Illuminated Living: Renew Your Mind

Light Over Darkness

"In Proverbs 23 it says, as a man thinks in his heart so is he ( Proverbs 23:7 ). Our actions are a result of what we think. Intellectually we may believe something to be true, but our real convictions come out our actions. This is why it is so important to renew our minds with word of God. To take the scripture and implant it in our hearts so that it is in alignment with what God has said. If what is in our heart is scripture then we will act based on that belief system." ~ Juli Camarin

Have you ever been overwhelmed by illogical and irrational thoughts? Many people suffer from what is called "intrusive thoughts".

When you have a disturbing thought replace it with the opposite.

Intrusive thoughts are unwelcome involuntary thoughts, images, or unpleasant ideas that may become obsessions, are upsetting or distressing, and can be difficult to manage or eliminate.

Psychologist Daniel Wegner offers the following techniques for overcoming intrusive thoughts. via PsychCentral

The techniques he described include:

Pick an absorbing distraction and focus on that, instead. Try to find an engrossing activity to divert your attention, for example puzzles, emotional movies, an engrossing conversation or a favorite hobby.
Try to postpone the thought. According to Wegner, some research suggests that setting aside a half an hour to worry at a particular time during the day can decrease worry and intrusive thoughts the rest of the day.
Cut back on multi-tasking. In another study, people under increased mental load (say from trying to complete multiple tasks at once) show an increase in thoughts of death, which are a common intrusive and unwanted thought for many.
Expose yourself to the thought. Allowing yourself to think about unwanted topics in controlled ways can decrease the likelihood that they will pop up and intrude into your thoughts at unwanted times.
Meditation and mindfulness. In mindfulness exercises you practice focusing attention, noticing distractions, such as intrusive thoughts, and refocusing. Like with a sport, practice improves your skill level. Over time you can train your mind to notice distracting thoughts and quickly refocus.