What Thought Loops do you get Caught In?

We all get caught in “thought loops” from time to time. It’s a repetitive thought that you run through your mind over and over.

I’ve meditated for 25+ years and almost daily for close to 15 years now. But most mornings it was 5-10 minutes and hardly ever twice a day. Extending the time (15 minutes) and the frequency (2x/day) due to having to do hot compresses on my eyes have made me realize that I have thought loops that sometimes don’t end.

• I start with everything wrong with my husband
• Then I move to everything wrong with me
• Next comes worrying about my youngest trying college again in the fall
• Then I worry about her health problems
• How is the 3-legged kitten at the humane society doing? Is she going to get adopted?
• Finally I loop into, “Maybe I should be doing a mantra. Does this even count as meditation with all these crazy thoughts going on?”

Right after the 10 min mark my mind seems to calm down and be calm. At that point I often want to go beyond the 15 minutes. But alas I must get up and wash my eyes and put drops in.

Oddly enough, I don’t see this as anxiety. I consider them Thought Loops and patterns that I can change. You can change them too.

You know I’m not going to leave you hanging so here are a few tips.

1. Recognize when the loop is going on.

2. Decide what you want to think about OR how you want to feel.

3. Recall a memory when you felt that way or create the feeling in your body with visualization (like picturing an upcoming vacation).

4. If you’ve picked the thought path, make it a positive one, a helpful autopilot.

An example of this would be me worrying about my youngest’s health problems, catching myself, and then thinking, “I’ll continue to look for ways to help her get better. We’re in the right place to do that. The Mayo Clinic has been excellent.”

Btw, acupuncture has decreased her nausea from all day every day to a couple of hours once a week or so and regulated her bowels (she has IBS). Thank you, acupuncture!

It’s not always easy to find that helpful autopilot. You can think of what a friend would say to you, your own higher power, or a loving parent. I don’t suggest AI as there are some pretty awful examples of mental health queries gone wrong in that arena right now.

I do suggest a human with lots of education and training who has helped lots of people with this exact problem. If you want help decoding and controlling your own Thought Loops, just check the online schedule (link below) to see if spots are open for the following week.

When there are, it means I have some spots open in my practice. If there aren’t any, check back the following week since I do a lot of short-term treatment (3-6 weeks) and spots open up all the time. It’s updated every Friday.

Before you go, remember to get your Free Hypnosis to reduce Fear and Anxiety!

I work with people all over the world. If you want to feel better and have a transformed life, grab your Free Consultation with me to get the deets on working together (the how, the when, the where, and the how much)!

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Peace and Health,

Dr. Liz