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Hey friends, welcome back to the blog.  Today I wanted to talk about the power of our thinking.  Often in therapy I hear things about people overthinking, having spiraling thoughts, and anxious thinking.  Our thoughts can have the power to influence our feelings, behaviors, and overall well-being.  

Let’s explore a few ways our thoughts can get in our way.  Overthinking is usually when we think about something too much or for too long.  The thinking is an endless loop with no solutions.  Thought spiraling is when negative thoughts or emotions become more negative and overwhelming. This can become debilitating and can lead to mental health issues like anxiety and depression.  Anxious thinking usually includes negative, irrational and pessimistic thoughts that can contribute to stress and anxiety.  Anxious thinking can be “what if” statements, worst case scenarios, overgeneralizing, and only focusing on the negative.  It is also common to struggle with overthinking and thought spiraling right before bedtime which impacts ability to fall asleep and stay asleep.  Our minds tend to be the least distracted right before bed and if we haven’t allowed ourselves to process things, do check ins, and acknowledge thoughts that we have had, they often come up right before bed.  

These type of thought patterns can have a negative impact on mental and physical health.  It can impact quality of sleep, increase stress, cause decision paralysis, reduce focus, increase brain fog, as well as increase our anxiety and depression.  It can also cause physical issues like headaches, stomach aches, digestive issues, and can at times lead to isolation and cause issues with being present.

I often hear clients come into therapy because they are feeling stuck.  They often have reached the point of doing “what ifs” with pretty much everything.  Sometimes I hear they do the worst possible scenario to help prepare themselves.  Sometimes I hear that they start with one irrational thought that turns into a spiral they feel trapped or stuck in.  

Let’s explore some ways to have power over our thoughts:

1. Be aware of your thoughts.  Awareness is a skill I heavily emphasize practicing in therapy.  Being aware of how you talk to yourself, how you think about other people, situations, and the world can influence feelings and behaviors.  Focusing on more neutral or positive thought patterns when you notice negative thought patterns is a good place to start.

2. Train your mind.  This can include thinking positive thoughts to combat negative thinking.  It can include practicing gratitude daily.  It can include mindfulness exercises.  

3. Challenge the thoughts.  I often find people struggle with this one a lot and I also find it to be one of the most beneficial tools for people to practice.  This can include catching the thought, check it for accuracy and ask yourself what else could be true, and then change the thought to something else that could be accurate and usually less anxiety provoking.  Getting out of spirals usually requires some level of sticking to truths and facts.  Some people have to remind themselves of truths to stop thought spiraling.  Most often anxiety stems from some sort of fear.  If you can identify what fear the anxiety provoking thought is rooted in, it can help address the root of the problem.

4. Use neuroplasticity.  Your brain has the ability to adjust and rewire toxic thoughts.  If extra support is needed with this we use modalities such as neurofeedback, brain mapping, EMDR, and CBT therapy.  We have to intentionally and deliberately direct our mind in the direction we want it to focus. 

5. Focus your thoughts on what is in your control.  We spend a lot of time worrying about things outside of our control, other people and what they think and do.  Our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are in our control.  When we notice initial thought processes that are not working in our favor, we can address them to try and achieve an outcome that serves us more.

6. Create a nightly routine that involves winding down.  I hear a lot of people tell me right before bedtime is when they worry the most, spiral, or overthink.  This can happen because we have less distractions and haven’t processed through things that cause us anxious thinking to begin with.  Allowing ourselves the time to process and address things as they come up makes them easier to manage.  Some suggestions before bed include writing down to do’s and worries, meditation, relaxation techniques, limiting screen time, and letting yourself feel your feelings as they come up.  

There is power in our thinking.  It can impact our feelings, actions, and our overall well-being.  My challenge to you is to not let your thoughts win if they aren’t serving you.  With some work, we have the power to train our brain, instead of feeling like it is working against us.  

Thanks for reading, until next time.  

Emilie Barragan, LCSW

“Tackling physical and emotional pain” – Therapeuo Health