5 effective exercises to help you stop believing your unwanted automatic thoughts
Curated from: ideas.ted.com
Ideas, facts & insights covering these topics:
7 ideas
·3.54K reads
8
Explore the World's Best Ideas
Join today and uncover 100+ curated journeys from 50+ topics. Unlock access to our mobile app with extensive features.
You are not your thoughts
Most of us will do anything not to feel worried or dissatisfied and will try and find ways to soothe ourselves or find ways out of our problems.
However, the key to healing and understanding our potential is to change our relationship to our thoughts and emotions.
303
711 reads
Separate thoughts from the act of thinking
We usually buy into what our feelings tell us and allow them to overly direct our actions and choices.
Instead, notice the act of thinking without getting tangled in your thoughts. See your thoughts as ongoing attempts to make meaning of the world — give them power only to the degree that they help you.
285
506 reads
Disobey yourself on purpose
The mind's power over you is an illusion. For instance, say one thing while doing the opposite. You will find that it is possible to do the opposite of what you are thinking. (For example, type, I cannot type this sentence, while you are typing the sentence.) Regularly doing this exercise can give you more freedom to do hard things.
306
491 reads
Give your mind a name
We usually feel that we can choose to agree with someone else, while we don't feel we can choose to disagree with ourselves.
By giving your mind a name, you can feel separated from it because it is now different from you.
308
507 reads
Your mind is trying to problem-solve
Consider having a conversation with your mind wherein you appreciate what it is trying to do, but knowing that you don't have to agree.
228
441 reads
Sing it
This method is useful when you have a thought that is nagging you. Sing something like "Happy Birthday". The thought does not have to go away. However, you will see it more clearly as just another thought.
196
442 reads
Carry it with you
Write down a recurring thought. Maybe its "I'm stupid" or "I'm unloveable." Then look at it as if it is something that is no longer part of you.
If you are willing to honor that history, carry the paper with you and acknowledge it as part of your journey.
220
446 reads
IDEAS CURATED BY
James Cooper's ideas are part of this journey:
Learn more about personaldevelopment with this collection
Techniques for brainstorming and generating new ideas
The power of collaboration and feedback in the creative process
How to recognize and overcome limiting beliefs
Related collections
Similar ideas
5 ideas
Read & Learn
20x Faster
without
deepstash
with
deepstash
with
deepstash
Personalized microlearning
—
100+ Learning Journeys
—
Access to 200,000+ ideas
—
Access to the mobile app
—
Unlimited idea saving
—
—
Unlimited history
—
—
Unlimited listening to ideas
—
—
Downloading & offline access
—
—
Supercharge your mind with one idea per day
Enter your email and spend 1 minute every day to learn something new.
I agree to receive email updates