How to Feel Happier and More Productive by Taking Power Away from Thoughts

By: Alex Bullock

We’ve all had them: those seemingly random thoughts that pop into your head about something that you have to do later or a judgment about a situation. These thoughts hold so much power that without your permission, they take you away from whatever it was that you were doing. Now you are following that particular thought, you may be making a mental to-do list or taking out your phone to look something up. At this point, you are no longer paying attention to your current situation or doing the task you originally set out to do. Does it always have to feel like you are only half in the present moment and half somewhere else?

Mindfulness based techniques have been proven to improve concentration, lower stress, and increase productivity and mental clarity. The premise behind mindfulness is that your brain’s job is to always be generating thoughts, preparing you for your next situation or what-if scenario. These thoughts are not always helpful though- and when the brain is doing too good of a job (which it often is), the result can be mental exhaustion and frustration. 

So what can you do to get around this vicious cycle of distraction? My challenge to you is to take one minute a day to sit and focus on your breath. Focus on one part of your breath: the in and out of air at your nostrils, or maybe the rise and fall of your chest. Easy enough, right? The real challenge with this one is to notice all of the thoughts that your brain is going to try to distract you with that are not pertaining to your breath. Practice not following those thoughts for this minute and instead just acknowledge that they happened and refocus your attention on your breath.

Another way to think of this is picturing your mind as a train station and thoughts as the trains that are rushing by on different platforms. You can hop on those trains and let them take you far, far away, or you can just acknowledge that a train is passing by but not give it the power to take you to a destination that you may not have chosen!

Once you start practicing this, you can apply this cognitive trick to other situations when you can feel yourself start to “hop on that train” and lose focus on your current task or situation. This will help you be more present in your relationships, become more productive, and experience less anxiety.

Bala Cynwyd Therapist (Main Line)

Alex Bullock is a therapist practicing at our office in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania. Alex supports people across the Main Line and from the city of Philadelphia to develop a healthier relationship with themselves through CBT and mindfulness based therapy. She can support you in (topic of article). To schedule with Alex for an appointment at our Bala Cynwyd office please click here.