How To Turn Off Your Head?

LegacyUser

I'm an overthinker and a worrier. This has been my scourge all my life. My mind is constantly on the go and this sometimes leads to small bouts of needless paranoia, which I do ignore for the majority, but they are still there creeping at me. It has started to get to the point where I need to try and stop and I was wondering if anyone would have any tips that might help me?

I will be seeing a counselor in the next few weeks, just to discuss some issues, but I would also appreciate any extra tips.

temply

You could try white chestnut essence a flower remedy, you can pick it up in boots. You take a few drops of it in a glass of water.

LegacyUser

This is also a problem I have.

I've read a few books on the subject, but one of the better ones is "Stop Thinking, Start Living", by Richard Carson.There are a few others out there too, if you want to dip in.

Are you seeing the counsellor for this problem, or for other stuff? I'm assuming you've no deep seated childhood problems here - just be careful that you don't end up doing an in-depth analysis of your childhood and your family relations. You sound like you need counselling on how to control this problem - possibly some form of CBT. I've had it to a lesser extent and it helped a lot. But don't expect it to be solved overnight, take it easy. That's half the battle.

Brussels Sprout

temply wrote: »

You could try white chestnut essence a flower remedy, you can pick it up in boots. You take a few drops of it in a glass of water.

Is that a homeopathic remedy?

LegacyUser

I've been there wrote: »

I'm assuming you've no deep seated childhood problems here - just be careful that you don't end up doing an in-depth analysis of your childhood and your family relations.

what does this mean?

tenchi-fan

I agree, reading positive thinking books can help.

There are plenty of good books by Christian authors. That is, if you don't mind the notion that a higher power directs your life, rewards you for your efforts, doesn't always gives you what you ask for (which in the long term works out for the best), gives you obstacles so you can overcome them, and tells you not to despair, you can get a huge amount of peace of mind. "The power of positive thinking" by Norman Vincent Peale is a good start.

However, I know people who don't believe in God and have similar views as expressed by the Christian authors. Basically, a "don't worry, be happy with what you've got, hakuna matata " approach. These people can be as over-zealous as Christians at times

cafecolour

From what I gather, with something like obsessive worrying, the more you worry the more you are going to worry (if that makes sense) - you're not solving the problem, you're actually just training your brain to worry more.

Try and essentially 'switch gears' to something else as soon as you catch yourself starting to worry obsessively about something. For instance, you could start playing a video game to distract yourself, or if you the creative sort, you could have an on going story you are 'writing' in your head to work on.

inexperienced

are you exercising regularly?

maybe you can try do some sports (e.g. i found swimming quite good and theraputic as you would stop thinking when you swim and it's so quiet in the water).

thecookingapple

Good advice above.

Personally I don’t think self help books will help you, they will make you think more, I was a over thinker and worrier all my life up until a year ago, I would worry about the most stupid of things and anything serious that happened then forget about it, I could not hold a conversation because I was so wrapped up with thoughts, I am not sure when I changed all I know is that one day I just got sick of worrying and became to care less about things that were out of my control and just worry about things I could control.

I also stopped listening to allot of people, people burden you with their own thoughts, fears, anger and general stupidity and pass it on to you in the guise of advice, and I stopped listening.

I picked people of who I respected and who had good insight and took their advice and learned the difference between advice and **** loading.

I became more healthy, started a routine of eating better, I watched less TV and became more creative, I laughed at things that previously would have worried me, I try to help people maybe for the goodness of it but mainly because it makes me feel better, selfish probably but true.

I also just realise people are people, I don’t put one person above the other, we are all the same and one day we will not wake up and so it’s best to enjoy existence while we have it and embrace its beauty, ugliness, splendour and nastiness.

There was a poem about a woman during the Bosnian war who was raped repeatedly 18 times or so by army men, this always puts things into perspective for me.