Often, we have no choice but to think about other things. In fact, our thoughts are not always our happiness allies. Quite the contrary, in fact. They stress us, make us sad, make us angry. So how can we stop listening to our thoughts? Here are 25 things you can try to stop thinking!

5 signs that you need to think about something else and fast

You’re :

Worrying about a future event
Feeling sad or angry as you dwell on the past.
Giving in to temptation. Although you have a goal, your thoughts are making you doubt yourself and your ability to reach it.
Building up pressure about an argument or something that didn’t go as planned
criticizing yourself harshly for a mistake you’ve made
If you notice yourself regularly experiencing one or more of these situations, it’s high time you learned to think about something else!

Why think of anything else?

We don’t always realize it, but we hold on to our thoughts.

In fact, we believe our thoughts tell the truth. They are who we are.

But this is far from the case.

Understand that you have over 60,000 thoughts a day, and that 95% of your thoughts today are the same as yesterday.

In other words, your thoughts are automatic, and what’s more, they go round and round in your head.

That’s why it’s high time you learned to think about something else.

And to do this, it’s essential to make the decision to stop clinging to your thoughts.

How can we do this?

Imagine that your thoughts are like the thousands of clouds in the sky. They have different shapes, and like the clouds, they’re just passing by.

So how can we stop holding on to our thoughts? How can we stop listening to them?

How to think about something else: 25 ideas for activities to try out

It’s hard to stop thinking. It requires a constant effort of concentration. But this is impossible, unless we can meditate continuously during the day.

So how do we go about it?

I invite you not to stop thinking, but to stop listening to your thoughts.

And to do that, you simply need to learn how to distract yourself.

In other words, instead of focusing on your thoughts and their content, believing in their message, letting stress, anger or sadness take hold of you, concentrate on something else.

In fact, do something else and do it fast!

It can be anything as long as it distracts from your thoughts.

Here are 25 ideas of things you can do to take your mind off things:

1 – Slam the door and go for a run

2 – Turn up the music and dance

3 – Call someone you love

4 – Watch a movie you love

5 – Reading a book

6 – Writing

7 – Gardening

8 – Cooking

9 – Tidying, cleaning

10 – Showering

11 – Walk

12 – Take pictures

13 – Working on a project

14 – Set yourself a small budget and go out and buy things for pleasure

15 – Play with your children or pet

16 – Give your lover a hug

17 – Drawing, coloring

18 – Meditate

19 – Reading blog articles

20 – Repeat a mantra to yourself. Personally, I like to repeat these 3 words to myself: “Peace, Joy, Love”.

21 – Do yoga

22 – Watch a tutorial on the Internet to make something with your hands

23 – Challenge yourself or set a new goal

24 – Plan your next vacation

25 – Viewing and sorting pictures

1 meditation for serenity

Remember one thing: you don’t have to listen to your thoughts.

That’s why I’ve decided to share with you a little meditation to help you calm your mind when it’s making too much noise and causing you pain.

To do this, sit comfortably in a quiet place. Take 10 deep breaths. Then read this text:

“My thoughts are like clouds in the sky.
They only pass by.
I can sit back,
And just watch them go by.

I don’t need to hold on to my thoughts.
They are not who I am.
They are not what I believe,
About me and the world.

I imagine myself to be a tree.
My roots run deep in the earth.
Though the wind shakes my leaves,
I stand firm.

My thoughts are like the tree’s leaves.
They move in all directions.
They make noise.
But I stand firm.

I breathe in,
I’m calm.
I breathe out,
I am at peace.”

Find out more:

I invite you to read these 2 complementary articles:

Discover Refocusing: 10 questions that instantly free the mind
Discover We don’t care and it feels good: 15 ways to say goodbye to guilt

I recommend this inspiring book:

Thinking in Bets by Annie Duke

The author explores decision-making through the prism of poker and explains how understanding probability, uncertainty and the consequences of our choices can lead to more effective decision-making. The book encourages us to embrace uncertainty, think in terms of probabilities and consider multiple perspectives before making decisions, offering valuable insights applicable to various aspects of life where careful thought is crucial.

Despite the book becoming somewhat repetitive in places, it’s easily one of the best books I’ve read on decision-making and cognitive psychology. If you only intend to read one book in a month, I recommend you choose this one.

Thank you very much for reading this article.

If you liked it, let me know in the comments.

Take care of yourself