"I CAN'T STOP thinking about
_____and it's upsetting me." We have all been there at one time.
It may be a past pain or a future worry that is disturbing your peace
of mind. You may have tried to be present to keep the thought at bay,
but it just keeps coming back. Here are a few hyper-focus techniques
that will effectively block those haunting thoughts:
Create: When you focus on a new garden project, cooking a new recipe, or redecorating a room you are paying attention to the process of creation. This usually will keep your attention enough to quell negative trains of thought. My favorites: cooking chili, sand castles, finger painting.
Play games: Playing games will focus
your attention enough to stop all other thoughts from taking over
your mind. If you are alone, try puzzles, word games, or Sudoku.
Scrabble is my favorite. Playing board games has the added value of
nurturing relationships. (I highly recommend this to all families.)
Playing sports has the added benefit of exercise. Even watching
sports can sometimes be enough to grab your attention and keep your
focus outside of your head.
Music: Singing happy songs will
hyper-focus your mind on breathing, tone, rhythm, etc. Karaoke
requires even more attention by having to read at the same time. This
will effectively keep your mind from wandering onto negative trains
of thought. You also get the bonus of deep breathing! Playing a
musical instrument also requires your full attention. These
activities are like musical meditation!
Service: When we are helping others we
are focused away from our own problems. Volunteer in your community
or church. When you are of service, you are not only being a
productive member of your community, you will feel better about
yourself.
Dance: Take a class, or make up the
moves as you go. Any kind of dancing will do the trick! Make dancing
a regular part of your life.
Of course, keep practicing breathing
and being present as much as possible, but sometimes these techniques
may be just what you need to break the negative train of thought and
force you into the Now.
Lesson:
Being hyper-focused on an activity can
effectively stop negative trains of thought from circling in your
mind.
Exercise:
Become aware if you caught up in
unhappy thoughts that keep circling in your mind. When you find that
a few deep breaths are not enough to jump off the train of thought
then use a hyper-focus technique to keep those disturbing thoughts at
bay. You will discover which techniques work best for you. Have fun while clearing your mind of unwanted thoughts. :)
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