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2 Methods to Combat Obsessive Negative Thoughts

This article explores two methods to help individuals effectively manage persistent negative thoughts. These techniques provide practical approaches to address rumination, racing thoughts, and overthinking. By employing these methods, individuals can gain better control over their thoughts and reduce their impact on their daily lives. Please note that while these strategies can be helpful, they are not a substitute for professional therapy. Seeking specialised support is advised for comprehensive treatment.

Method 1: The 4 L’s – Look, Label, Let-it-pass, Leave

This method acknowledges the separation between ourselves and our thoughts, recognising that thoughts are distinct from us / our “self”.

Look – Observe the thought:

Take a step back and objectively observe the persistent thought that is causing distress. Allow yourself to recognise its presence without judgment.

Label – Identify the thought:

Label the thought or fear associated with it. This step helps to create some distance between you and the thought, making it easier to recognise it as a passing mental event.

Label – Identify the thought:

Label the thought or fear associated with it. This step helps to create some distance between you and the thought, making it easier to recognise it as a passing mental event.

Let-it-pass – Observe the thought move by:

Rather than engaging with the thought or analyzing its content, simply watch it as it passes through your mind. Avoid attaching value judgments or attempting to evaluate its validity.

Leave – Shift your attention:

Redirect your focus from the thought by engaging in an activity or task that requires your external attention. This shift from internal to external focus can help break the cycle of rumination and reduce the power of the thought over you.

Obsessive thoughts metaphor

Method 2: The Bus Technique for Racing Thoughts

The “Bus” technique offers a visual metaphor to conceptualize and manage racing thoughts by considering them as passengers on a bus.

Envision your thoughts as passengers:

Imagine your mind as a bus traveling along the Road of Life. Each thought or feeling becomes a passenger on the bus, representing various aspects of your experiences, memories, and fantasies. Some passengers may be positive, while others may be negative or repetitive.

Acknowledge positive and troublesome passengers:

Recognize that positive passengers contribute to a healthy mindset, while troublesome passengers may try to dominate your attention and dictate your actions. Negative thoughts may include self-criticism, doubt, or anxiety-inducing ideas.

Retain control as the driver:

Remember that you are the driver of the bus. Although the passengers (thoughts) may clamour for attention and attempt to influence your actions, you have the power to choose your response. Focus on driving the bus towards your desired destination, making stops that align with your values and goals.

Conclusion:

These methods provide practical tools for individuals struggling to manage persistent negative thoughts. By implementing the 4 L’s technique and visualising thoughts as passengers on a bus, individuals can cultivate awareness, detachment, and control over their thinking patterns. It is important to remember that, while these strategies can be beneficial, seeking professional support and therapy remains essential for comprehensive treatment.

Obsessive Thoughts Self-Help and References:

References:

  • American Psychological Association (APA) – www.apa.org The APA website offers a wealth of information on OCD, including research articles, treatment guidelines, and resources for individuals seeking support.
  • International OCD Foundation (IOCDF) – www.iocdf.org The IOCDF is a reputable organization dedicated to OCD education, advocacy, and support. Their website provides comprehensive information on OCD, including self-help resources, treatment options, and access to support groups.
  • National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) – www.nimh.nih.gov NIMH is a leading research institution that provides evidence-based information on mental health disorders. Their website offers resources on OCD, including treatment approaches, research updates, and clinical trials.

Self-Help Guides:

  • “The OCD Workbook: Your Guide to Breaking Free from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder” by Bruce M. Hyman and Cherry Pedrick This workbook offers practical exercises and strategies to help individuals with OCD manage their symptoms, including techniques to address negative thoughts and rumination.
  • “Freedom from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Personalized Recovery Program for Living with Uncertainty” by Jonathan Grayson Dr. Jonathan Grayson, a renowned expert in OCD treatment, provides a step-by-step guide to overcoming OCD, including methods to challenge negative thoughts and regain control over compulsive behaviors.
  • “The Mindfulness Workbook for OCD: A Guide to Overcoming Obsessions and Compulsions Using Mindfulness and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy” by Jon Hershfield and Tom Corboy Combining mindfulness and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), this workbook offers practical exercises and mindfulness techniques to manage OCD symptoms, including strategies to address negative thinking patterns.

Please note that these references and self-help guides are intended as supplemental resources and should not replace professional diagnosis or treatment. Consulting with a mental health professional is recommended for a comprehensive assessment and tailored treatment plan.

Ken McLeish is Principal Therapist at Reflexions Counselling and Therapy in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Reflexions provides counselling and therapy for a wide range of issues. He can be contacted through the website: https://counselling-newcastle.co.uk .

Information contained in this blog is not a substitute for face-to-face therapy. It can only every be one view of a situation and may not be applicable to your situation. You are advised to seek specialist support. The work here is a personal view which may change over time and should not be taken as representative of Reflexions Counselling and Psychotherapy.

Ken McLeish BA DMS MBA MSc MSc Cert Ed UKCP Reg
Reflexions Counselling and Psychotherapy
Saville House, NE1 8BQ
0191 5805080
https://counselling-newcastle.co.uk

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Manage Your Anxiety -Cognitive Techniques

Anxiety Counselling

The Magical Number 7 – Test Your Processing Capacity

The Magic Number 7 – Processing Capacity

Working memory is the cognitive system responsible for temporarily holding information while we manipulate it in our minds. One of the most famous concepts in the field of cognitive psychology is the “magic number 7” processing capacity of working memory.

Back in the mists of time, research (Miller, 1956) demonstrated that, on average, people can hold about 7 (plus or minus 2) pieces of information in their working memory at once. This means that if you’re given a list of random items to remember, like a phone number or a grocery list, you’re likely to remember about 7 items before you start to forget.

Try this simple demonstration of the “magic number 7” processing capacity:

  1. Click the button below to generate a random sequence of numbers between 0 and 9.
  2. You have a 5 seconds countdown to memorise the sequence of numbers.
  3. Without looking back at the sequence, try to recite the numbers from memory. How many did you remember?

If you're like most people, you probably found it easier to remember the sequence of numbers if it contained 7 items or fewer. This is because 7 is within the average processing capacity of working memory. Try generating another sequence and see if you can remember more numbers this time! Chunking or grouping helps you to remember better. 7 4 1 4 9 2 1 9 4 5 or TVFBIJFKCIAIBM would be helped if you see the sequence in the first and the acronyms in the second.

This helps to Manage Anxiety

We cannot hold onto much information. Because of how our minds work, it is therefore helpful to us to focus our efforts so that we are attending to (thinking about) things that matter. This is the key point, as you may well find yourself thinking and worrying about lots of things. If you are doing that, then you can't process new information causing cognitive overload. The solution is fairly simple as you can cut down the load as some of those things you are thinking about you can’t influence. By definition, if you can’t control something it is going to happen or not happen anyway - DESPITE YOUR BEST EFFORTS. Therefore, why spend any of your precious time or energy thinking about them?

Controlling the Controllables.

Worse still, lack of perceived control over our situation affects our well-being and our thinking. We get demotivated, fed up and stressed. An easy example to consider is where you are on a team. So a footballer is not helped by stressing about whether the team is going to win! That is not controllable as an individual player cannot control the output (winning), they can only control what they do. Good Managers help the player to focus on their own jobs and controllables on the pitch.

Almost magically, as soon as you stop trying to control the uncontrollable you are set free and can focus more on what you can do. You then perform better, and feel better. And, more importantly, it can makes for a winning performance!

If you can't control the outcome you have to let it go!

Ken McLeish is Principal Therapist at Reflexions Counselling and Therapy in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Reflexions provides counselling and therapy for a range of issues including anxiety counselling. He can be contacted through the website: https://counselling-newcastle.co.uk .

Information contained in this blog is not a substitute for face-to-face therapy. It can only every be one view of a situation and may not be applicable to your situation. You are advised to seek specialist support for treatment for addictions. The work here is a personal view which may change over time and should not be taken as representative of Reflexions Counselling and Psychotherapy.

Resources

Miller GA. The magical number seven, plus or minus two: Some limits on our capacity for processing information. Psychological Review. 1956;63:81–97. [PubMed] [Google Scholar] [Ref list]

Link to Reflexions Anxiety Counselling and Panic Attack page: https://counselling-newcastle.co.uk/anxiety-counselling-panic-attacks/

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Coronavirus Isolation Coping Tips

Coronavirus Isolation Tips

Coronavirus has brought in self-isolating or simply being “locked-down” to our daily lives, challenging our emotional well-being. Simply being in a confined space over long periods of time with our loved ones can be difficult to endure. Here are some coping tips and techniques to help you to deal effectively with the stress, anxiety, and worries that can happen through Covid-19 isolation.

News Desk

Too much news is bad news! The human mind is very poorly adapted to coping with the constant drama and visual stimuli that comes with 24/7, constantly on, “hyped” news stories. So much so, that it can trigger our brain’s threat system and that threat system can remain on, leaving us with strong feeling of anxiety or unease. If you are having difficult sleeping and cannot seem to relax, are you simply plugged in to too much news?

What to Do?

If this sounds like you, simply limit yourself to one news “fix” each day from a source you trust. That will allow you to keep track of enough of what is happening world-wide. Less is often more and this will allow your thread system to reset, and you to avoid feeling drained and exhausted

Regular Routines and Parallel Universes

Like most of us, you probably used to have a pretty regular pattern for the day – getting up roughly at the same time, having a morning routine, and even often the regular commute or school run? We tend to look for and follow patterns much as the earth itself has cycles of day and night. Our current situation can seem almost surreal, like a different but parallel universe in which we can lose our way.   Dysregulation–What at first appears as a great work-at-home opportunity for a late start in the morning can rapidly become a sloth-like, up-hill challenge of motivation.

What to Do?

Set your own routine. Some people find that wearing your work clothes and starting on time helps. For others it is writing down a daily plan which includes breaks and time for exercise and lunch. Find your rhythm and it helps to keep your mood positive.

Compassion and Kindness

Did you perhaps get caught in the feelings of panic buying earlier in the year? We are programmed to pick up each other’s collective feelings and it is so difficult not to get swept along with “the crowd”. At times like these we can become trapped into selfish behaviour, thinking at the expense of others.

What to Do

A great antidote for this is to show compassion or be kind to someone. It could be someone that you know who would benefit from shopping being delivered or even a family member who you could be supportive of by an unexpected call or video chat. Even petting your dog can help you to reconnect.

Mindfulness Matters

We can often be trapped inside our own heads as our thoughts travel like sheep along well-worn pathways of worry. We can tend to live inside our own heads.

What to do?

Try switching from an internal focus of your own thoughts to an external – notice the ticking of the clock in the room, the splash of sunlight through the blinds or even the noise of the rain on the window pane. If you have some flowers in the room or the garden concentrate on their beauty or their scent.  Make a habit of taking time to notice. You can walk the same path a thousand times and always notice something different.

Talking is Good!

If you find that you are struggling, and are feeling low and depressed or anxious – that is normal in these anxious times. However, it doesn’t help to keep these feelings or thoughts trapped inside you.

What to Do?

Find someone to speak to and share your feelings. The best friends to choose are someone who is non-judgemental, a friend or someone in the family is ideal. The Samaritans can be an excellent resource or Childline if you are under 16. Professionals are on hand and you can now access Therapy on-line.

Ken McLeish is Principal Therapist at Reflexions Counselling and Therapy in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Reflexions provides counselling and therapy for a range of issues including addictions. He can be contacted through the website: https://counselling-newcastle.co.uk .

Information contained in this blog is not a substitute for face-to-face therapy. It can only every be one view of a situation and may not be applicable to your situation. You are advised to seek specialist support if you are feeling overwhelmed. The work here is a personal view which may change over time and should not be taken as representative of Reflexions Counselling and Psychotherapy.

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Invest in Your Life pt. 1: “Training”

This is the first of a series of six short business focused articles that were written for a magazine. They are all centred on a key topic and are designed to be reflective on an important issue that relates to your happiness and fulfillment. Hope that you enjoy it.

Inward Investment: Are you on The Right Track?

Have you set yourself goals in your life? Goals are the currency of business. However, applying business thinking to your private life can cost you. Here the price you pay is to direct your focus to your future at the expense of your present. Considering the metaphor of life’s journey, you focus upon your destination but lose sight of the voyage. This is particularly true when life’s journey is rough, complete with its’ ups and downs, twists and turns. Furthermore, today’s fast pace of life often compounds the problem.

What is it that you could be missing if you focus on your destination? You might well have thought about this. However, many people have not.

Suppose that you have chosen the right track and are now speeding to the right destination. When you arrive, you look around, surprised. You are not where you expected. You have arrived yet, you are somehow incomplete. Equally, you may be on the right track but the environment in which you find yourself is making progress difficult.

Being “in the present” is closely tied into your “quality of life”. Quite simply, taking care of the present improves your life. The following tips will help you to bring into focus elements which affect your “quality of life” and help you to enjoy life’s journey

Life’s Journey in 5 Steps

  1. How do I enjoy the journey?
  2. Who do I want with me when I arrive?
  3. What do I plan to do when I get there?
  4. Where is it that I want to get to?
  5. How do I best navigate the barriers in my way?

Overall, the point is: Taking care of business really starts with the most important investment of all – you.

Reflexions Counselling and Psychotherapy helps clients to live life fully. We use a range of creative and traditional techniques to help you to sort out key issues in your lives in an efficient and effective manner.

Ken McLeish is Principal Therapist at Reflexions Counselling and Therapy in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Reflexions provides counselling and therapy for a range of issues including addictions. He can be contacted through the website: https://counselling-newcastle.co.uk .

Information contained in this blog is not a substitute for face-to-face therapy. It can only every be one view of a situation and may not be applicable to your situation. You are advised to seek specialist support for treatment for addictions. The work here is a personal view which may change over time and should not be taken as representative of Reflexions Counselling and Psychotherapy.

Ken McLeish BA DMS MBA MSc MSc Cert Ed UKCP Reg
Reflexions Counselling and Psychotherapy
Cuthbert House, NE6 5RD
0191 3506415
https://counselling-newcastle.co.uk .