Re:Mental Time Travel Can Make Us Better People
by Zababa on Monday December 26, 2022 @10:20PM
(#34144629)
Knowing that someone else managed to learn it and can now just stop spirals of thoughts is a big help, thanks for sharing that
Re:Mental Time Travel Can Make Us Better People
by darkerside on Tuesday December 27, 2022 @10:27PM
(#34157197)
Noticing it is the first step. Believing you can change it is the second.
It sounds so cheesy to say, but I really wish they would teach mindfulness in schools. It's such an important life skill, and it's one I had to realize on my own was important.
> Can you stop thinking about something only by wanting to?
Absolutely, yes. If I catch myself in a death spiral of thoughts, I can literally tell myself "no, that's enough, I'm done with this" and do something else instead. It takes introspection, acceptance, understanding, compassion (for yourself and the subjects of your thoughts), therapy, and practice. Meditation can also help.
There's no single piece of advice I can give because it was a lengthy and painful process, but maybe it's enough to say that yes, it's possible to learn, because it's something I had to learn and I managed to figure it out.