Never Believe What You Think

This short post offers a piece of practical advice, grounded in Buddhist psychology, to help with troubling thoughts.

It’s very easy to believe that our thoughts have some kind of fixed or definitive nature. We all do it. I must do that, I should do this. However, when we hold onto our thoughts too tightly, we can suffer. A simple mindfulness technique for changing our relationship with troubling thoughts is to label them “thinking” as they arise. This can interrupt the usual cascade of habitual mental associations and emotional responses that contribute to a bad time.

You can try it. Sit still for five minutes. Focus your attention loosely on your breathing. Thoughts will naturally appear in the periphery before “popping” into your field of consciousness. This is what minds do. We do not consciously choose our thoughts, they simply appear. When a thought spontaneously manifests, notice that this has happened, label it “thinking” - say it out loud, even - and return your attention to your breathing. That’s it.

You may notice that your mind feels completely out of control. Thoughts bombard you and “hook” you into familiar stories, worries, anxieties, and so on. This is completely normal and to be expected.

The more reps you do in the mind-gym — with one rep being one instance of noticing a thought, labelling it “thinking,” and returning your attention to your breathing — the more you reprogram your mind to identify less with your thoughts. Over time, letting go happens more automatically.

Can you give yourself five minutes a day to pump some mental iron?