For the past few years, a lot of my work has centred around thinking less. Why it’s a good idea, what we can gain from it, and how to go about it. I’ve developed my own anti-worry approach, of which more later, and trained with Sandy Newbigging to teach Mind Calm Meditation, which also helps us to let go of the compulsion to think.
So what happens when we do reduce the busyness of our minds? Here are three of the benefits I have experienced myself and known others to enjoy:
1. Reduced pain, both emotional and physical. When we are upset or emotionally hurt, we tend to resist the unpleasant feeling, and we feel compelled to think about it, how much it hurts, how to make it better. Once we can recognise this and let go of the unnecessary thoughts, our discomfort naturally subsides, sometimes disappearing altogether. As for physical sensations, both I and other Mind Calm practitioners have found distinct advantages to practising the techniques in the dentist’s chair. During a particularly uncomfortable session a few weeks ago, I found that I was able to let go of the judgment that the discomfort was ‘bad’ and simply experience it as an intense sensation. This made it so much easier to bear.
2. Increased joy – now! Thinking always takes us away from the present moment. Just look at this example: a sports commentator may say, ‘it’s a goal!’ or ‘he scores!’ but actually he or she is describing what happened a moment ago. Thinking may take place in the present but every thought relates to the past or future, and joy can only be experienced in the here and now. Thinking less, spending less time in yesterday or tomorrow, last year or next week, means that we have access to the joy of the present moment.
3. Improved productivity. We can think less and do more. Once we have made a plan, we can trust ourselves to execute the plan in a timely and efficient way if we don’t spend too much time on unnecessary thought. Noticing when our thinking is over the top, and being able to let go of that thinking, means that we will be fresher, more focused and happier when it comes to taking action. More presence = get more done!
Would you like to learn more about thinking less, if you could benefit in these ways? My Choosing Tranquillity email programme teaches you, over 30 days, how to develop resilience to worry. This is how I learned to let go of worry and it really works. Just today I received a message saying, ‘Following my 30 days I am calmer and have more tools to use, thank you so much.’
And to find out more about Mind Calm Meditation, visit my Facebook page and check out the talks and workshops. Look out for an announcement about one to one coaching coming soon as well. Mind Calm is fantastic – easy, fun and effective. It’s changed my life in so many ways!
If it would help to chat about any of this, please do get in touch via Facebook or by commenting on this post or emailing me. If you have a busy mind like mine, I really want to share this valuable information with you. I look forward to hearing from you.
Harriet x
