Our mind is powerful, just as our thoughts are. At some point, you may have struggled to keep unwanted rumination from clouding your judgment and decisions.
You may have wondered if there were ways on how to take full control of your mind as an attempt to tone down the voice in your head or to see things in a brighter perspective.
Whatever the reason is, knowing how to be in charge of your thoughts drastically improves the quality of your life.
With numerous factors in play, it can be a challenge to stop dealing with a chaotic mind.
Fortunately, there are means to do it, such as reading Everything Is Figureoutable and other books recommended by Blinkist.
How To Take Full Control of Your Mind
The key to having your thoughts under your control is to understand why it happens.
Considering all the factors at play and understanding how they affect your thinking matters too.
With the following strategies, you will be able to start organizing and taking charge of your thoughts.
Evaluate Your Thoughts
Before you can control your mind, you have to figure out what goes on in it.
If you are concerned with thoughts that affect your emotions and actions, point them out.
Take the time to write about those that you feel the need to change.
Determine whether those fall as intrusive thoughts, cognitive biases, looping thoughts, pessimism, or negative self-talk.
Intrusive thoughts are typical for many people. It quickly pops up out of nowhere, but these usually pass quickly.
Once you figure out those issues, you can better deal with them one by one.
Meditation and Acceptance
If you are searching for a way to calm and quiet your mind, you should try meditating.
It proves to be effective in helping you focus on important thoughts.
Through meditation, you can direct your mind and clear it of distracting thoughts that pop up from time to time.
One other benefit of meditation is its ability to ease the intensity of stress and overwhelming emotions.
When we speak of meditation, we emphasize its use to help our mind accept what it tries to stay away from.
It is human nature to keep a distance from things that cause pain.
For gaining mind control, there is no other way but to face it head-on and accept it.
Acknowledging the truth in it will not take away the emotions involved, but it will orient you to reality.
It will help you realize that you are not in a good place now, but it is not the end yet.
Deal With Negative Thoughts
Accepting negative thoughts does not necessarily mean eliminating them from your mind.
At times, you may find yourself ruminating about unpleasant scenarios without you noticing them.
In this case, you can deal with it using these options.
- Think It Through
Think about the entirety of the thought and imagine the worst thing that could happen.
Being able to confront it in your mind will give you a picture of you getting through it one way or another.
It somehow helps in relieving the pressure and anxiety brought by “what ifs”.
- Control Your Stimuli
Several factors may trigger you to think about unwanted thoughts anytime.
The good thing about it is that you get to choose to stay stuck on the thought or walk away.
You can always leave a setting that triggers those thoughts and position yourself in an environment with many other stimuli.
For instance, you can take a walk around the park or somewhere quiet to get unwanted thoughts in your mind.
This new setting will have other stimuli that will trigger another pattern of thinking.
Always go for a place with pleasant ones.
- Set a “Worry-Time Slot”
We block our schedules for different activities throughout the day; why not block a few minutes for your worries?
There is no use in wasting hours worrying about things we can’t control or problems we can’t solve yet.
It is helpful to set your mind that you have a scheduled time for worrying.
It makes you more efficient and productive the rest of the day.
- Read a Book
You can start with the book Everything is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo.
Through this book, you will learn how to think positively and break down your goals into manageable actions.
Get the highlights and read this book in just 15 minutes at Blinkist.
Be Selective of Your Crowd
A person with nothing to worry about can sync with other people’s thought processes and feel the same emotions they do.
It is normal to have a friend or a family member confide in stressful events and other problems.
However, too much of it can affect a person’s thinking and mood.
For instance, difficult and toxic people may influence your emotions and thoughts without you knowing.
Imagine spending time listening to them for two hours every day.
The next thing you know, you feel sad, angry, frustrated, and ungrateful even without a stimulus or an actual cause.
If you want to learn how to take full control of your mind, you have to set boundaries with people who put you at risk of losing control.
Burning bridges is not necessary, but keeping the interactions short and less intense can help.
It is also good to associate yourself with people who think positively.
The more optimistic they are, the better chances you have at getting a grip of your thoughts.
It can also pave the way to helping you reach your full potential and maintaining awareness of reality.
Mind Your Self-Talk
The voice in your head matters; when you lose control of your mind, that voice can be too loud and significantly influence your decisions.
Thus, it’s important to listen and determine whether it is a voice that speaks of goodness or not.
A good tip that is said to work for many is talking to yourself from a third-person perspective.
Expressing your emotions and asking yourself questions in this perspective creates a distance that gives you room for thinking.
It takes away the focus on “you” and positions you as a spectator who is free from overwhelming emotions and thoughts.
It prevents the emphasis on how you feel and shifts your mindset into a less emotional one.
It helps you see a clearer picture from the outside. In addition, it lets you give and hear advice better because it is similar to when others provide you with advice.
Set Focused Distractions
When you are experiencing a phase in your life that is not going well in every aspect, you can use focused distractions.
These types of distractions can divert your thoughts into more productive and better things.
As a temporary break, you can schedule something that you have always wanted to do.
That can be a hobby, lesson, sport, trip, or a few hours of exercising.
Some people tend to listen to music, take a walk, watch a movie, or spend time with people close to them.
The main goal is to take your mind off disturbing or unwanted thoughts, but you should use this carefully as it may reinforce denial.
Stress-Management Techniques
There is no doubt that stress is one of the leading causes of unwanted thoughts.
It triggers a massive bout of anxiety that may develop into unhealthy thinking patterns.
Since stress is inevitably a part of a person’s daily life, knowing how to manage it can help you control your mind.
You can start by determining its causes and triggers. Then, you can take a proactive approach by reducing your exposure to those triggers.
However, things out of our control will still be there.
In stressful times like this, it is important to keep your self-care habits in check.
First, give attention to what your body needs. It can be in healthy meals, long hours of sleep, exercise, fun activities, and socialization with other people.
Seek Professional Help
There is truth when they say that the mind is hard to control.
Some people have mastered the techniques to have complete autonomy over theirs.
Still, some people are not capable of doing it because of specific reasons.
People going through a lingering phase of sadness, paranoia, worsening intrusive thoughts, anxiety, depression, compulsions, and obsessions should seek professional help.
People with these conditions are advised of therapy to help them regain control over their minds.
Helping them find the sources and causes of it and addressing it the best way possible is a leap towards recovery and mind control.
Learning Effective Mind Control in Blinkist
The key to getting the control you want for your mind is learning more about it.
There are over 4500 books available at Blinkist.
Have the liberty to read or listen to one book that you can finish in just 15 minutes.
Use it anywhere, even when driving, working out, walking, or resting.
Every person has a unique situation and frame of mind.
This tells us that a strategy that works for one person may not work for another.
Therefore, as you venture into this mission, try and carefully evaluate which method works best for you.
Book Recommendation: Everything Is Figureoutable
This self-help book, written by Marie Forleo, can help you reach your dream and solve problems.
It doesn’t promise quick solutions but will help you think more positively and creatively in times of troubles or setbacks.
Conclusion
The mind is among the most complex parts of the human body.
It has a powerful impact and influence on a person’s actions and emotions.
For this reason, people are still looking for ways to take complete control of it.
If you are one of the many who want to regain control over your thoughts, the pointers mentioned above and other books on Blinklist like Everything Is Figureoutable can help.
One night is not enough to turn it around, but rest assured that with constant practice and conscious awareness, having full control of your thoughts is possible.