Sunday Reset
Getting Stuck in a Thought Loop
Do you ever find yourself stuck in a thought loop?
I know I'm not the only one because there's vocabulary that supports this - rumination, compulsive thinking, and thought spirals are just a few terms that come to mind. Whatever it's called, it's nice to know I'm not alone in this experience.
Recently, my mom shared a tragic story from her neighborhood and I keep repeating in my mind. Thinking about it over and over again, I find myself upset and sad, feeling constriction in my throat as I imagine the events unfolding, wondering if there was anything I could have done to help (there isn't, it was 100% out of my control and has nothing to do with me).
The thing about being human is that we're thinkers. We're also able to have awareness of our thoughts. I REALIZE that I've been thinking about this tragic story. I know it's been on my mind - a lot!
How can mindfulness help?
Through mindfulness, we learn to practice the pause.
In that pause, we can notice what we're thinking about, how we're feeling in our bodies, and notice any emotions that are present.
We can then decide what happens next. Is there an appropriate action we should take? Is there important information that we're collecting from these thoughts? Are we able to discern if our thoughts are rooted in past or projecting into the future? Could it be helpful to redirect our thoughts to something else?
How can we best care for ourselves in moments like these?
When we become aware of rumination, there are a variety of mindfulness practices we can try:
Rollercoaster Breathing - open one hand, fingers wide apart, inhale as you trace up one side of a finger, exhale as you trace down, continuing through all 5-fingers and repeating as necessary. These deep in and out breaths support improved self-regulation.
Attention to Vision - shifting our attention and looking out to the furthest point or opening up to panoramic vision to see the larger landscape supports a parasympathetic response, allowing a shift from fight/flight/freeze to rest and digest.
Equanimity - Sky Meditation - invites us through meditation to embody spaciousness, openness, and to experience thoughts, sensations, and emotions with neutrality - just as the sky allows clouds to float by without needing to control them.
And truthfully, whether I'm directing my attention to rollercoaster breathing, looking out to the horizon and noticing the furthest possible point, or practicing a sky meditation, I'm no longer ruminating on that tragic story, and I'm giving myself a chance to step out of that thought loop and all of the emotions and sensations that accompany it. I'm able to rest. I'm supporting my own wellbeing.
If you give any of these practices a try, I’d love to hear about it - feel free to send me an email.
Below are some related resources, and of course we'd love to see you in any of our upcoming programs. Take good care.
Warmly,
Julia
Pause.
Look up at the spaciousness of the sky.
Watch the clouds float by.
