How to get rid of the thoughts that are clogging your brain

How to get rid of the thoughts that are clogging your brainHow to get rid of the thoughts that are clogging your brainI want to ask you a question. How many hours per day do you think?I never thought about that. So let me get this straight. Youre thinking all the time, and yet, you never think abouthow muchtime you spend thinking.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreThat sounds like an addiction to me. I know,because Im addicted to thinking too.When I eat too much, I can say Im overeating. I need to eat less.When I work too much, I can say Im getting burned out. I need to stop working.When I drink too much, I can say I need to stop. I need a bottle of water.But when I think too much, Icantjust say Im overthinking. I need a different approach to unclog my brain.But the problem is that we dont consider overthinking as a problem.When someone says that overthinking is bad, we often assum e that onlynegativethoughts are wrong. And by that definition, it automatically means that positive thoughts are good.Thats the thinking error that Ive made in the past. And Ill tell you why its a mistake to assume positive thoughts are good.But first, lets talk about the difference between positive thoughts and negative thoughts.Positive thoughts vs. negative thoughtsI think fruchtwein of us agree that negative thoughts are related toWorryingComplainingAngerFeeling sorry for yourselfBlaming othersSimilarly, we can agree that the following thoughts are considered positiveTrying to solve problemsStudyingUnderstanding knowledgePlanningVisualizationrahmen goalsWhat fruchtwein self-help advice says is, scrap the negative thoughts and double down on the positive thoughts. When you think about it casually, it sounds like good advice.After all, negative thoughts make our lives worse. And positive thoughts should make our lives better, right?I wish that were the case. However, the truth is that when you overuse your brain, just like a drain, it can get clogged. The result? Foggy thinking. Which leads to bad decision making.You Are Not Your ThoughtsSure, youbecomewhatever you think about. No one said it better than Marcus Aurelius inMeditationsOur life is what our thoughts make it.Our life situation is shaped by the quality of our thoughts. I believe in that. However, most of us assume thatwe areour thoughts.We say Well, I cant help but think ansicht things. Thats just me.No, thats NOT you. You can decide what thoughts to ignore in your mind. I like how Eckhart Tolle puts it inThe Power Of NowThe beginning of freedom is the realization that you are not the possessing entity - the thinker.The only way to stop identifying yourself with your thoughts is to stop following through on all your thoughts.Instead,decideto live in the present moment - where you dont have time to think, only to experience.How do you live in the present moment?Thinking is a tool. And instead of using that tool during the 16 or 17 hours that youre awake, only use it when you NEED it.But how do you do that? Heres the 4 step process Ive used to stop overthinking.Raise your awareness throughout the day.Always realize that too much thinking defeats the purpose.When you raise awareness, immediately abflug observing your thoughts.Every time you start thinking, dont follow through, just observe how youstartthinking. When you do that, you will automatically stop.Only limit your thinking to specific moments that you need it.For example,when youre thinking about setting your daily priorities, sit down and think. That might take 5 minutes. During that time, its perfectly fine to think and follow through on your thoughts. Or, when youre journaling, youre also thinking during the process. Thats also fine. Were trying to stop the constant thinking. We dont want to become a monk.Enjoy your lifeLet go of all your thoughts about yesterday and tomorrow. No matter how much you want to achieve in the future, and no matter how much youve suffered in the past - appreciate that you are alive NOW.Look, you dont need me to tell you how awesome it is to be alive. By the way, Im not going to sit here and tell you to enjoy doing the dishes.Thats not my style. I just cant fool myself like that. I enjoy the present moment in a different way.I let go of every thought in my mind. While Im doing something I dont really like (doing the dishes), I dont think at all. I just do it without judgment.But when Im doing something I actually like (no matter how small or big), I genuinely enjoy it. Listening to music, watching a movie, or spending time with my family, friends, or girlfriend - Iminthe moment.I dont think about my goals, failures, or things I have to do tomorrow.Im just here. Right now. At this very moment. Just like the moment that youre taking to read these words. When its gone, its gone forever.Realize that on a deeper level, and youll never evendareto leave the present.Are you with me?Oh wait, dont answer that question - DO.Thanks for readingI also wrote a book on this topic. Its called THINK STRAIGHT.Check it out if you want to learn more about controlling your thoughts.Thisarticlefirst appeared onDarius Foroux.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong peopleHow to get rid of the thoughts that are clogging your brainI want to ask you a question. How many hours per day do you think?I never thought about that. So let me get this straight. Youre thinking all the time, and yet, you never think abouthow muchtime you spend thinking.That sounds like an addiction to me. I know,because Im addicted to thinking too.When I eat too much, I can say Im overeating. I need t o eat less.When I work too much, I can say Im getting burned out. I need to stop working.When I drink too much, I can say I need to stop. I need a bottle of water.But when I think too much, Icantjust say Im overthinking. I need a different approach to unclog my brain.But the problem is that we dont consider overthinking as a problem.When someone says that overthinking is bad, we often assume that onlynegativethoughts are wrong. And by that definition, it automatically means that positive thoughts are good.Thats the thinking error that Ive made in the past. And Ill tell you why its a mistake to assume positive thoughts are good.But first, lets talk about the difference between positive thoughts and negative thoughts.Positive thoughts vs. negative thoughtsI think most of us agree that negative thoughts are related toWorryingComplainingAngerFeeling sorry for yourselfBlaming othersSimilarly, we can agree that the following thoughts are considered positiveTrying to solve problemsStudying Understanding knowledgePlanningVisualizationSetting goalsWhat most self-help advice says is, scrap the negative thoughts and double down on the positive thoughts. When you think about it casually, it sounds like good advice.After all, negative thoughts make our lives worse. And positive thoughts should make our lives better, right?I wish that were the case. However, the truth is that when you overuse your brain, just like a drain, it can get clogged. The result? Foggy thinking. Which leads to bad decision making.You Are Not Your ThoughtsSure, youbecomewhatever you think about. No one said it better than Marcus Aurelius inMeditationsOur life is what our thoughts make it.Our life situation is shaped by the quality of our thoughts. I believe in that. However, most of us assume thatwe areour thoughts.We say Well, I cant help but think these things. Thats just me.No, thats NOT you. You can decide what thoughts to ignore in your mind. I like how Eckhart Tolle puts it inThe Power Of NowThe beginning of freedom is the realization that you are not the possessing entity - the thinker.The only way to stop identifying yourself with your thoughts is to stop following through on all your thoughts.Instead,decideto live in the present moment - where you dont have time to think, only to experience.How do you live in the present moment?Thinking is a tool. And instead of using that tool during the 16 or 17 hours that youre awake, only use it when you NEED it.But how do you do that? Heres the 4 step process Ive used to stop overthinking.Raise your awareness throughout the day.Always realize that too much thinking defeats the purpose.When you raise awareness, immediately start observing your thoughts.Every time you start thinking, dont follow through, just observe how youstartthinking. When you do that, you will automatically stop.Only limit your thinking to specific moments that you need it.For example,when youre thinking about setting your daily priorities, sit down and think. That might take 5 minutes. During that time, its perfectly fine to think and follow through on your thoughts. Or, when youre journaling, youre also thinking during the process. Thats also fine. Were trying to stop the constant thinking. We dont want to become a monk.Enjoy your lifeLet go of all your thoughts about yesterday and tomorrow. No matter how much you want to achieve in the future, and no matter how much youve suffered in the past - appreciate that you are alive NOW.Look, you dont need me to tell you how awesome it is to be alive. By the way, Im not going to sit here and tell you to enjoy doing the dishes.Thats not my style. I just cant fool myself like that. I enjoy the present moment in a different way.I let go of every thought in my mind. While Im doing something I dont really like (doing the dishes), I dont think at all. I just do it without judgment.But when Im doing something I actually like (no matter how small or big), I genuinely enjoy it. Listening to music, wat ching a movie, or spending time with my family, friends, or girlfriend - Iminthe moment.I dont think about my goals, failures, or things I have to do tomorrow.Im just here. Right now. At this very moment. Just like the moment that youre taking to read these words. When its gone, its gone forever.Realize that on a deeper level, and youll never evendareto leave the present.Are you with me?Oh wait, dont answer that question - DO.Thanks for readingI also wrote a book on this topic. Its called THINK STRAIGHT.Check it out if you want to learn more about controlling your thoughts.Thisarticlefirst appeared onDarius Foroux.