Do you know we think between 50,000 to 70,000 thoughts per DAY? That means 35-48 thoughts per minute? That is A LOT of thinking that is constantly going on with or without our awareness of them.

Thinking is a big part of our experience here in our human bodies. Greek philosopher, Heraclitus said, “change is the only constant” well there is definitely one more – THINKING is another constant!

I know I am not the only one that has been led in circles around my thoughts. Driving myself crazy and unable to sleep at night because of repetitive thinking around fears and creating stories of the future. We all do this and we all believe our thoughts are incredibly true + valuable. We believe our thoughts might save us from so atrocity or may direct us down the path of enlightenment.

I used to believe that the more I meditated and slowed down the quieter my head would become. However, I have learned that meditation didn’t quiet my thoughts rather it reminded me that I am not my thoughts, I am the observer of my thoughts. In other words, it gave me more awareness around the way my system functions. It also supports me in shifting my attention away from the thoughts

but the thoughts are still ALWAYS there.

I believe our thoughts are useful, we wouldn’t have that ability if we didn’t need to use it! But, we have become lost in our thoughts and living in your head means living in ANXIETY + STRESS. The more we live in our heads, the less we are connected to our intuition and wisdom + the less we ENJOY LIFE.

How can you enjoy your dinner or your vacation or time with your kids when you are in your head? The answer is you can’t; the reason being, you are not there. Yes, physically you are there, you’ll even have pictures as evidence but you are not really there because your thoughts have too much control + power over you.

If you want to enjoy life, you’ll have to learn how to work with your thoughts. Here are a few key starting points:

1. Your thoughts are always there.

This is about acceptance. Rather than resisting your thoughts and trying to stop them or being afraid of them, REALIZE that they are always there, for every human and the only power they can ever have is the POWER you give them.

2. You are not your thoughts.

Remember that you are not your thoughts. You are the one listening to your thoughts. They are a part of you but they are not you. If you can hear them, you can dictate what you will or will not follow. The more aware you become of this separation the easier it will be. Simply notice and remind yourself, “I AM NOT MY THOUGHTS.”

3. Your thoughts are not TRUTH.

We all believe our thoughts are reality. If a friend calls us and shares that they think their boss is mad at them because they didn’t respond to an email. You could easily think of many other reasons why he/she didn’t reply + tell your friend to relax. But if you thought that thought, it would be harder to see that it is not true. We all believe our thoughts are TRUE + THEY ARE NOT. They are not facts, they are just a constant stream of chatter. This is important to recognize. Don’t believe everything you think and don’t take your thoughts too seriously. Take a pause, a deep breath and say to yourself, “hmmm that interesting” then move on.  

4. The more you scratch, the more it will itch.

Just like a rash, the more attention and focus you give to a negative or scary thought, the more you will keep thinking it. Thoughts are addicting too, they repeat themselves and they get a rise out of you. Begin to notice what thoughts negatively impact you and shift your focus. You can easily introduce a new thought or a thought that makes you feel good. That doesn’t mean the other thought will disappear right away but it will lessen. Choose a replacement thought now. Every time you think about X,Y,Z you will add something like AND I am beautiful or AND I am SAFE + SECURE.

Our thoughts create our unique experience here. Rather than trying to stop or resist your thinking, begin to accept it as a part of this experience. Broaden your perspectives to see things in a new way and shine light on those fears so they can be released. I hope you find these helpful. Please reach out and share more in the comments below. Let me know what you are ready to try in order to live less in your head!

With Love and Light,

Orly