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Ever wonder how you ended up thinking about what it is that you have on your mind? I do…a wandering mind I sure do have. Often, I realize I’m thinking about something and out of curiosity I will pause and trace back to what I had been thinking about that took me to my current thought destination. It always amazes me how I got to where I got.
My wandering mind is like a dog on one of those long retractable leashes that goes and goes and goes until its owner realizes it is time to reel the dog back in.
I can be off on tangents very far removed from my original thought. Much of the time it’s not a bad thing when my mind wanders as our minds just do. It’s the way our very human brains work. They are built to think.
Sometimes it isn’t very helpful to end up in the very place my wandering mind has taken me. I can end up living too much in my head rather than fully present living in today. And miss out on actual life going on around me.
My mind can be much like a dog on a long leash who has gotten all wrapped around a post and can’t make another move.
I can get all caught up in worry about any number of things and end up all tangled up feeling anxious or depressed. And then I worry more and feel more anxious and depressed. It can be a vicious and painful cycle. And I get stuck.
It’s not until I can get a grip just like the owner of the dog on that long retractable leash and reel my thoughts back under my control that this vicious cycle and pain comes to an end.
We can become more aware of our thinking and notice when we’re in a place we don’t really need to be. And decide where to put our focus and gently bring our mind back to that chosen place each time that darn dog gets running wildly on that long leash once again.
Remember this takes practice and practice and practice. And then more practice too. It just does!
It’s important to be gentle with ourselves when our mind tears off running over and over again and again. And take a breath and relax as we practice too. We are after all simply an imperfect human beings and living is all about the opportunity to learn!
Where is a helpful place to focus your mind’s attention when you notice a need to reel in your unhealthy thoughts?
Do Contact Me if your wanting mind is out of control and you need some assistance reeling it back in! Depression Therapy and Anxiety Therapy can help!
JD’s Midlife Tools For Living Practices, Holland, MI
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