How To Deal With Compulsive Thinking

By Patricia Raskin

To me, compulsive thinking is when those unwanted or upsetting thoughts go round and round in our heads like a groove that’s stuck in a broken record. It’s a difficult cycle to break because many times we feel we can not control it and the thoughts and ruminations are controlling us.

Let’s not diminish the difficult times, situations and conversations that create these non-stop replays. However, if we want to go on with our lives and enjoy the moment at hand, then we have to take our thoughts into our own hands and work with them.

 I recently interviewed Melissa Zollo imagist, speaker and author of Discover the Power of Imagination and the Art of Intentional Creation.”(www.presentmemory.com)  She talked about how our mental blueprints determine our behavior, what we attract in life and why “our feelings are worth a fortune”. Zollo's audio programs are tools that get you to discover that no problem needs to go unsolved, no goal must go unmet, and no desire need remain unfulfilled.

So how do you attract what you want when your feelings are not in line with your desires? According to Zollo, focus on the solution. Image the outcome until you feel it to be true. Do not think about the process rather expand your thoughts and recycle feelings of fear into joy. So if you need more joy in your life, image the things that bring you joy, feel joy and act from joy. This takes practice.

Physical movement can also move those thoughts away from the stuck groove.  For me, walking on the beach even on the coldest day in my bulky down coat, can lift me out of unwanted thoughts. If the thoughts that are running your brain continue to the point that you feel you need to take a different action, pay attention to that.  Sometimes, those thoughts are important warning messages and not just “looped thinking.”  We need to pay more attention to our intuition and our values.  What does your gut tell you is really right?  Are you self-indulgently replaying old tapes over and over? Or do you have valid points that must be addressed?

For some, medication is an answer to help the brain reprogram itself. For others, it’s a do-it-yourself course in self-discipline and conscious manifestation. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. There are so many wonderful mental health professionals who have the tools to help you.  Some are better with psychiatrists and psychologists.  Others get help from therapists, counselors, social workers, life coaches and alternative therapies.

When compulsive thinking starts to take over, “stand above yourself in your mind’s eye”  and tell yourself that you are in a compulsive mode and that this will pass. Then do mental exercises, listen to healing music, take a soothing bath, or anything else that brings you back to the moment so you can be present.  Staying present keeps you out of the past. Call a friend or make an appointment with your counselor or therapist.  But know in your heart that you will be OK and that this “too shall pass.” 

Patricia Raskin is a producer, author and host of Positive Living.

Melissa Zollo is an imagist, author and inspirational speaker. Visit www.presentmemory.com