Remember that commercial, “Help, I fell and I can’t get up?” Sometimes our brains get stuck in a loop and we can’t get out.
Do you want to stay stuck going round and round in your mind over a problem or concern or do you want to get out of it?
When our anxiety is high or something is troubling us it’s easy for our brain to go round and round in a loop. It’s hard to move past it, especially when we’re in crises mode.
Strengthen Your Brain
Some say there is a biochemical aspect to monkey mind. It can be treated with anxiety meds or supplements or other types of treatments. We can also learn to treat it ourselves because we are very powerful beings. Treating it ourselves may take a bit longer and requires practice, but it’s free. It’s like strengthening a muscle. The more you go to the gym, the stronger your muscles get. The more you practice subduing the monkey, the easier it becomes.
When we have anxiety or depression it’s hard to think positively because the definition of anxiety and depression is negative thinking. Sometimes it includes circular thinking as well. Try your best to focus your mind even five seconds on something positive. It doesn’t matter what it is as long as it’s positive. Maybe it’s your favorite dessert, or a beach vacation or playing with your pet. To imagine the positive outcome of whatever it is you’re stressed out about is a stretch when you’re anxious or depressed. If you could see a positive outcome, you wouldn’t be anxious or depressed.
Hold Your Vision
For example, if you’re overly worried you won’t get a new job, especially if you’re running low on funds, it’s kind of hard to imagine seeing yourself happy and relaxed in a new job. To quiet your mind over job worries, instead picture that dream vacation or cuddling with your pup. Whatever is a positive vision for you. See if you can hold it for five seconds. If yes, bump it to ten, twenty, thirty. Keep extending your vision for however long you can sustain it.
For some of us with an overly active mind, it’s a chore just to hold it for five seconds. Your goal, then, is to hold it as long as you can. Keep extending your time frame. If you can’t do it for five seconds, don’t beat yourself up. Keep working on it. You’re re-training your brain to think more positively and get out of the loop of negativity and worry.
Feel the Vision
For those of you who can hold a vision for several minutes, your goal is to get into the feeling of it. How good does it feel to cuddle your pup? Let that unconditional love wash over you. If you’re on the beach, get into that chill feeling as you listen to the waves. Whatever your positive vision is, feel it. Hold it as long as you can. Then open your eyes and come back to the real world. A calmer outlook should have overtaken you by now. If yes, then it’s easier to let go of that anxiety and worry.
When our brain gets caught in a loop oftentimes it’s searching for a solution. Sometimes there isn’t an obvious solution so the brain goes into overdrive trying to figure it out. If we had the answer, we wouldn’t be spinning our wheels trying to figure it out. Obviously, you don’t have the answer right now. That’s when it’s best to go back to focusing on something positive for as long as we can to relax our mind.
Your Brain Will Change
By focusing on the positive, it changes the chemicals in the brain, the same thing meds or herbs do. That’s what I mean when I say we can do it ourselves. The more anxious or depressed you are, the harder it is to do this, but it’s not impossible. I’m not saying don’t take meds or herbs. You can. Herbs, supplements and meds can make the process easier and quicker. The better you feel, the quicker you will get out of your anxiety or depression. The more positively you think, your vibration goes up. When your vibration goes up, more positive things can happen. New ideas can come to you, solutions can now be seen, job offers can come your way. It all begins with distracting the monkey brain with a positive vision.
Even if you’re not anxious or depressed every day, you can use this same technique when something is troubling you. If you can’t feel positive about the object of your worry, focus your energy on anything else positive. That is what will shift you out of worry.
If you get stuck in a loop and want to discuss it, contact me for a one session strategy session.
