I’ve been struggling lately to find something to write about, and the fact that it’s been a while (once again) hasn’t alleviated the pressure to come up with content. Then today, I decided to journal, (something I rarely do but should do more often), and a wave of inspiration came over me, so, I decided I wanted to share it with you.

When I’m bored, I’ve noticed I spend more time focusing on things I shouldn’t. I take this time, this space, to fill my mind up with stories, and imaginative thoughts that I sometimes end up believing as true. This overthinking is where my anxieties stem from. But as I’m becoming increasingly aware of this, I’ve asked myself why? To keep myself entertained? To keep myself busy I suppose.

Have you ever found yourself doing this? Indulging your thoughts when you’re bored can be a dangerous route to pursue, especially if you choose negative ones. But I think that’s what’s most important to remember… you choose. If you have the type of imagination that will spiral regardless, you might as well choose positive thoughts, right? Of course, this is easier said than done but maybe the solution is simply to shut down the thought and think of things that make you happy. Take a moment to gain greater awareness of what’s going on in your head. Do you want to be thinking this? Does this thought give you a positive feeling? Most of our anxieties as I’ve been told, come from future anticipations anyway, and are often times not true, so we might as well come up with our own truth, one that we want to believe, one that makes us feel good in order to encourage a positive outcome.

More importantly, we should construct our truths on the foundation of reality. If a thought you’re having is making you anxious, ask yourself if it’s a true reflection of what current reality is telling you. What has proven to be the truth in your life right now, at this very moment? If you have difficulty evaluating this, write down what you’re thinking and write down what you know for certain. I can guarantee that more often than not, what you think does not match up with what is true. You can thus, find reassurance in what you know for sure.

As I’ve learned from mindfulness training, gaining awareness is the first step to changing your thoughts. By first becoming aware of them you can then acknowledge their presence but let them float away if they aren’t thoughts that uplift you. This is very difficult I know, but even realizing this will help and has helped me. When I’ve been consistent with my meditation, even just five minutes a day, after the course of a few weeks, I notice considerable improvement in my attitude. I find myself much calmer, conscientious and more aware of my thoughts and behaviours. Mindfulness training has allowed me to take the time to pause, reevaluate and make efforts to rewrite my thought patterns.

Implementing these ways of thinking takes time and a lot of consistent effort, some times more than other times. You may feel successful and at other times you may not, but persevere because you are worth it.

xx

Leah