The thoughts that come to our mind is not the problem, the problem is the thought we give to those thoughts. The mind is a super efficient tool when it comes to creating thoughts. It produces thoughts faster than the fastest rocket ever made. These thoughts are like mosquitoes in a tropical country like us, we just cannot get rid of it. But it is something worse; these thoughts are amplified by us by creating branches of those thoughts. Then we get entangled in it so much that become over thinkers. It is like putting petrol on fire. Majority of us are over thinkers. We latch on to a thought and then dissect it so much that at the end we can’t join it together. We cannot put the brakes let alone find the off switch.
All these thoughts heat up the mind and causes anxiety. We keep on running between the past present and the future. We just keep on running but never reach the finishing line. A time comes when we become obsessed with our thoughts. And after that the times comes when we decide that it cannot go on like this and has to change. Then we start to look for answers otherwise we know that this will burn myself from the inside.
In this quest to find the answer there is both good news and bad news. The bad news is that we will never be able to control the thoughts coming in our mind. It is like irritating roommate whom you cannot throw out, only adjust yourself accordingly.
The good news is that though our thoughts cannot be controlled but we can create a gap between us and our mind- a space. The mind is like an ocean and the waves are like the thoughts, so instead of riding on the waves we can stand on the beach and watch the waves.
One thing we can do is that instead of identifying it as mind we can call it the mind- a third person or you can give it any name like the squirrel. Whenever your mind starts its nuisance then just say that the mind or the squirrel is again running around wildly and I will not let it affect me in any way. It is as if you are on the shore and just watching the boats of thoughts on the ocean. Though it is calling you to take a free ride but you are just ignoring the calls.
When the mind is playing games then you can turn your attention towards your body. This creates a balance. In such times pamper your body or go for a work out or even a brisk walk. This will help in changing the focus of the mind. Go for a cold or hot shower depending on the place you are living. This will reenergize your body and calm your mind.
You can spend time with the nature. When we are with nature then the mind stops shuttling between the past and the future, and starts focusing on the present in front of you. It wants to enjoy the calmness and the beauty of the nature. That’s what we do when we take a holiday.
Breathing meditation, the feeling of the breath going in and going out, calms the mind. You need to focus on the movement the breath going in till your lungs and then spreading all over the body and then coming out. This is a sure shot way to relax the mind.
Writing and reading helps to calm the unruly mind. When you are writing or reading the focus shifts from the unruly thoughts to the thoughts which you want to have. You can even use the writing to vent out the unruly thoughts in form of words.
When you are able to create that space then you will feel empathy for your hyper active mind. Now you are just a witness and this will help you take objective decisions without getting swayed by it.
Well written, the one who can control the mind he can control the world.