up/burn it
Has this been useful? Would you like more? YES!?
Please share these tips, they just might be what someone, somewhere needs to read, to help recover their peace of mind.
#WorldMentalHealthDay #MindMatters #ChimpBrain #SelfCare #Wellness #Wellbeing
Susan X
