There are times when our thoughts get so disruptive that we find it hard to function.
Other times, it can even feel like we just want to stop thinking at all.
Our thoughts are a powerful force that they can either make or break our day.
As such, it is no surprise that you want to learn how to control your mind from unwanted thoughts.
A good place to start is by reading Caroline Webb’s How To Have a Good Day.
Blinkist, a popular online book summary platform, offers a 12-minute summary of this book and other publications on related topics.
Factors That Negatively Impact Mental Well-Being
As much as we are unique from each other, we are also different.
But no matter your age or status, we all know how it feels like to be stressed, anxious, and worried—and it’s not a pleasant feeling.
To achieve overall well-being, we can start by changing our mindset and aiming for inner peace.
You can start by learning the factors that can influence your mental health and well-being:
1. Isolation
Often, people get sad and lonely when left by themselves for a long time.
There are times when we long for solitude to relax and renew our energy, but there are also instances where we feel isolated even if we are with other people.
Prolonged isolation harms our mental health.
When this happens, try catching up with friends and family.
2. Grief
Grief is part of our lives that can affect our physical and mental well-being.
It may be due to the death of someone close, a romantic break-up, separation from family, and more.
People respond to grief in various ways, showing different emotions like sadness, anxiety, and regret, to name a few.
You may need some time to get through this phase, but keep in mind that it is okay to reach out and ask for help.
3. Financial Problems
Unemployment, loss of a business, and investment losses can significantly impact mental health in a negative way.
People in these circumstances may feel different kinds of negative emotions like anger, sadness, loss of direction, and more.
It may take a few days, weeks, or months for some, but others may feel down and frustrated longer than usual.
You may feel overwhelmed in these trying times, so it’s better to keep your focus daily instead of trying to resolve everything at once.
Maintain a daily routine that will give you some control over things to help build your confidence.
Also, talking to people who are close to you may help you get through these negative emotions.
How To Control Your Mind From Unwanted Thoughts
If you suffer from the things we listed earlier, you probably find it hard to control your thoughts, leading you to feel more anxious.
You may not realize it at times, but the state of your mental health plays a crucial role in your overall wellness.
A person’s mental health includes his emotional, social, and psychological well-being.
Not giving it the care and attention it needs will then lead to physical and mental illnesses.
Here are things you can do to gain better control of your thoughts and emotions:
1. Get plenty of good-quality sleep.
Sleep is essential, and we all know this to be true.
Even so, we often take it for granted and refuse to give our body the rest it needs to recharge and rejuvenate.
Every person has a different body requirement, but adults must sleep at least eight hours every night.
Observing proper sleeping habits helps improve your overall productivity and learning capabilities.
It also lets you see things clearly, helping you become less anxious and more in control of your thoughts.
2. Remember to stop and enjoy the little things.
Often, we get blinded by our thoughts that we forget to look at the beauty right in front of us.
It may sound cliché for some, but enjoying the little things in life is crucial to our contentment.
Try to go out once in a while and appreciate nature’s beauty or inhale some fresh air.
These activities will make a huge difference in your mental health.
3. Find a stress reliever.
Every individual has his way of handling stress that can affect his general health.
Some use accessories like a stress ball; others may relieve stress by doing activities they enjoy, like singing, dancing, or even watching movies.
Be free from your binding thoughts by allowing yourself to feel joy and excitement.
4. Do random acts of kindness.
If you try to analyze it, doing something good for someone makes you feel better as much as the recipient.
As they say, it will cost you nothing to be kind to others.
Kindness helps improve your self-esteem, leading to a healthier mental state.
Some even say that being kind helps in minimizing loneliness and depressive episodes.
When you do kind acts for others, you learn how to appreciate the good things in your life.
This way, it will be easier to believe that your unwanted thoughts are just that—thoughts.
5. Exercise.
Exercise is another effective technique in getting control of your unwanted thoughts.
A healthy cardiovascular system reduces anxiety and provides excellent emotional stability.
6. Practice breathing exercises.
Any type of breathing exercise promotes relaxation. You can practice this technique if you feel nervous or anxious.
It will help lower and regulate your blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing.
Doing deep breathing exercises can make you feel calm and relaxed.
7. Eat a healthy diet.
Eating healthy food is another concern, especially for stressed adults.
We know you’re familiar with the term “stress eating.”
We tend to do this when we are so caught up with our daily responsibilities that we simply grab whatever is available.
We don’t have the time to focus on the nutritional value of what we are eating because of other things that go through our minds.
Consuming healthy foods can help reduce symptoms of depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and other mental illnesses.
8. Meditate.
Lastly, and perhaps the most effective, is practicing meditation.
Not many people opt to practice meditation, but it’s a good technique for achieving deeper self-awareness.
Meditation can help you clear your mind, allowing you to focus on your inner self.
In meditating, you can gain back the control you lost and allow yourself to only think about the thoughts that will benefit you.
How To Understand Yourself Better
Having a deep sense of self-awareness and learning how to identify and accept your strengths and weaknesses are great ways to start gaining control of your thoughts.
After identifying your strengths, it will be easier for you to improve and use them to understand yourself and others better.
On the other hand, recognizing your weaknesses lessens its negative hold on you, thinking of them as something that needs to be overcome for you to improve.
With that said, you can be more aggressive about life while doing your best to excel in all its aspects.
You can use the same concept if you want to understand other people. Being good to yourself makes it easier to treat other people better.
Here are other things you can try to become more aware of your thoughts:
1. Know Your Goals
It is always better to have a physical representation of what we long to achieve.
This concept works well for those who do well with visual reminders.
Get a blank piece of paper and jot down all your objectives and goals in life.
It will give you a clear understanding of your present situation and thoughts.
You will know where you are at the moment and how far away are you from your future goals.
Doing this will also show that you are moving toward the right path.
2. Ask Questions
Most of the time, we are blind to our behaviors that we don’t know if we are doing the right thing unless someone tells us.
For this reason, it would be best to ask other people, like friends and family, how you behave around them.
Nevertheless, keep in mind that some of them may be shy to tell you the truth; thus, you need to be vigilant and observant.
You will have an idea about your character, identifying the ones that you need to improve.
3. Be Mindful of Your Thoughts
You will be able to understand yourself better if you are aware of every thought that comes to mind.
Awareness of your every thought means being observant of it, not judgmental.
Rather than quickly dismissing any unwanted thought, address it head-on and then let it go.
Book Recommendation: How To Have a Good Day
Another effective way to gain control of your thoughts is to read books on the topic.
Caroline Webb, the author of How To Have A Good Day, teaches us how to get through a bad day.
She encourages us to utilize behavioral science to motivate us to work better.
When we have a good day, it feels like we can do almost anything, get along with everybody, and be more creative.
In the book, the author suggests that people can turn a bad day around and have some semblance of a pleasant one.
According to the author, our brain has two opposing systems that work closely together: deliberate and automatic.
The deliberate system is conscious, using slow and rational thinking, while the subconscious or automatic is fast and intuitive.
She suggests that having an outline for your goals and intentions for the day will result in a more productive one.
Planning your day will keep you focused on the task and defeat procrastination and unwanted thoughts.
More than planning your days, you should also observe sufficient breaks in-between to prevent burnout.
Know More on Blinkist
Being organized will make it easier for you to focus on your goals.
If ever you feel overwhelmed with your daily tasks, try some breathing exercises to calm yourself down.
Once you have calmed down, it will be easier for you to decide which task you should complete first.
Make sure that you get along well with the people around you. Learn how to interact effectively and resolve tensions amicably.
If you wish to learn more about controlling unwanted thoughts and being the master of your mind, you can find similar books on Blinkist.
It is an online platform that offers summaries of non-fiction publications on different topics.
Choose among the 4,500 titles and learn its key ideas through the 15- to 20-minute text or audio summary.
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Conclusion
Sometimes, we feel so trapped in our own minds that we find it hard to gain back control of our thoughts.
In times like these, you can rely on books like How To Have A Good Day by Caroline Webb to help you get back on track.
There are also many other books on the same topic on Blinkist that aim to help you learn how to control your mind from unwanted thoughts.
By following the tips we provided earlier, we’re sure you will be able to free your mind and achieve a healthier mental well-being.