"Why is my mind constantly generating ideas and I can't stop". “Why can’t I control what my brain thinks, or doesn’t think”. "Why do you know that some things are not dangerous, but you still can't help but worry about it happening?" Depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and insomnia inevitably occur.
Let’s talk about how the brain works from the perspective of biological evolution
Our human minds always think negatively about problems, which is the result of evolution. Our primitive ancestors lived in a world full of dangers, with large beasts with razor-sharp teeth lurking around. So in that era, the human mind had to be always alert to danger, because there could be various things that could hurt you in various ways at any time: for example, there might be a bear in the cave, there might be a wolf hiding behind the bushes, that person in the distance Friend or enemy? If your mind cannot maintain such vigilance, you will soon die. This is what we inherited from our ancestors - our minds are now basically a "keep it alive" machine.
It is always sending you various alerts saying that something may be wrong with you - for example: "You will gain weight", "You will fail the exam", "You may be rejected". But this is normal because it happens to anyone’s brain. So, our brains evolved negative thinking just to try to do its number one job - protect us and keep us alive.
Although the living environment of our modern humans has long changed, these characteristics of the brain have been preserved and still have a great impact on our lives.
If a voice keeps popping up in our head - "What if", this thought will stimulate the brain to activate the protective mechanism, which will then cause physical reactions: accelerated heartbeat, trembling hands, or insomnia and dreaminess etc. wait. You may even feel that you are out of touch with this world and have a very strong sense of unreality.
When we pay more attention to these negative and untrue thoughts, the more we fear them, and the more we fear them, the more we pay attention to them. This creates a vicious cycle. The brain will follow these fears and activate layers of protection mechanisms. The more layers of protection we have, the more fear it creates, making us more resistant. They will magnify the bad results of one thing infinitely, fearing that they have omitted something, and losing control over the one in ten thousand possibility of happening, thus becoming anxious.
When the brain thinks more about the negative consequences of everything, it will deepen the impression. This kind of training of the brain for a long time will eventually develop the habit of always thinking about the worst. In fact, we all know that has pros and cons for everything. It's just that patients with neurosis ( depression , obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety disorder) will magnify the disadvantages infinitely, attach too much importance to them, and make this connection in the brain indestructible.
is like hitting a ball. If you don't care about it and don't give it any force, it will stay still. When you apply a force to it, it bounces up. In the same way, when you focus on negative thoughts and emotions, it is equivalent to putting pressure on it. The more you pay attention to it, the more you want to get rid of it, or the less you want to face it, the worse it will become. Severe, the more active. When we ignore the negative thoughts that pop into our heads, they will go away on their own. Because neurosis is a "creation of the mind."
So how should we respond? In the book "You Are Your Own Psychologist" it is said that don't try to stop thoughts, because we can't control what pops up in our minds, but we can control how to respond and deal with the thoughts that pop up in our minds.
If we anchor our mind, that is, our attention, on a goal, our mind will not be distracted and will not drift with our thoughts. That means not being carried away by the thoughts in your head. What is the goal of
? Just breathe. This is also the key to " breath-taking method ".
Anapana is to focus on the breathing through the nostrils. When the attention is taken away, don't judge yourself, just bring the attention back to the breathing. Don't bother with the thoughts that come into your head, just let them come and go.
(For specific exercises on the breath method, you can also refer to the book "Emotional Self-Help". It is recommended that friends with depression, anxiety, and insomnia read this book.)
When we no longer pay attention to these thoughts, it will affect us There will also be less and less control.
"The mind that has not been tamed is scattered and uncontrolled. It floats with thoughts. To prevent the scattered state of mind, you must repeatedly focus your mind on a selected meditation target-breathing. When adjusted When you master the art of mindfulness, your mind will gradually eliminate distracting habits and focus on the guiding goal. "
So we can return our mind to the previous state by practicing mindfulness. A calm, calm state.
