Is simply to remember that thoughts are NOT reality. Too often it is our thoughts that lead us on a tidal wave of negative emotions - anxiety, stress, pain and torment. But how often do we actually stop to think and question whether these thoughts are based on facts? In my experience, during uncertain times/events- my internalising through negative thinking was worse than the external event that occurred. But believing those thoughts can definitely exacerbate an already difficult situation.
Waiting 40 minutes for an ambulance to arrive during my 2nd heart attack gave me plenty of time to think - but what I didn't want to think was a worst-case scenario so, difficult as it was not to, I kept changing my thoughts as soon as a doomsday thought entered my headspace. By doing so, I managed to avoid making a difficult situation much more painful and avoided panicking.
Blindly just believing these thoughts severely restricts our peace of mind as well as judgement. We cannot control many of the random thoughts that enter our heads, but we do have a choice as to how much credence and space we give to those thoughts.
So, next time you feel thoughts are taking over your headspace and affecting your peace of mind and judgement...remember, you have a choice as to how much space and credence to give those thoughts!
A useful technique to practice and get into a habit of doing regularly is to keep a daily journal - writing about your thoughts and feelings and how your thoughts have impacted your decision making. This will help you understand how effective your decisions were based on certain thoughts and will help you avoid making mistakes based on mistaken assumptions and false thoughts.
Would love to know your experiences on this topic and how your thoughts affect your life and wellbeing. Please email me at info@XtraClarity.com