How to start managing your mind

​I couldn’t figure out why I felt off on my walk in the woods this morning. I even passed my favorite tree without noticing.

Then I checked on what my mind was doing.

Which was ruminating about a mistake my daughter might make in her legal battle with her ex and what I’d say to her about it.

Checking on your mind is a game-changer.

I didn’t escalate to becoming anxious. After 10 minutes of redirecting my mind to the words I memorized and looking up at the trees instead of the ground, I felt like myself again.

Because overthinking starts with one thought that triggers others. If you catch the early thoughts, you avoid the full-blown experience of rumination. No mental grinding, no anxious feelings.

You also need to know what to check for.

In general, you’re seeing if your thoughts are helping you or getting in your way. Helpful thoughts feel like you’re making progress.

Unhelpful ones keep circling without getting anywhere new and are usually related to one of these:

1. Trying to make a decision

2. How much you suck and why

3. A past experience or one you expect in the near future

4. What someone else is thinking

5. Potential catastrophes

My thoughts about my daughter combined a possible disaster (#5) and a conversation I thought would happen (#3).

Noticing what you’re thinking doesn’t come naturally. Try this to build the habit:

Stop what you’re doing 4 times a day and recall what you were thinking about for the last minute. Set an alarm to help you remember.

You can power-charge this by jotting down what you were thinking about. After a week or so, look back and see where your mind spends the most time.

Help your mind work for you. Not against you.

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