Gratitude and Prayer, Episode 1142

🍀 What is a way to deal with it when you are worried about something and cannot get it out of your head?

Have you ever had times when only unpleasant things keep popping into your head?

At such times, everyone has likely had the experience of trying to tell themselves, "I'll stop thinking about such things," only to find it doesn't go very well.

Yes, the more you try not to think about it, the more that thought tends to pop into your head.

I was taught that there is a very effective way to deal with such moments.

When an unpleasant thought arises, instead of trying not to think about it, you choose one specific object and stare at it intently for two minutes.

It could be the tip of a ballpoint pen, a clock hanging on the wall, a cloud in the sky, or anything at all.

There is research suggesting that if you continue to stare intently, strangely enough, negative thoughts become less likely to enter your mind.

Perhaps it is because when you are concentrating on something else, you are able to avoid thinking about unnecessary things.

In the world of Zen, it is said that the advice given is to "focus on your breathing."

Focusing on your breathing is the same as staring at a single point, as both involve directing your attention to one thing, so I think you should use whichever one suits you best.

By focusing on something else, I hope you can be freed from negative thoughts and gently observe yourself from a different perspective.

Thank you for reading until the end again today.