Our mind is a wonderful instrument for solving complex problems and mastering our tasks. It is a brilliant servant, but it’s a bad master. As long as we control our thoughts and use them effectively, our mind is helpful. But as soon as we let our mind “off the leash,” it behaves like a young dog. It’s acting up, it’s jumping from one corner to the next and generally does what it wants. Our minds are wandering – according to a U.S. study, this is exactly what makes us unhappy.

One topic keeps chasing the next

Every day, 60,000 to 80,000 trains of thought are keeping us busy. Usually, it’s always the same things that just won’t leave us alone. And regrettably, they are often negative as well. Our uncontrolled and unconscious thoughts are frequently full of regrets and worries. This means that the mind often stays in the past and looks back with remorse. When it looks into the future, it is hopeful or worried. It is regrettable that our mind is only rarely in the here and now.

The bad habit of uncontrolled thoughts

There is a difference between real problems and those that our mind can fool us into believing. But what are these worries good for? First and foremost, we are just feeling worse. Therefore, we have to remember over and over again that our mind produces these worries. For this reason, we should not believe everything that our mind is spinning. Uncontrolled thoughts are like a bad habit. Again and again, we keep thinking ourselves into a bad mood. But we can decouple ourselves from it. With a few simple tricks it is possible to at least turn down our radio’s proverbial problem station.

Thinking in images

Imagine that our thoughts are like clouds in the sky. They appear from nowhere. Some are rising above us and become threatening storm clouds. Others are simply passing by. At some point they all dissolve again. We should look at our thoughts in the same way. Or imagine our stream of thoughts as a river. Thoughts are lapping past. We should not simply jump into the water and get carried away by the current. We should sit on the shore and observe the river with its current instead.

Being mindful in dealing with stress

It is particularly important to be mindful. We can only do so when we listen to ourselves. The better we perceive and listen to our own questions, the better we are able to create solutions and change our behavior. Recognizing inner dialogs also creates a clear view of our own needs. Above all, it helps to let our own thinking “settle” from time to time. Simply being – without thoughts in your head. We succeed in doing so very well with the help of mindfulness exercises. Mindfulness creates a pleasant feeling of space and freedom. My tip: Check out the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program (MBSR) by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn that offers a good method for more mindfulness.