Table of contents:
- Often thought continue, could be a sign of depression
- Great tips to get rid of confusion due to thinking the same thing over and over again
- 1. Divert attention
- 2. Make a plan and take action immediately
- 3. Make mistakes as experiences and lessons
- 4. Understand the triggers and try to calm yourself down
- 5. Change your thinking to be calmer and more positive
Whether you realize it or not, you may have been thinking about one thing continuously that ended up making you confused and anxious. For example, thought so whether the office project will be "goal" even though the plan is not yet mature. Maybe you just keep worrying about passing your thesis or not, huh? Others may not know what their concern is. What they feel is a sense of helplessness and discomfort because they are haunted by negative thoughts of unclear origin. In the psychological world, this condition is called rumination.
Negative things that you don't need to think about for long can trigger stress. So, how do you stop the negative thoughts that keep haunting?
Often thought continue, could be a sign of depression
As reported by Psych Central, Susan Noeh Hoeksema, PhD., A psychology professor at Yale University, revealed that people who have depression, anxiety disorders, PTSD, or drug users are often haunted by negative thoughts that don't go away. A number of these conditions both affect the brain's function of regulating, processing, and feeling emotions.
In addition, the American Psychological Association (APA) mentions several reasons why people may think the same thing over and over, namely:
- Believe that thinking about something can increase the experience of a problem.
- Have experienced emotional or physical trauma.
- Dealing with uncontrollable stress.
- Have a perfectionist personality or neuroticism.
If left untreated, this condition can be bad for mental health. Spending most of the time immersed in negative thoughts interferes with the brain's ability to think clearly and process emotions. It can also make mental disorders worse.
Worse, the more your condition gets worse, the more isolated you will become.
Great tips to get rid of confusion due to thinking the same thing over and over again
Once you get caught up in negative thoughts, it's hard to get out of it. So, you must immediately find a way to prevent it from getting worse.
Here are steps that can help you to get rid of repetitive thoughts, such as:
1. Divert attention
When you notice that you are starting to contemplate, look for something that can distract you and your thoughts. The trick, look around you, do not be too long to decide what options can distract you and do not let your mind go blank. For example, by poking next door friends to chat, playing games on cellphones, watching movies, drawing or scribbling paper, reading books, or choosing to walk outside the room.
2. Make a plan and take action immediately
Instead of repeating the same thought over and over, make a plan to overcome it. Think about each step you took to overcome it or take a piece of paper and write down your plan. Doing this can confuse your brain's "intention" to adjust to negative things on your mind and help you get out of the trap.
3. Make mistakes as experiences and lessons
Frequent recurring thoughts are fear of mistakes. If you have already made a mistake, don't try to ignore the feeling, but don't think too much about it either. This can actually trigger negative thoughts to arise.
Remember that every human being in this world must make mistakes in his life. The best thing you can do is move on and make these mistakes as experiences and lessons.
That way, you can calm down and think of solutions so that the thought is unlikely to come back.
4. Understand the triggers and try to calm yourself down
Every time you have a relapse, immediately write down the situation you are in, for example, where were you and what time did the negative thought occur? Who were you around, or what were you doing that day?
These notes can help you identify the triggers so you can avoid them at a later time.
Calm yourself down by finding a quieter room, regulating your breathing deeply and slowly, and starting to think of something funny or fun that can reduce the severity of rumination.
5. Change your thinking to be calmer and more positive
Simple changes, especially in thinking and addressing a problem can eliminate repeated thinking. Positive thoughts keep you from anxiety, pessimism, and negative thoughts that can trigger rumination. Take time for yourself to relax, such as doing things that you are good at and you like.
If you still are thought continue to really interfere with the activity, ask for help from the closest people to support and provide positive input. Maybe you can consult a psychologist to find ways to control these negative thoughts.
