5 Tips to Break Free from Negative Thoughts

We all get lost in thought from time to time, but
sometimes those thoughts feel downright overwhelming. If we don’t take specific
action to stop the thought loop, it can throw off our whole day. Whether you
suffer from anxiety, mild depression, or you just woke up in a funk,
mindfulness can help. Try one or all of these tips for yourself and see what a
difference mindfulness can make.

1. Become
   an observer: Slow down
   and notice what is arising. “Oh, that’s anger in my chest,” or “That’s anxiety
   in my stomach.” Labeling the emotion gives you some space from the intensity of
   the thoughts and feelings you’re experiencing, allowing you to observe them
   instead of being hijacked by them.
2. Try
   meditation: Even if
   you’re not an experienced meditator, there are so many ways to dip your toe in
   these days — including trying meditations that are just a few short minutes
   long. Meditation slows you down and calms you down. You can get started with some of my free guided
   meditations here on the Insight
   Timer App. (Learn more
   about the benefits of meditation in published research in the Journal of the American Heart
   Association. For an
   exploration of brain changes when studying meditators, see this 2013 study and this research from the early ’90s.)
3. Offer
   yourself a gentle touch:
   Placing our hands where we find them most soothing releases oxytocin and
   opiates, helping us to regulate the cortisol and adrenaline stress hormones
   that flood us when we are upset. You can place your hands wherever on your body
   you observed feeling an intensity of emotion in Tip One, or you can just place
   them anywhere that feels calming for you, such as around your arms, on your
   cheeks, or on your stomach. (For a general discussion of oxytocin release with
   various types of touch, see this study.)
4. Get
   grounded: Drop your
   attention to the soles of your feet; notice if they are warm or cold, moist or
   dry. Pay attention to your feet for a couple of breath cycles. Then focus your
   concentration on your breath, if breathing feels comfortable for you. Feel
   and see your body breathing in for four counts and out for six. When
   your exhale is longer than your inhale, your heart rate and blood pressure will
   go down, and you will feel calmer.
5. Change
   the channel: Invite
   yourself to change your channel of thought. Focus on something you are grateful
   for, perhaps going so far as to write a letter of gratitude to someone. (You
   don’t need to send it to get the mental health benefits.) You can also pull up
   a wonderful memory and marinate in those feelings to install the goodness in
   your body and mind, pushing the mental state into a neural trait so the happy
   bridge gets reinforced in your brain.

We are more than the content of our thoughts, but it sure can feel like they have power over us when we experience them as all consuming. With these mindfulness tools in your back pocket, you’ll have an option on hand to help you shift out of unhelpful thought patterns and feel more grounded and at ease. You’ve got this!

About: Mindfulness expert and author Julie Potiker is an attorney who began her serious study and investigation of mindfulness after graduating from the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program at the University of California, San Diego. She went on to become trained to teach Mindful Self-Compassion, and completed the Positive Neuroplasticity Training Professional Course with Rick Hanson. Now, she shares these and other mindfulness techniques with the world through her Mindful Methods for Life trainings and her new book: “Life Falls Apart, but You Don’t Have To: Mindful Methods for Staying Calm In the Midst of Chaos.” For more information, visit www.MindfulMethodsForLife.com.

—