Loops of Thought

The ability to think self-consciously is the key thing that distinguishes humans from animals. To be able to reflect upon ourselves and the world we live in is a miraculous gift and one that may be unique in the universe.

And yet thoughts are also the things that can torment us most, particularly when we are tired, anxious, stressed, worried or depressed.

One of the most common things that clients suffering from stress complain about are thoughts which go round and round in their heads, tormenting and exhausting them.

Paradoxically these thought cycles tend to emerge at times when we should be relaxing and letting go of the activities of the day – during the journey home from work, for instance, and more annoyingly when we are trying to get to sleep, or when we wake during the night.

The frustration is that we find ourselves unable to stop these thought processes by rational means, however much we try. Telling ourselves there is no need to worry often just doesn’t work.

The reason for this is that one thought cannot be used to stop another. The effect of one thought upon another is a bit like one ball hitting another on a snooker table.

Because it is the activity of thinking itself which is the problem in the first place, adding to that activity serves no purpose and can actually aggravate the feeling of stress.

It is better, therefore, not to attempt to stop the circling thought, but just to observe it. Try shutting your eyes and simply watching that thought loop. It can help to imagine it as bird circling in a blue sky, or a falling leaf swirling in the wind. Observe its activity.

Alternatively picture it as a loop of light reflected on the surface of a lake, which moves as the breeze ruffles its surface. Allow that circling thought to become a shimmer of subtle, fascinating light and as the water ripples watch it break up and disperse.

Keeping your eyes shut, allow the offending thought pattern to fall into rhythm with the movement of your breathing…slowing it down. And if you can, let that experience of calm spread in a wave through your body.

As you change the way in which you experience your thoughts, imagining them as a kind of physical disturbance upon the surface of your mind, you can by observing them let them take on a fascinating, even soothing nature.

You’ll be surprised then how easily you can allow a particularly tormenting thought to drift away. The more you practice this technique the better you will become at using it and at controlling your own mental processes.