Are Your Thoughts Making Your Life Harder?

Life is busy. It seems like we’ve only just got one thing taken care of when another leaps to the top of the pile. From crap at work to bills that arrive when there’s not enough money to pay them, there always seems to be something to worry about. We make matters worse by sleeping and eating badly. The stress mounts and we wonder when the hell we’ll catch a break.

If you’ve allowed your brain to fill up with thoughts like, “Damn, if only…” or “Jeeze, I just can’t…” or “OMG, no, no, no…” you’re letting your thoughts make your life harder. And your frazzled nervous system is talking to your immune system so it’s only a matter of time before you add “illness” to the hot, wet mess that seems to swamp your life.

Aiming for stress-free is a fool’s game. But knowing when to catch your thoughts and move them in another direction can make dealing with stress easier.

Job one: Slow down your thoughts. As they race through your mind, your thoughts trigger spikes in your adrenaline and blood pressure. Slowing down your thoughts can help to ease that feeling of pressure on your chest. And it will lead to better decisions. Take a deep breath. Then another. Now a third. Stop your mind from racing by telling yourself to slow down. Say it out load so your brain can hear you. You might have to take a short walk, or sit for a minute just watching the leaves in a tree or your fish swimming in their tank, to get your racing mind back under the speed limit.

Next step: Learn how to strengthen your prefrontal cortex. This is the part of your brain that makes you stop and think, instead of just react. Your amygdala is what decides your emotional response: anger, fear, anxiety. You want to take the power out of your amygdala and put it in your pre-frontal cortex. Both meditation and exercise can help. Combine the two for a winner: Take a walk, focusing only on your breathing or the sound of the wind or the colours you’re seeing. Pick anything you want to focus on and keep your brain focused on that. When your mind wonders, catch it and return to whatever you’ve chosen to focus on. Keep your pace brisk but keep your mind slow, observing whatever it is you’re focusing on.

And then: Practice gratitude. Not only does practicing gratitude help you sleep better and improve your health, it increases mental strength. Studies have shown that practicing gratitude is a major contributor to resilience. The things that would make steam come out your ears have far less impact on you when you are saying thank your for healthy children, a loving puppy or the opportunity to learn and grow.

You can allow your thoughts to haul you over hill and dale or you can decide they’re your thoughts and they’ll do as you say.