How to cope with intrusive thoughts
Intrusive thoughts might be a recurrence of situations that caused you distress or unhappiness in the past. They’re also often induced by worry about the future, which isn’t certain to happen. We can observe that these thoughts chains are unreasonable and arise from deep anxiety.
When such ideas take over our minds, they drain our energy, keep us from living in the present now, and might make us feel overwhelmed. They may also make it difficult to concentrate and focus on daily duties and impair our sleep. There are various ways to cope with intrusive thoughts and allow yourself to relax.
7 ways to cope with intrusive thoughts
1. Don’t suppress your thoughts
When confronted with an obsessive thought, many people’s initial instinct is to attempt to forget about it. Unfortunately, this strategy has the opposite effect: we think even more and cannot deal with bad feelings as a consequence. To get the latest stories, install our app here
Instead of intentionally concealing your thoughts, attempt to divert attention away from them with fun activities. Try doing a crossword puzzle or reading a book, for example.
Make sure you’re not switching between several tasks. Immerse yourself completely in one activity and ensure it has nothing to do with intrusive thoughts.
2. Try out new ideas
Our minds are generally preoccupied with ideas about which it is certain of the truth but which are, in most situations, wrong or doubtful.
Instead of attempting to forecast the worst possible consequence of the circumstance you’re contemplating, try to concentrate on the potential of a good or alternate outcome.
Take a step back and consider what is most likely to occur. If your spouse seems detached, for example, you can conclude that he is angry or that he loves you less. Another possibility is that he is stressed out at work, concerned about a loved one, and so on. The worst-case situation is seldom as probable as you would assume. To get the latest stories, install our app here
3. Focus on the present
A hyperactive mind is preoccupied with the past or the future. Returning your focus to the present moment can assist you in accepting and letting go of what you can’t change.
It will also help you recognize that you can’t change what happened in the past, and the future hasn’t arrived yet, so thinking negatively about it is pointless. Take a deep breath and think about how you’re feeling right now. Alternatively, you might utilize breathing techniques to relax and focus.
4. Make a list of what bothers you
Writing down your worries on paper may be really beneficial since you can revisit them later. You don’t have to repress them totally, and you may relax knowing that you’ll return to the issue later. To get the latest stories, install our app here
When our thoughts are in our heads, they seem to be disordered. Recording them allows you to categorize them, evaluate them, and determine why they arise. Furthermore, writing occupies our minds and lowers the strength of running thoughts.
Although writing by hand is the most beneficial activity for our brain, you may use a notebook, a computer, or a smartphone. Your mind will become quieter as soon as you spend a few minutes putting your thoughts in order on paper or a computer screen.
5. Limit your use of social media
Social media often trigger negative thought spirals related to comparing oneself to others. Limiting or deliberately utilizing social media might help you see and avoid harmful thought patterns before they start. To get the latest stories, install our app here
Spend 20-30 minutes a day on social media, with more time spent speaking than looking at images. Alternatively, you might perform a detox day without consuming any of them.
6. Don’t feel bad about yourself because this is happening to you
“And what if my thought is discovered? What does it say about me as a person if this is true? “is one example of the humiliation experienced by those who have these thoughts.
Recognize that being embarrassed and locking oneself in makes it harder to address a situation, particularly when other options have failed. Understanding and communicating with others might help to reduce this embarrassment. Make an appointment with a friend or a therapist.
7. Seek professional help
Typically, individuals develop anxiety and intrusive thoughts behaviors without realizing it. Or because this practice was previously really beneficial. A therapist can help you identify unintentional and unhelpful actions that lead to anxiety and develop a way to cope with it.
