Exercise for Repetitive Thoughts
BREAK THE LOOP OF HABITUAL THINKING
The best way to pause repetitive thoughts is to shift your focus to the present moment. An effective technique for present moment awareness is meditation. In meditation, we shut off subconscious chatter to create a space for new thoughts to come in and, in this way, begin to rewire new paths in the brain.
Jack Kornfield, a mindfulness author and Buddhist therapist, refers to repetitive thoughts as the “top ten tunes” we play in our heads. As the soundtrack begins, we see ourselves play out our top phrases that represent events stuck in our heads. I often refer to these as my “stuck stories”; these are stories from my past I have not yet resolved. Meditation helps to quiet those thoughts and old stories down.
Resources: Exercises, books, movies and more
Anyone who has started a meditation practice knows how hard it is to keep thoughts at bay for more than a few seconds. Thoughts keep coming, no matter how hard we try to quiet them.
Here are a few techniques to use to calm your thoughts during meditation:
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When thoughts come up, simply observe them without reaction. Make a conscious decision to release them. You can name the specific limiting thought, such as, “,” as you release it and come back to the present moment. Some people imagine the thought as a cloud they touch gently and see it move out of sight.
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Focus on your breath. In your mind, say “ah” on the in-breath and “hum” on the out-breath. This technique works well for me whether I am sitting in meditation or doing a Pause Practice during the day. The Pause Practice works like this: At any point during the day, when you start to feel stressed or your brain is overactive, stop what you are doing and take three deep, slow, conscious breaths. This will bring a sense of calm very quickly, and you can do this in any setting at any time.
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As thoughts arise, you can gently say “shhhhh” to them and watch them disappear. This is not a negative, “these thoughts are bothering me” kind of thing, but more of an invitation for thoughts to dissipate.
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Expressing gratitude for thoughts that arise also helps to release them. Why gratitude? Those old thoughts served a purpose that we may or may not be aware of, such as keeping us safe or helping us choose the right time to address a problem. It is not necessary to understand why we have these thoughts, but thanking them for serving us helps to let them go. In general, gratitude is a powerful practice that keeps us in a high, positive vibration where we are open to receiving assistance or healing.
Whatever method you use to release thoughts during meditation, be kind and gentle with yourself when thoughts reappear. I have heard master meditators say it took years to train their minds to be peaceful during meditation, so don’t expect it to happen overnight.
For further reading, see:
To learn how the stages of the hero's journey play out in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, and the Legend of King Arthur, click here.
To see a map of Luke Skywalker's hero's journey in the first Star Wars movie, click here.
