Thought Download
Of course we know our own thoughts and opinions, right? You’d be surprised how much energy we spend on unintentional thoughts. There’s a simple solution: do a thought download.
Thought loops happen when we fixate on some part of a thought. We end up with the illusion that we’re thinking about it and therefore maybe doing something to make things better.
The fastest way to break out of the loop is a thought download.
- Get out a clean sheet of paper.
- Write (judgement-free) for at least 15 min.
Don’t hold back. Write the angry, the dumb, the embarrassing, the hopeful. Everything. Get specific. You can burn it later.
If you don’t know what to write. Write “what should I write?” until you know.
I promise, writing it down doesn’t make it more real. Your brain believes it just as much hiding in your subconscious. Often we spin on a few thoughts and don’t let the rest out. Avoidance just adds to the suffering.
- Go back and read it
Put a star near the ones that have feeling behind them. Or mark the ones you want to work on. Are there any deal breakers? Where can you see past the thoughts? What’s noise?
The mind gets a sense of relief when something is written down. It’s a helpful way to break out of a loop. It also becomes your list to chip away at. This is what’s going on in your head for you to clearly see. This is your list to get curious about.
