How to get rid of negative thoughts. Ways to help get rid of bad thoughts in your head and tune in to the positive. Why does obsessive-compulsive disorder occur?

Have you ever been in a situation where you just can’t get rid of obsessive thoughts about someone? What did he say or do and how much did it surprise or offend you? Sometimes when someone hurts us, our children or loved ones, gossips behind our backs or confuses us with their actions, we continue to think about it for hours, and sometimes even weeks.

You wash the dishes, drive the car, walk the dog, but you can’t forget how untruthful, angry or self-centered the words of your abuser were. His face and his words keep popping up in my head. Five hours, five days, five weeks later, he is still in your head - his face is in front of your eyes, even if you have never spoken to him all this time.

How to learn to avoid such situations?

How do you stop thinking about a person or an unpleasant incident - about what could or should have been done differently - when the same thoughts keep spinning in your head, rewinding and playing over and over again?

Maybe it's not the person. It's about what you got or didn't get, what you need, what you don't have, and what's wrong in your life. But most often we are tormented by thoughts about people who, in our eyes, are to blame for all this.

These thoughts poison our lives, because such experiences can cause both emotional and physical harm to a person. Research shows that toxic thoughts make our brains sick and unhappy. When our minds are constantly occupied with thoughts of bickering, hurt, or loss, it begins to marinate in a sea of harmful chemicals and stress hormones that are the catalysts for virtually every disease in the world. Scientists are increasingly reporting that negative thoughts play a large role in diseases such as depression, cancer and heart and autoimmune diseases.

Moreover, it is simply unpleasant. It’s as if you’re being pulled into a rotating carousel, which is fun to spin around a couple of times, but then you start to feel sick and your head suddenly spins. You want to get off, but you can't.

We try very hard to avoid everything poisonous: we buy organic goods, try not to eat junk food, get rid of chemicals. We look for the freshest products, use organic cleaning agents and natural cosmetics. But despite all this, we pay very little attention to clearing our thoughts. How can you get rid of negative emotions and memories?

Choose the method that seems most effective to you and act!

Be silent and take a break. This will give you the opportunity to cool down a little, calm down and choose the most reasonable conflict resolution tactics. And sometimes, over time, what annoys us is forgotten on its own.
Wait and see what happens next. In conflict situations, very often you want to stand up for yourself and give your offender a worthy rebuff. This is why we worry so much about what to say or do in such cases.
Don't play the "Who's to blame?" game. Poring over events that happened in the past and trying to decide who is to blame (even if you blame yourself) is counterproductive. Bad things or misunderstandings most often happen as a result of a series of events. It's like a domino effect. The end result cannot be blamed on just one person. First one thing happens, then another, then a third. And so what happens happens.
Don't be influenced by another person's mood.
Start with the most important problem. Meditation teacher Norman Fisher says that no matter what happens to us, the main problem is always anger. It creates a cloud of emotions that makes it difficult to give a balanced and convincing answer. In conflict situations, the biggest problem is anger. Work on yourself - meditate, do gymnastics, go for a walk. Talk as little as possible and give yourself time to cool down. Do whatever you want - but before you deal with someone, deal with yourself.
Anger warps your mind. It is impossible to think clearly and seek creative and thoughtful approaches to solving a difficult situation if you are angry.
Don't try to understand the other person's actions. Ask yourself: If another person tried to understand what you were thinking or why you were doing what you were doing, how close to the truth would their guess be? No one but you knows what's going on in your head. So why try to understand what your interlocutor is thinking? Most likely, you will be wrong, which means that you are simply wasting your time.
Your thoughts are not facts. In other words, don't believe everything you think. Our body acutely experiences our emotions - fear, tension, anxiety or stress. We experience emotions on a physical level and often perceive our sensations as confirmation that our thoughts are fact.
How can I use this situation for personal growth? Meditation teacher and psychologist Tara Brach argues that by dwelling on anger, being offended by someone's words or actions, judging someone, and being angry at how we were treated, we add to our personal supply of suffering. Situation + our reaction = suffering. Dealing with our feelings and asking the question of why we are so affected by this or that situation and what these feelings say about ourselves is a great chance to learn something new about ourselves. Situation + reflections + mental presence “here and now” = inner growth. Focus on your inner development.
Never let others bring you down. Even to myself.
What happened has already passed. Remembering the past, we often try to understand what could have been done differently to prevent a quarrel and its unpleasant results. But what happened yesterday is as much in the past as what happened a thousand years ago or during the time of the Mayans. We can't change what happened then, and we can't change what happened a week ago.
Learn to forgive. For your own good. We are very devoted to our sorrows and thoughts about all the bad things that happened to us. Yes, it was. Yes, it was terrible. But is this really the only thing that shapes you as a person? We forgive others not only for their own sake. We forgive in order to free ourselves from our personal suffering, stop holding on to the past and move on with our lives.
Transport yourself to another space. Self-awareness teacher and psychologist Trish Magiyari recommends using visualization. Research shows that this method is very effective in helping to get rid of negative thoughts that inflame our minds. Personally, this image always helps me: imagine that you are at the bottom of the deep blue ocean and watch everything float by. Watch your thoughts dissipate.
Respond kindly to the offender. Here’s what healer Wanda Lasseter-Lundy advises you to do in situations where thoughts about your offender are driving you crazy: “Imagine how you send a beautiful ball of white light towards this person. Place it inside this ball. Surround him with rays and keep the light around him until your anger evaporates.”
Take a minute and a half break. To free your mind, you need to break your train of thought. Neuropsychiatrist Dan Segal states that “in 90 seconds, an emotion will rise and fall like a wave on the shore.” You only need 90 seconds to get out of any state. Give yourself 90 seconds—breathe in and out 15 times—to stop thinking about the person or situation that's upsetting you. This will help break the vicious circle - and with it the power that your negative thoughts have over you.

Well, are you feeling better now?

Hello, dear readers! Getting rid of obsessive thoughts is, in fact, a very important process, because they take away a person’s energy, strength, time and health. Life should be protected and appreciated every minute, and not wasted. Therefore, today I will share with you the most effective methods that will help you free yourself from heavy and unnecessary thoughts.

What is it?

Psychologists are inclined to believe that this is a neurotic disorder, most often arising from traumatic events. And it is not necessary to witness murders or unexpectedly lose loved ones. For some, the death of a pet may be decisive, as it will cause deep experiences that the psyche, for some reason, was not able to cope with at the moment. But don’t be afraid that you are now entitled to medication and hospital treatment.

There are various techniques thanks to which a person is able to independently cope with this complexity. As a last resort, you can enlist the support of loved ones, significant people for you, or consult a psychotherapist. The only thing is to be prepared to make efforts for healing and liberation.

Judge for yourself, obsession does not last a day or two, and if you decide to fight it, it means a long time has passed during which you decided to look for help. And the modern world is too overloaded with information and events that can distract you at any moment. And you won’t be cured just by completing a task; systematicity is needed here, at least in order to avoid falling into this exhausting state again in the future.

Top 10 technicians

1. Refusal to fight

The very first rule in dealing with negative thoughts is not to fight them. It’s paradoxical, but it’s true. They already take away energy, and if you consciously pay attention to them, exaggerating and immersing yourself in complex experiences, without finding any resource or way out in them, you will simply exhaust your body. You know the expression: “To avoid thinking about a white cat, think about a purple dog”? It exists in different variations, but it has the same meaning.

Imagine that there is a “delete” button in your head, press it and switch your attention to more pressing matters and pleasant experiences. For example, remember the most pleasant event from childhood, what most brings a smile to your face, serenity and touching? You won’t even notice how anxiety will subside, giving space to other feelings.

2.Creativity

A great way to deal with your feelings. Take a piece of paper and write about what torments you and haunts you. If you want, draw, and your artistic abilities do not play a role at all, so you should not try to draw it beautifully and correctly. You can simply mold it from scrap materials, ordinary paper, plasticine, clay is perfect. After you express painful ideas in a convenient way, listen to yourself, did you really write or draw everything you wanted? If yes, then now is the time to get rid of this obsession. Do not regret it, but tear it into small pieces, throw it in the trash, or burn your creation.

3.Conversion

Changing tormenting fantasies and feelings into resources and new opportunities, the zone of proximal development. Yes, it can cause indignation, but think for yourself, if something bothers you for a long time, it means that your subconscious is trying to “break through” into your consciousness, and in such a not very pleasant and desirable way gives you a signal. What pops into your head most often? Alarm about the iron or gas not being turned off? Then start developing attention and memory. Then you will know exactly what you turned on or off, and what else you did.

Believe me, this skill will be very useful to you, both at work and in everyday life and relationships. And this article will help you.

4.Patterns

Try to pay attention to exactly what moments anxious thoughts begin to bother you, maybe there is some kind of pattern? For example, before bed, or an exciting event? Often our subconscious is looking for ways to evade unwanted work, meetings and other things. Yes, at least from admitting to yourself that you are tired of something, that there is no desire to stay close to an already unloved person, to study in the specialty chosen by your parents and to do something out of habit.

5.Distraction

Have you noticed that while watching the fire, looking at the water, we think about how happy life is and how good it is at the moment? As if everything around you is suspended, and it seems that there is only you and the elements? Do you know why this happens? Because the brain, switching attention to all sorts of dynamic processes, believes that the rest is not so significant, so all sorts of sticky and tormenting emotions go away, and that is why you feel relaxation, a surge of strength and inspiration.

The more often the brain is occupied, the less likely it is that neurosis will occur.

Therefore, I suggest adopting one technique, as soon as you start to feel that bad thoughts are appearing in your head, start doing:

You need to sit comfortably, close your eyes and count every inhalation and exhalation. That is: “Inhale once, exhale twice.” When you count to 10, it counts as one cycle. You need to do at least three, if you notice that it is not enough, you can continue. It is only important to breathe slowly, fully concentrating on counting, the movements of your chest and sensations.
Then, when you feel that you have relaxed enough, having gotten rid of tension in every part of your body, you imagine an image that is exhausting, and you give free rein to your imagination, destroying it in any way you can think of.

I also recommend reading the article about. There is a whole program of different methods for relaxation described there; you can use any one you like, adding a second part where you need to deal with the sticky obsession.

6.Physical activity

If you are mainly tormented by dissatisfaction with yourself, not being ideal and echoes of low self-esteem, for example, that you do not look the way you would like, that you have not achieved what you want due to your character, and the like, then physical activity will help you. In principle, it helps in any case when you just need to switch gears and give your brain a chance to rest.

Tired, exhausted - you simply won’t be able to torture yourself any longer, plus a clean apartment, a well-groomed garden, or a noticeably thinner and toned body will be a nice bonus.

As an option, sign up for courses and make your dream come true. For example, learn how to sew elegant dresses or climb rocks, skate beautifully or dance tango. When you begin to turn into reality your desires, which you usually did not care about, you will feel happy, and then the level of control over your thoughts and, in general, claims to yourself will decrease.

7.Affirmations

The method of positive affirmations will help you get rid of so-called neurosis on your own. To do this, first try to unravel the meaning of the ideas that prevent you from living, constantly spinning in your head, and then transform them into positive statements that you will begin to consciously repeat to yourself several times a day. Well, if we return to the example with the iron not turned off, we can reformulate it like this: “I am attentive and notice all the details and nuances that surround me.”

You will find detailed instructions on how to compose and use them. Also, get rid of negative language, and generally avoid using the particle “not” in your sentences. And for the success of this action, come up with a punishment, for example, 5 push-ups for each negative wording. You can make a bet with loved ones in order to increase motivation.

Any methods of positive thinking will bring changes to your life, learn to notice the beautiful and pleasant in it, and then your consciousness will be rebuilt, ceasing to torment you with obsessive ideas.

8.Analysis of reasons

If you want to “look deeper” in order not just to get rid of the consequences, but to find out the root cause of your condition, I suggest you try the paradoxical technique, which consists of a thorough and detailed analysis of each thought. Take a piece of paper and do a so-called brainstorm, that is, write down absolutely everything that is swarming in your head at the moment. There’s no need to judge, just write until you feel like you’ve “zeroed out,” so to speak, and are a little exhausted, and you can stop there.

Re-read what you wrote, what feelings do you have about the text? Find scary phrases and “play” with them, writing down at least 5 points for each, answering the question: “What if?” Such exercises help to rationally approach the subject of tension and anxiety, since it often happens that emotions are so “overwhelming” that a person is not able to realize that he is sometimes worried about something that does not actually coincide with reality, and if you look more closely, then you can see it.

9.Reduction to absurdity

Laughter is the best therapy and an opportunity to release pent-up energy and cope with anxiety, so why not resort to it? For example, you constantly replay in your head the situation that a girl won’t like you on the first date. Now imagine how much she grimaces at the sight of you and tries to run away, but falls, this makes her even more scared, and so on. Continue until you feel that the situation is truly fun for you.

This technique can be difficult for serious people who have forgotten what it is to play and have fun. But if you overcome your resistance, believe me, the result will not keep you waiting. I’m not calling you to be frivolous and irresponsible, it’s just that sometimes it’s important to add lightness to your life, and even more so, humor.

10. Postpone until later

Remember Scarlett O'Hara's immortal phrase: “I won't think about it now, I'll think about it tomorrow”? This is from the movie Gone with the Wind. So, this really works. We don't reject an idea, we just put off thinking about it until later. And then she ceases to be intrusive, because the mind is calm, you will definitely return to her, only later. And then, perhaps, the tension level will begin to fall, and other pressing matters will appear that require your attention. But in this method it is important to be honest with yourself, otherwise you will stop trusting yourself, so later be sure to take the time to realize exactly those fantasies that are poisoning your life.

Prayer is suitable for believers, because even scientists have found that when a person prays, sound vibrations make the space harmonious and calm. And if you feel peace and quiet joy, then this will be the best treatment not only for the soul, but also for the body.
If you have completely different views on religion, you can try meditation. From previous articles, you may have noticed how often I recommend resorting to it, and for good reason, because these methods really work, both on the physical level and on the mental level. You can find out more.
Start fighting bad habits, especially those that destroy your health and kill time. With their help, you will not get rid of obsession, but, on the contrary, will strengthen it, up to the occurrence of prolonged depression, affective disorders, insomnia and panic attacks.

Conclusion

By changing the way you think, you will attract other changes in your life. So why not make it high quality and rich? Time passes, and it is impossible to turn it back, and neuroses only speed up this process. So take care and appreciate every minute, take care of your health and everything will be fine with you! Subscribe to updates and join groups on social networks, the buttons are at the top right. And that’s all for today, dear readers! See you soon.

On religious forums of different faiths you can find heated discussions of the same similar topic - “How to get rid of obsessive states and bad thoughts? "

The methods of getting rid of the evil spirit's instigations are the same - reading prayers, strong faith and fasting. Believers try to diligently carry out the orders of their religious mentors, the advice helps many, but some still fail to overcome their mental disorder.

Here are excerpts from the sites:

While reading the prayer, all sorts of thoughts constantly pop into my head, I try to concentrate, but my vigilance lasts no more than 15 seconds, what do you advise me to do?

For a long time now I have been tormented by the feeling as if the devil in my head was constantly whispering all sorts of swear words! For example, as soon as I think about Allah, vile words are immediately added to it! I perform namaz and dhikrs every day! And still this whisper does not give peace, and my head hurts very badly!

The Muslim preacher's response was:

When bad thoughts come into your head during prayer, say: “A’uzu billahi minash-shaitanir-rajim,” and then spit over your left shoulder and continue the prayer. “It is reported that one day ‘Uthman bin Abul-‘As said: “O Messenger of Allah, truly the Shaitan is preventing me from praying and reading the Qur’an, confusing me.” In response, the Messenger of Allah said: “This is a shaitan named Hinzab, and if you feel his presence, turn to Allah with a prayer for protection from him and spit to the left three times.” He did so, and Allah removed this shaitan from him.” (This hadith is reported by Muslim).

Now let's see what science says about this. So, for example, medicine gives the following definition to obsessive thoughts (obsessions) - this is the incessant repetition of unwanted, often painful thoughts, ideas and desires that cannot be gotten rid of by force of will. There is always a feeling of their violence. The patient understands that obsessive thoughts originate within himself (unlike a patient with schizophrenia, who is sure that someone is controlling his thoughts). The content of obsessive thoughts is unacceptable or meaningless for the patient, so he tries to fight them. Typically, obsessive thoughts concern the following interrelated areas of life: 1) morality and religion; 2) aggression; 3) pollution, infection; 4) health and illness; 5) accuracy, striving for symmetry. These obsessions occur with pronounced fear and anxious concerns.

Blasphemous thoughts are obsessive, cynical, offensive ideas about certain individuals, religious figures, and other people whom the patient actually respects. For example, during a church service, a deeply religious person has an irresistible desire to shout insults at God or the angels. Or during a meeting of freshmen with the rector of the institute, one student has an irresistible desire to shout that the rector is a fool. It should be emphasized, however, that blasphemous thoughts, like all contrasting obsessions, are never realized.

One of the manifestations of obsessive states may be sudden hatred of loved ones - husband, parents, etc.

So, what to do if you discover symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

First you need to understand that any fears and bad obsessive thoughts arise due to prolonged increased internal tension, split personality, hidden aggressiveness and irritability, and for some due to... youth, or rather hormones.

The “radar” of dangers – fears – is constantly turned on for some “sensitives” - people who are hypersensitive or young with increased hormonal activity. Some people may be born with increased anxiety and sensitivity to fear.

As soon as this “radar” of dangers turns on, a person begins to draw all sorts of crazy pictures in his imagination and gets scared of them. He stresses himself out so much that he has a panic attack.

I repeat, at such a moment completely reckless thoughts begin to come to a person’s mind, there is a fear of going crazy, some frightening fantasies and fears that something terrible is about to happen. So, this is just an irrational fear that defies logic. During a panic attack, the movement of thoughts is almost not subject to common sense and logic, so it is almost impossible to streamline the flow of delusional ideas at this moment. Their goal is to create even more fear.

If panic occurs for a hormonal reason, then even in a completely safe situation, when nothing threatens, hormones will imagine crazy situations in order to provoke a nervous shock. And fear, if it appears, automatically evokes new fears and various unpleasant pictures in the mind.

The dark part of our psyche, the subconscious, constantly forms in the imagination all kinds of, even the most immoral, pictures. And this scares us. And in vain, you shouldn’t be afraid of this. Because the reason for these demonic thoughts is not your sinful essence, but the following banal factors (which can be corrected and radically help your psyche overcome bad thoughts and fears, inshallah):

Incorrect, unbalanced diet, coffee and strong tea and even sweets;

A diseased liver can weaken the psyche due to a large amount of “anxiety hormones”;

- “psychotrauma” from childhood”, which you don’t even remember, can cause obsessive states;

Intracranial pressure;

Prolonged internal tension, taking everything to heart, constant self-examination and dissatisfaction with oneself, dissatisfaction, suppressed desires, nervous exhaustion.

Now, after you have understood the cause of your worries, throw away the false feeling of guilt, and remember, the bad thoughts that arise in your mind do not concern you or your spirituality. This is just a product of an unhealthy body and this problem can be dealt with!

Now about negative thoughts during prayer. Remember, where thought goes, energy goes. Wherever there is energy, there is blood. Do not feed your demonic thoughts, feeding them with your energy, do not try to drive out thoughts, do not fight them, but, on the contrary, root them for a long time in your subconscious. Obsessive thoughts have one feature: the more you resist them, the more forcefully they attack.

Psychology describes the “white monkey” phenomenon, which proves the difficulty of dealing with external influences within the mind. The essence of the phenomenon is this: when one person says to another: “Don’t think about the white monkey,” then that person begins to think about the white monkey. Actively combating obsessive thoughts also leads to this result. The more you tell yourself that you can handle it, the less you can handle it.

Whatever crazy thoughts and emotions arise, allow them to come and go like waves in the ocean. Whatever you think about, let the thought appear and disappear, without any tension.

Don't cling to a thought, don't strengthen it, and don't indulge it. Don't hold on to a thought or try to strengthen it.

Neither follow thoughts nor invite them.

Be like the ocean, looking at its waves, or the sky, contemplating the floating clouds.

You will soon see that thoughts are like the wind, they come and go. The secret is not to "think" about thoughts, but to allow them to flow through your mind while it is free from their influence. Don't get into an argument with obsessive thoughts. If they appear, try to switch your attention, do not conduct internal dialogues with them!

Next, if possible, start running 200-300 meters in the morning. A morning jog will relieve excess stress from your psyche. Jogging can be replaced by any gymnastics, any sport. Physical education just helps relieve irritation and melancholy.

To be continued Inshallah

Gulnaz Miyassarova

Instructions

As soon as an unpleasant, frightening thought comes into your head, immediately imagine the opposite situation. If you are afraid to fly and every fifteen minutes you vividly imagine how your plane crashes with you on board - rest assured, sooner or later this can happen. Everyone knows that thoughts. Don't let bad thoughts take over you. As soon as you think about something bad, immediately draw the opposite picture in your head. For example, your plane takes off safely, has an amazing flight and lands successfully. Relatives and friends meet you at the airport.

Don't store emotions inside yourself. You thought something bad or something bad happened to you. Don't throw it away pretending everything is fine. Think about this situation. Analyze what exactly happened, what exactly upset you. Feel the situation, don’t run away from it. Release your emotions, don’t be afraid. Don't be afraid to show your tears to other people. Tears ease your emotional state, after which it will be easier for you to deal with the problem, attracting your mind. If tears are not your option, slam the door, slam your fist on the table.

As soon as bad thoughts begin to overcome you, take a sharp breath, take a deep breath and exhale, or go outside (no matter what the weather is like). Don't let unpleasant thoughts swirl in your head, drive them away with an effort of will. Remember that you are not struggling with an already accomplished fact, but only with your thoughts about it. And you are much stronger than your thoughts. Cultivate self-respect and self-confidence.

Stop expecting troubles in the future. There is no future, focus on today. To do this, choose one day and try it in the feeling of “here and now.” The more often you manage to retain this feeling, the easier you will be able to remember it and get out of the stream of unpleasant thoughts.

Don't be alone with unpleasant thoughts. Don't lock yourself in a room, go outside, call your friends, spend a lot of time with people you are interested in, go to a movie or a play. Believe that bad moods are easy to banish.

What prevents you from living well, achieving goals, developing and being happy? Often the cause of many of our problems is negative thinking, which does not allow us to realize ourselves fully.

Is there a negative voice inside your head that is stopping you from living? He criticizes, whines, complains and undermines self-confidence. He says that again nothing will work out. The voice requires you to be more modest, not to take risks and not to try anything that could change your life. A negative voice scares you with different things that will never even happen. You will never get rid of your inner critic, but you can harness it and use it to your advantage.

How to stop thinking about bad things and realize yourself?

1. Misperception of mistakes

When troubles happen, problems and difficulties arise, we lose heart. When someone lets us down, betrays us, or strikes us, we find ourselves in a stupor. We don't understand why everything happened this way. We begin to get angry and replay everything in our heads over and over again. We think about mistakes, revenge, complain and beat ourselves up. So we spend a lot of time and energy obsessing over troubles. We don’t think about how to solve them, but think about the misfortunes.

Time and opportunities are running out while we are mired in negative thinking. This is a misperception of mistakes. Mistakes should not make you depressed. They should teach new things, help find new ways and encourage them to overcome difficulties.

2. Seeking justice instead of swaying power

It's high time to come to terms with the fact that the world is unfair. It is impossible to have control over the entire world in order to establish orders according to your opinion of justice. Danila Bagrov, in the film “Brother 2,” argued: “He who has the truth is stronger!” But that's not true. Stop running around and demand truth and justice. Whoever is stronger is right. This means you need to become stronger, and not complain about the injustice of the world.

3. You choose how to respond to problems.

When you spill coffee on your pants, it's an accidental nuisance. You can quickly change your pants and go to work, forgetting this minor morning nuisance. But you can only make things worse for yourself all day long. You can yell at your friend who made you coffee. You can worry all day about your slowness. You can quarrel with colleagues because of your bad mood and morning. But you choose how to react.

All our troubles are only 20% of the case. The remaining 80% of troubles are our reaction to what is happening. You choose how to react to all your problems.

4. Change yourself before taking to new heights

We decide to start working better, get back on our feet, change jobs, start our own business, or improve our personal lives. But we make one important mistake, and then we suffer. We do not change ourselves when we want to achieve a new goal. As a result, the “old you” cannot win, unlike the “new you.” We become depressed and start thinking negatively.

Does your new job require proficiency in a foreign language? Does the new position require new knowledge? Do beautiful girls fall for athletic guys who are tongue-tied? To reach new heights you need to become better. Change yourself first, then try something more. If you can't do it, then you're too weak and not ready for it. Upgrade your skills.

Stop thinking about the bad, loading yourself up with negative thoughts and take a step forward. Realize yourself to the fullest. Unleash your potential.