How to Get Out of Your Head: One Single Step

Do you fight with your thoughts? Do you think so much you feel stuck in your own head? After you have a thought, do you think about why you had that thought in the first place? Yea, you’re not alone. A lot of us struggle to get out of our heads and stop thinking and thinking about our thoughts.

The majority of the thoughts we are fighting with aren’t even thoughts.

Thoughts are intentional. We have to intentionally use parts of our brains that construct language to create a thought. Now, I am no brain expert. I'm mostly interested in how trauma effects the brain. So, on a basic level, I’ve learned there are multiple parts of your brain involved in constructing language. These parts do not function when the mind and body are under intense stress. When something “just pops” into your head, especially when that thing is unwanted or unexpected, it is not a thought. It is an intrusion.

Like dreams, the things that come into our minds, don’t always make sense, and we can’t always make sense out of them. Our minds can be quite intrusive when dealing with trauma, stress, or change. Our brains are desperately trying to help motivate us to face up to our struggles. In this effort, we may experience intrusions, not thoughts.

Then the preventable problem happens; we judge ourselves for these intrusions. We try to understand “how could I think that?” or “why am I thinking that?” Well, you aren’t. You aren’t thinking anything. You are experiencing an intrusion. Then you are thinking about the intrusion(s).

So, what is the One Single Step to getting out of your head?— Get into your body.

Since I know this single step isn’t easy and for some impossible(at this time) here are 10 steps you can take to get out of your head. In an effort of full disclosure, I want to recognize that these steps aren’t easy either.

1. acknowledge that not everything in your head is an intentionally constructed idea.

2. accept that self-criticism without self-compassion is not an effective method for change.

3. give yourself grace for the intrusions you experience-everyone experiences them.

4. know that intrusions are your brains way of motivating you to keep going. Your brain recognizes how much you’re managing.

5. trust that you can let go of the intrusion and it will not hurt you

6. forgo the why and search for the where. where are you feeling tightness in your body during or after an intrusion?

7. tighten that part or your body as much as you can. taking control with your body not trying to think it away with your mind.

8. release that part of your body.

9. take a breath and fill your lungs with life because you deserve it.

10. give yourself permission to be.