My head thinks things that I don't want to think, why and what do I do?

Surely you have seen yourself stuck in a certain thought countless times. You spend hours and hours thinking about something that worries you will happen or something that has already happened and you end up having a great discomfort. On occasion, you even end up having a great discomfort.

You will have done everything possible to distract yourself and think about other things: go to see a movie, meet friends or even sleep. However, what is in your head is still there, it does not go away and you cannot enjoy what happens in your day to day. Why do we think things that we don't want to think and what can we do about it?

In Psychology-Online we explain why the mind has uncontrollable negative thoughts and how to stop thinking about something that you do not want to think. We will see different techniques used in psychology to know how to make your head stop thinking about things you do not want, how to control involuntary negative thoughts and how to get rid of them, so that you do not get stuck in them and can continue with your lifetime. In addition, we will also try to understand why this is happening to you so that you can understand yourself a little more.

Index

1. Why does my mind think things that I don't want to think
2. Remember that they are just thoughts
3. Stop trying to remove them
4. Live in the present moment
5. Don't try to make sense of them
6. Practice visualization
7. Stop trying to control the uncontrollable
8. Do relaxations

Why do we think over and over about things that we don't want to think about? Surely you have many thoughts that distress you, fears about situations that may happen or about situations already past. Our minds go over them over and over again. Why do we have unpleasant repetitive thoughts?

• In the event that those involuntary bad thoughts are about possible future situations, it means that our mind is trying to prepare for the situation, anticipating her.
• On the other hand, in the case of situations that have already happened, if they have been very shocking, it is possible that the mind is trying to assimilate the information slowly.

In both cases, a function that is initially useful has become useless and all it does is cause them discomfort. Since it is not pleasant to continually have uncontrollable negative thoughts.

What you probably do not know is that by trying to eliminate these thoughts over and over again you are strengthening those thoughts even more. If they tell you not to think of a pink elephant, can you not? This example shows us exactly what is happening in your mind. So what can we do when trying to see the positives, distract ourselves, or even sleep so as not to think hasn't worked? We will see it next.

How can I stop thinking about something I don't want to think about? Think of it as just a set of letters or images, nothing more. Try putting the same thought in a language you don't know, does it make sense? Surely not, so why, if the letters are in a different order, do they cause you so much damage? Remember that they are just that, letters, images, and that they don't have to have anything to do with reality.

To stop thinking about something that haunts you, accept that those thoughts are there, annoying, but do not spend time on them, neither for better nor for worse. Just as they have come, they will leave. Imagine that they are quicksand in which if you try to escape and get out of them you sink more. This is something like that, so stop trying to fightr against them because you only make them stronger. Let them be just like a television in the background.

These obsessive negative thoughts are based on the past or the future. Try to live in the present focus on what is happening now: What is the room you are in like? Is it warm, cold? Is there noise? And your clothes, are they comfortable? Smooth, rough? What is the person in front of you talking about? Try again and again to do this kind of mindfulness exercisesAt first it is more difficult but with practice it will be easier for you to concentrate and live in the present moment.

How to eliminate negative thoughts of anxiety? Think of them as irrational thoughts. Don't try to make sense of them, don't spend time on them. Don't try to change them they just don't make sense. It's like arguing with a wall, better not bother and go about your business.

We tend to constantly try to find solutions, to find meaning in what we think, evidence that what we think is real. Try not to, to ignore those thoughts. If it turns out they realistically anticipated the future, great, but at least you haven't been suffering ahead of time.

There are several types of mindfulness meditations that teach you to visualize how those thoughts drift away. This is very useful to get them out of your mind and get on with your life. As in the other steps, it is a matter of practice but definitely worth it.

We cannot change the past, nor can we control what others will do in the future. Stop making a thousand hypotheses about what can be done and how someone could change. The only thing you can control is what you do. Focus on yourself, in being in the present moment, in letting everything else flow without having to intervene in it, in relaxing and in taking control of those thoughts. Just ignore them like when a child has a tantrum for no reason.

Relaxation serves to decrease the level of activation of the body, which is precisely what produces anxiety with obsessive and recurring negative thoughts. There are many relaxation techniques. Find the one that works for you.

This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

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• Hayes, S. C. (2015). Acceptance and commitment therapy. Desclée De Brouwer.