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AstridOnReddit t1_je4mp9i wrote

Reply to comment by IncomprehensibleGoat in LPT Request: How do I stop my thought carousel? by travelcasket

Yes, this!

We don’t have to believe our thoughts. Our brains produce unhelpful thoughts all the time – and there’s nothing helpful about a thought spiral, especially when you’d rather be sleeping.

Notice when the thought first arises, and give it a label “wrong path” or “mean thought” or whatever. Then remember that you decided to take a different path – maybe imagine yourself exploring in nature to find a new path.

There are lots of ways to use metaphor and visualization (if that works for you) to help manage the unhelpful thoughts.

You can also think about what you’d tell a close friend if they were having similar thoughts. Or what your young self needed to hear as support.

Look into CBT for more info.

Good luck!

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travelcasket OP t1_je5k7g1 wrote

I try to escape into a story, a memory or thought that made me happy. Helps for a bit, but not longlasting so far. Thank you very much for your words!

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AstridOnReddit t1_je5mpmh wrote

The key is not to ignore the thoughts; acknowledge them! During the day think about what kind of thoughts they are, and why they are unhelpful. Then at night you can remind yourself; it’s this thought again; I don’t need to believe it because (insert reason you came up with in the daytime).

And then you can move on to other stories.

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