Do you ever find your mind engaged in a downward spiral? It's really common and based on our physiology and evolution.
Is it easier to get stuck in a downward spirtal than a corresponding upward spiral in thoughts?
Understand your mind works like an algorhythm
Or rather, the thoughts that come into head. You know how an algorhythm works, right? The more you show an interest or spend time on something, the more of the same you get shown.
This is due to a part of the brain called the Reticular Activating System which you can understand as working as overtime as a filter.
Our conscious mind can only hold a handful of bits of information at a time
So, from the millions of bits of info incoming to our nervous system and the habitual way of looking at the world that we have, the Reticular Activating System has a hard job on its hands to filter it all down. That's why it's good to actively focus on all the good things there are. The algorhythm will show you more.
Ever thought why we seem to be obsessed with the news?
Fed up with bad news? Ever thought that from a survival point of view we evolved in a landscape with dangerous predators and scarce resources. It's good to remind ourselves that there are no sabre tooth tigers anymore. Watching bad news constantly plays to deeply planted survival fears - switch it off and remind yourself how safe we have made life today. We are not living in the stone age - no matter what our bodies think.
Gratitude
Research shows the positive effects of 'doing a Pollyanna'. Like it or not, nourishing ourselves and pointing the laser light of our conscious attention at something that has benefited us really does make a difference to our physical and mental wellbeing.
You can directly work with the Reticular Activating System
Hack the algorhythm when you find thoughts slipping by changing your attention. When habits are deeply ingrained and learnt or inherited, you can speed up the process by working with mindtools like the Control System. Email me to set up a free initial consult to see how we can hack the algorhythm together.