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Susan Quinn has been serving in Beverly Hills for over 20 years as a Psychotherapist and Life Coach. She combines the mind-body and energy therapies such as EMDR, EFT, and Somatic Psychotherapy. These approaches help people clear…
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How To Use Thought Stopping to Vanquish Negative Emotions
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Your internal dialogue controls your mood. If you are always saying to yourself that you can't do something, you are essentially sabotaging any initiative and confidence you may have to move to action and accomplish your goals.
This is not uncommon; everyone has some negative and anxious thoughts. What's important for your success is how you manage them.
One easy way to stop unwanted thoughts is to practice this simple technique called Thought Stopping.
The interesting thing about this process is that when you know you can manage and control your thoughts, you are not afraid to acknowledge them. The principle working here is that when you are not willing to acknowledge your thought or fears, they simply get bigger.
Another very effective way to move thoughts and feelings through your body is by using EFT, which stands for Emotional Freedom Technique. I have written an article about how that works.
- Susan Quinn
This is not uncommon; everyone has some negative and anxious thoughts. What's important for your success is how you manage them.
One easy way to stop unwanted thoughts is to practice this simple technique called Thought Stopping.
1. Invite any disturbing thoughts as they appear to you during the day, to return at a 15 minute time period of your choosing.
2. At that time make yourself fully available to receive these thoughts in your mind. You must put this time aside specifically to honor these thoughts only for these 15 minutes.
3. With each thought, set a 3 minute timer to fully receive the thought and when the timer goes off shout STOP and clap your hands in front of your face. You will notice that it disappears and wait a few seconds to see if it returns. If it does, repeat this process one more time.
4. Now wait for the next thought to move across your mind and do the same thing.
5. Wait for the next thought to come. Even though you have set aside 15 minutes especially to receive these thoughts at this time, they won't usually take up more than 5 minutes.
6. After you have done this every day for 2 or 3 weeks you will be able to do this in your mind immediately when the thought comes up at random times during the day, without having to shout or clap your hands. All you will then do is when you become aware of a negative or anxious thought, you will say STOP in your mind and the thought will disappear.
The interesting thing about this process is that when you know you can manage and control your thoughts, you are not afraid to acknowledge them. The principle working here is that when you are not willing to acknowledge your thought or fears, they simply get bigger.
Another very effective way to move thoughts and feelings through your body is by using EFT, which stands for Emotional Freedom Technique. I have written an article about how that works.
- Susan Quinn
RELATED POSTS
I know this is totally counterproductive and unhealthy. I have tried many methods to stop these thoughts (IC, thought stopping, staying busy). Sometimes I can stop them temporarily, but they return quickly. WHERE IS THE SWITCH I CAN TURN OFF.......HAVE Y
Posted on 04/27/10 09:52:41 am
A wonder exercise that helps me to deal with emotions and using food to deal with emotions. It is called the thought stopping technique. It is sort of a weight losing technique or a thought technique also. It is too long to explain here, but can be found
Posted on 10/19/07 01:09:24 pm
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A simpler way to do it is to write things down--that takes them out of the mind and puts them on paper. One makes the connection that one will deal with these things at a later time. It helps.