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Where to put the garbage from your head? Advice from psychologist Ulyana Zavyalova
28.10.2023 18:50
Sometimes it happens that thoughts in your head are like a whole swarm of annoying flies buzzing and pushing against each other, giving you no peace.
It is especially uncomfortable before bed, as if someone knocks down the hive of thoughts with a stick and they suddenly lose their home, go out on a picket, yell, argue, pack their suitcases in preparation for moving... in general, instead of evening peace, there is some kind of "z-z-z" in your head.
By uncontrollably giving in to the flow of thoughts, we often program ourselves for failure and depression, explains the psychologist Ulyana Zavyalova .
After all, even at night, the inner voice continues to crackle uncontrollably when we sleep. To prevent life from turning into an uncontrollable dream, it is important to curb your inner monologue.
Thoughts shape feelings, feelings shape actions.
All this affects our general state. If feelings are not noticed, they affect thoughts, which create a new wave of thought flow.
Pay attention to where you direct your thoughts, what you feed your mind with? Now is the era of information noise: YouTube videos, TikTok, Reels, stories, Telegram chats, and even watching TV and news. How much of this is in your life? Who should dose it, turn it off and stop it for you?
Here are some techniques to help slow down your internal monologue and calm your non-stop thinking head.
Techniques for working with thoughts
1. Attention will help stop the internal monologue.
Switch it to your body. How do you feel? "Fine!" is not the answer. What is happening to your body, where are you tense right now, while you are reading this? Are there any clamps, where? Stretch, change your body position. Are your thoughts turning on? Again, focus on your body. What do you feel in its different parts? Your eyes are open!
2. Observation of thoughts.
Are thoughts thinking you or are you thinking them? Turn to your own awareness and look at your thought process as if from the outside. Let them flow, remaining an observer, and not the one who is captured by them.
Technique for working through unpleasant feelings
There are always some feelings behind thoughts. If a certain feeling has already arisen and you want it to stop influencing you:
- Name the feeling you are experiencing now (for example, excitement)
- Where is it felt in the body? (in the stomach)
- What does this place feel like (fluctuation of heat)
- Direct all your attention there and simply observe. You don't need to do anything else. Don't drive it away, don't reduce it, don't strengthen it, but simply observe, giving this place the maximum of your attention.
- Don't rush. Watch some more. Something in your body will start to change.
- Does the feeling get better, worse, or different? Give your attention to this place as much as needed.
- How do you feel now? (calm)
- What do you feel in your body? (lightness)
These techniques are effective, but they help situationally in the moment here and now. After all, the causes of mental anxiety need to be worked on during a personal consultation with a specialist.
