My thought conveyor belt method, (for dealing with negative thoughts).

[philknightlife]

My thought conveyor belt method, (for dealing with negative thoughts).

I can't be trusted to be alone with my own brain sometimes. But that's just what we need to work own. We need to practice standing outside of our old habitual and compulsive negative thought generator, and learn to just observe those thoughts going buy. Like on a conveyor belt or something.
Like OK, there's a catastrophic projection passing by. That's me trying to be a "Fortune Teller". And there's a thought of what someone might be thinking about me. That's me trying to be a*"Mind Reader". There goes a resentment about a past relationship. Buy buy. Off you go down the conveyor belt.
Anyway, yesterday's history,*tomorrow's a mystery and this moment is all with truly have. Oh and look, there goes a worst case scenario about that pain in my chest. That's me "Disqualifying The Positive" fact that my doctor said I was fine.
We need to see our thoughts as what they are. And that's just thoughts. They're just our inner dialogue. Our sometimes negatively coloured interpretation of the world that we perceive. And we have the power to colour our own internal reality by seeing which cognitive distortions we apply to the information we receive from our senses.

Here's the video of me talking about this. I hope you can understand me through my thick New Zealand accent. Ha. https://www.facebook.com/whatsphilworriedabouttoday/videos/841634195981476/

[Linda0818]

Hmmm, very interesting. Is there any way to make the conveyor belt go faster? Haha!

Yeah, my brain can't be trusted. I don't think it likes me very much. It distracts me, it throws negative thoughts at me - sometimes extremely irrational thoughts - it makes me worry about things that I'm terrified of happening.

I keep trying to remember something I once read, that 80% of our fears are based on things that will probably never happen. But I still can't make those fears go away. My brain won't let them. It used to be I was in control of my life. But now my brain is in control and I haven't yet figured out how to get the upper hand and get that control back. It's something I've been struggling with for years. Yes, struggling with my own brain. There are times I wish I could say, "Listen, brain... this is MY life and MY body and you need to just butt out and stop trying to ruin everything."

Too bad it doesn't work :(

[lauren11]

I have exactly this problem too, don't think my brain ever stops!! And like you both say, always negative things that you know in reality are silly but still cant switch off from them or stop worrying!

[Linda0818]

Exactly, Lauren. And I'm so tired of it. It's amazing how one organ in your body can control your entire life, whether you want it to or not.

[Boo Bass]

You cant change your thkughts but you can change your relationship with ykur thoughts. Stop fighting them and accept their nonsense. Then try mocking them in a silly foreign accent. Or compose.ashort song or limerick, also mocking them. I recommend you reada new book The Worry Trick by David Carbonell. This has helped me a lot and Im in a foreign jail with no friends or support.

[Linda0818]

Boo Bass, that's what I've been trying to do - stop fighting it. It's a very good idea and it's funny you bring it up here, because lately I've been laughing off the thoughts that my brain throws at me. Yes, some of those thoughts are useful. SOME worry is good because it keeps us cautious and allows us to perform life on a daily basis using basic common sense (which not many people have these days). But constant, irrational worry does NOBODY any good.

Worry doesn't relieve tomorrow of its problems, it deprives today of its strength.