Image on looping Thoughts by Sam Lion on Pexels
If you are asked not to think of a big white car, you won’t be able to get your mind off the big white car. Thoughts form a natural part of being human. Our so-called monkey mind is always at work, constantly generating thoughts, some of which are quite productive and useful, while many others pull us back and create stress. Within the vast sea of thoughts, certain ones tend to linger longer than others. Once you set yourself on the path of overthinking, it gets extremely challenging to understand how to get your mind off something. These looping thoughts at times can last for hours, or even days, creating unnecessary anxiety for situations that may never become a reality.
Worried about what your medical reports will entail? You will find yourself thinking and replaying all the possible complications you would end up with or worse imagine chronic illness and even a prolonged treatment. Sounds familiar? The more time you spend with a particular thought, the stronger it gets.
While we cannot establish the reason behind more or less negative looping thoughts, everyone has had them at some point in life. Research shows that 94% of all individuals have experienced obsessive thinking at least once, particularly during immense stress or pressure.
Why do some thoughts stick by more than others?
To understand how to get your mind off something, let’s first look at why some negative thoughts have a more deep-rooted impact than others.
- Riding on the fear: Any thought that triggers your worst fears is more probable to stay with you. In its virtue of safeguarding us, the brain keeps preserving our stressful memories more than the happy ones. Any thought that triggers a fearful reaction, even if imaginary is considered important information by the brain and is saved to safeguard us from similar situations in the future. Removing fearful thoughts thus takes much more conscious effort.
- Repetitive pattern: Our brains have a tendency to associate similar experiences with similar thoughts. When we encounter situations evocative of past negative experiences, our brains identify triggers and form memories of those encounters. For instance, if we had a previous relationship that ended poorly, it is common to develop negative looping thoughts when entering a new relationship.
- High stakes: More the stakes, the more powerful can the negative thought be. When a negative thought has the potential to jeopardize a significant aspect of our lives, it can become increasingly difficult to let go of it. Your thought on what may go wrong in a marriage can be much more powerful than what may go wrong on a blind date.
8 Ways on How to get your mind off something
1. Take a break
One of the most effective ways to get your mind off something is by taking a pause. Most of our negative looping thoughts are powerful in the present moment. When you create space and give a pause to your string of thoughts by diverting your mind, you create space for questioning the disturbing repetition.
Consider taking a much-needed break and delving into something that makes you feel happy or at peace. Engaging yourself constructively by singing your favorite song, listening to music, or being creative with your canvas can be your response to how to get your mind off something. If you have the space to do it, dancing can also be a great way to unwind and release persistent thoughts. Take a pause and spend time with friends, children, or your loved ones. Introducing a change in the environment by going out for dinner, or taking a walk can also help you clear your mind.
Based on the consistency of the looping thoughts, schedule distraction activities throughout the day.
Tip: If the action on your negative thoughts can wait another night, schedule your thinking for the next day. You will realize that there is a transformative shift in your perspective when you wake up the following day. What’s critical here is to modify your last thoughts before going to bed, as it is believed that the thoughts before falling asleep are further amplified by the next day. Seize this opportunity to practice gratitude instead. Express gratitude for all the wonderful aspects of your day, instilling a positive mindset as you drift off to sleep.
However, the trick is that overthinking and insomnia are highly correlated. If you are having intrusive thoughts and can’t seem to get over them before sleep, try mixing these with some other thoughts. Plan a holiday along with the existing looping thoughts or remember the last time you had a wonderful time with a loved one.
2. Identify patterns
Looping thoughts are there for a reason. Ask yourself questions like:
- What is the root cause of the fear?
- When was the last time you had similar thoughts? Can you identify a pattern in these thoughts?
- Is your fear rational?
- What are the facts backing your fear?
- What are the possibilities that your worst fears will actually come true?
When you break down your overthinking and question the very basis of it, you begin to consciously uncover your behavioral pattern. Gradually, you will realize that underlying your looping thoughts are patterns influenced by fears, societal conditioning, unrealistic expectations, lack of confidence, or other common issues. Understanding these deep-rooted challenges is pivotal in overcoming overthinking.
Furthermore, it becomes easier to identify trigger incidents that initiate the onset of overthinking. For example, does a particular behavior, tone of voice, or dressing sense invoke any negative emotions? By recognizing these triggers, you can take steps to either avoid them in the future or improve your response to them. While avoiding triggers is a beneficial starting point, it is more sustainable and impactful to manage them and train your subconscious to generate an altered response.
Tip: Identifying patterns on your own is an extensive task and takes a lot of self-introspection and deep analysis. Don’t worry if you can’t find your patterns right away. Journaling your experiences in detail can help you understand triggers and your identical reaction in similar situations. You can also seek help from someone who understands your behavior, like your best friend or spouse.
3. Visualize a better outcome
Give it a try to think the opposite of what you have been doing so far. What if that meeting at work did go well, or your medical reports are absolutely normal? One of the effective ways on how to get your mind off something is creating an altered set of future possibilities. Be creative, but real in terms of what can possibly go well against your negative thought. Visualize someone coming to your rescue, or the circumstances shifting in your favor or you overcoming all your fears at the time of response. Repeat the altered scenario over and over to let go of the negativity.
You can also try affirmative statements. Change ‘the meeting will turn extremely bad’ to ‘the meeting will turn out to be just fine’. Rephrase your extremely negative phrases to a bit of positive or neutral statements. Beware of making overly positive statements that you won’t be able to believe in.
Tip: Positive thinking doesn’t mean you ignore anything wrong that happens in life, but it means that you develop a positive outlook to challenges. With positivity, you hope for the best to happen in the worst situation. However difficult it may seem right now, a positive thought has the potential to generate another positive thought, and another, leading to a chain of positive thinking. Start with positive self-talk, backed by logic and information. Surrounding yourself with more optimistic people is a great way to bring more positivity into your life.
4. Take Action
Do not just sit and think on the thought over and over again. Taking positive action is your window to get that thought off you. Facilitate effective communication, whether it is with others or yourself. If you find yourself consumed by the stress of an impending difficult conversation with your spouse, consider engaging in that conversation for real. Direct your energy towards making the interaction as smooth as possible. Prepare yourself by cultivating a sense of calm, mentally outlining your statements, and maintaining gratitude for the shared experiences. By doing this, you are letting go of overthinking and engaging yourself in real actionable solutions. Similarly, instead of remaining fixated on the ‘what ifs’ of your past decisions, such as ‘What if I had stayed in my previous relationship’, take action in the present to make better choices. Take proactive measures to strengthen your current relationship.
Tip: If taking action seems challenging, take a pause and zoom out of the situation. Many times, we are so engrossed in the negative impact of a looping thought, we miss the bigger picture. Every challenge brings with it the possibility of incredible learning. A closer look at your behavioral patterns will also give you an overarching picture of your strengths and weakness. Chart your action plan to leverage your strengths and don’t forget to congratulate yourself on taking the action, irrespective of the outcome.
5. Talk it out to a friend
Connecting with friends on a regular basis is known to have mental health benefits. In fact, research suggests that having a conversation with one or more friends can help in overcoming stress, anxiety, and loneliness. So why not share your overthinking with a friend? You need not have a long conversation, but a simple catching up, joking around, showing care, catching up over a glass of wine, or simply listening to your friend will offer a much-needed pause from the looping thoughts.
One of the biggest reasons for negative thoughts is that these haven’t been fully processed in your mind. One effective method to process these thoughts and emotions is through verbalization and sharing with others, such as trusted friends. When you express your fears and negative emotions, you open up possibilities of unraveling these emotions and understanding them better. The goal of this exercise is to release the thoughts from your system rather than seeking a response. Remember, the intention is to let the thoughts out, fostering a greater sense of clarity and ease within yourself.
Tip: Have you ever tried talking to a stranger? While talking to strangers comes naturally to some of us, it is an absolute no for others. Interestingly, research shows that talking to a stranger can benefit your well-being. Sharing your concerns or simply engaging in a friendly exchange with an unknown person helps you get an objective perspective on the issue. What’s more? You will have the least probability of being judged, as you will never meet the person again.
6. Peek into your successful past
When you find yourself in an impossible loop of overthinking and stress, remember the last time you had successfully overcome it. You can even explore journaling your strengths in similar situations and how you have the potential to manage the challenge. Pen down your learnings and possibilities of positive outcomes from the challenge. Practicing gratitude can also help you stay positive and break the pattern.
Tip: It is a good idea to revisit the visual representation of your success in the past. Check out the photos and videos of the past incident, which further reinforce your capabilities. If you do not have any visual memory, talk about it with a friend and revisit the memories.
7. Practice self-love
Constantly reminding yourself of all your mistakes and shortcomings can make you feel helpless and highly demotivated. How would you react if your dear friend was in a similar situation? Would you be as critical to the friend as you are to yourself? A major part of self-love is understanding your own emotions and addressing them with compassion and respect. Give a non-judgmental space to your thoughts, and look at the larger picture. Acknowledge that it is ok to feel this way and strategize on adopting measures to let go of something. Take care of yourself with healthy eating habits, and compliment yourself for managing all challenges with courage.
Tip: When was the last time you were grateful for exactly who you are? Take a moment to celebrate yourself. Be grateful for your courage, wisdom, and intent to address the negative thought.
8. Meditation
Meditation can offer a much-needed respite from those racing thoughts. If you have been practicing meditation or have done it in the past, it gets easy to take a meditation pause to clear your head. However, if meditation is new to you, consider undertaking some breathwork. One of the easiest and most effective ones is inhaling from the nose and exhaling from the mouth. You can also try inhaling to the count of 4, holding your breath for 4 seconds, and exhaling on the count of 7.
Practicing guided meditation can also come in handy when your mind is occupied with negative thoughts.
Tip: If meditation or breathing exercises don’t help, tune in to music with theta waves to relax your mind and reduce stress.
Conclusion
How to get your mind off something? Identify the triggers early on, and do not wait for the chain of thoughts to kick off. Remember, the more deep-rooted the thoughts, the more challenging it becomes to overcome them. If you are stuck with overthinking and nothing works, do not hesitate to seek professional medical help.
