Controlling the mind-wandering “thinker” is actually known as an awake resting state. Thankfully, “thinker” moments allow us to manage our mind and regulate these intrusive thoughts. The mind can be hijacked, so to speak, by these thoughts as they move up from our nonconscious mind, unless we learn how to control them. These types of thoughts can literally paralyze our imagination, inhibiting success in school, life, and work, and creating negative reinforcing feedback loops. ![]() Analyzing our thoughts in this way gives insight into how we can capture and change toxic and intrusive thoughts that are blocking our success-those things and feelings we just can’t seem to move past, which grow stronger as we think about them.ĭeliberate, persistent, negative thinking like “I can’t do it” or “This is too hard” can result in harm in the brain and body, setting the stage for future mind and brain issues. Indeed, the process of understanding what allows free thinking, and what allows something to get “stuck in our heads,” is crucial to mental self-care. Learning in the “thinker” moments can enhance our success in work, school, and life. This type of internal thinking plays an important role in contributing to the richness of intentional thinking and subsequent learning, adding a powerful creative aspect to our lives. Spontaneous thought processes, including mind-wandering, creative thinking, and daydreaming, arise when thoughts are relatively free from focused thinking and external influences. Ĭontrary to popular belief, the mind does not grind to a halt when you are doing nothing. “Thinker” time is very important because it balances our minds, allowing us to observe our environment before we just let it influence and direct our thinking, as I discuss in detail in my books Think, Learn, Succeed and Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess. We merge with our environments through our choices, including how long we decide to spend on our phone. And this includes one very powerful tool that is often overlooked: daydreaming!Īs you have heard me say many times before, the brain is neuroplastic. Whatever we think about the most grows because we give it energy, which, in turn, can impact our ability to think and our overall health.įortunately, these thoughts can be changed through the process of reconceptualization. If we are constantly trapped in a web of intrusive thinking, it can become a toxic mindset. Intrusive thoughts are a type of toxic thought habit, which are negative behavioral patterns we have established over time, like getting irritated in traffic, snapping at a loved one, or allowing ourselves to go down worry “rabbit holes” by always seeing the negative. It’s not always the most effective or sustainable way to deal with pain or trauma, but it’s a coping mechanism-a type of distraction you use to try to keep the source of your pain bearable, at least in the short term. This kind of thinking is often a way of coping with an underlying, unresolved issue. ![]() Intrusive thinking is can be defined as uncontrollable, unwanted thoughts that we feel unable to resist. In this podcast (episode #453) and blog, I talk about intrusive thoughts, and how to manage them using what I call “thinker moments”.
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