Gawd I wish my mind would Just Shut Up

[brightlite]

For good or bad...I think it has always been my downfall...I think too much, therefore I drink to much...what a motto! However, I need ideas to corral my mind...anyone out there know of ways to quiet the mind, or brain or conscience...

I am working on it...yoga, exercise, I know is the best defense...reading, researching are my forte...

Sometimes my backround rears it's ugly head and all I can do...is the nasty...drink that is! Get your minds out of the gutter....geez! ha ha

[fennel]

Gawd I wish my mind would Just Shut Up

Reading works well for me, as well as cleaning. Sometimes, I just have to busy myself in order to stay out of trouble. You wouldn't believe how much cleaning I've done today. :H

[beagle]

Gawd I wish my mind would Just Shut Up

for me brightlite the kudzu @ 600mg three times daily is helping.
my ad's are helping.
witchywoman's sig of "progress not perfection" is helping.
forcing myself to slow the eff down inside my brain is challenging, & i know exactly what you mean, but try to think only of the now rather than the next day/hour etc.
for me it's a daily fight, due to my anxiety levels also.
but i think i'm improving!

[Kimberley]

Gawd I wish my mind would Just Shut Up

Hi Brite,
Given your new direction, you might want to take a look at Mindfulness. It's a form of meditation, but can also be used in everyday situations to bring your focus back to what you're actually doing in the moment and quieten the mind.

Mindfulness (Buddhism) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Look up Jon Kabat-Zinn - he's a major proponent and expert.
K x

[spuddleduck]

Gawd I wish my mind would Just Shut Up

brightlite, i can totally relate to that. unfortunately i havent cracked it myself but still working on it. i try and do anything that keeps my mind focussed. even silly things like cleaning, knitting, crosswords. i find its hard though and my mind still keeps chattering away, often stuff i dont want to hear. i think its slowly getting better... as they say, practice makes perfect

[paguy]

Gawd I wish my mind would Just Shut Up

Hi Brightlite: I, too, can totally relate to what you are saying. The conversations that go on in my head are non-stop sometimes. Unfortunately, reading does not help me. I find it completely distracting and I cannot concentrate. Have you tried exercising? A walk/jog ouside or on a treadmill is a llifesaver for me. You may want to give that a try....

[Johnny]

Gawd I wish my mind would Just Shut Up

Hello Brightlite

Like so many, what you said really resonates with me and I think it is a very common thing in society generally. Our ego wants to live independently of us so it is constantly trying to justify it's existence by referring our concious mind to thoughts of the past or the future. There is a little exercise which you may have come accross which can help turn the thoughts of and seperate our egotistical thoughts from our 'awake' and concious mind. You could refer to it as 'switching on the observer'.

Start by looking at a plant or an animal, they exists completely in the present, they have no thoughts of the future or the past. This is what we should try to attain from to time. Then in order to turn off the part of out mind that is always thinking, make a concious effort to listen out for what that part of your mind is going to say next. When you become aware of these thoughts, don't be critical or negative about them in any way, just be aware that they are there and begin to listen out for them again. What you may begin to realise is that as soon as your switch the observer on, there will be silence.

This is a neat little trick I learned from a book called the power of now Amazon.com: Used and New: The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment

Hope this helps

[hillsidetime]

Gawd I wish my mind would Just Shut Up

Hi Brightlite, I understand what you mean. I have found that battling my inner dialogue has been a huge fight for sure. I find that having some tag lines, that I think, helps me battle negative thoughts and shorten the duration of negative thinking. Much like an athlete has certain words or saying prior to a specific sport set. For example when depressive thoughts attack my mind, especially about things I have done in the past while drunk, I think " We are what we repeatedly do". This is part of a famous quote, and it helps me. If I am now repeatedly living sober, that is what I am, not what I have done in the past. Urge surfing was tought to me here, by caring members. Without that concept, I may not have made it through the first very hard months. The concept that urges to drink are like waves, some higher some lower, some last longer than others, but they WILL PASS. Knowing this, and saying in my mind "the urge will pass" gave me some power to battle the urge. Positive self dialogue, for me, is so very important in this battle over alcohol. All the best,
Hill

[rubywillow]

Gawd I wish my mind would Just Shut Up

Bright, what a wealth of information you've been given. All the times in the past if I was told in some exercise 'let your mind go blank', mine immediately leaped into Chinese circus mode. I found the self-hypnosis, meditation, and relaxation CD's (but for me, only on earphones!) help if I force myself to focus on each thing I'm hearing. It usually keeps the circus at bay, for me.

[southernbelle47]

Gawd I wish my mind would Just Shut Up

Joyce Meyer's "Battlefield Of The Mind"...

There is a workbook that goes with the book!

I have also found that if I sing out loud (alone of course) ;o) this helps to turn my thinking to happy things!

[spuddleduck]

Gawd I wish my mind would Just Shut Up

just remembered a thing i sometimes do, and it may sound a bit silly. when im doing something i count to 10 while im doing it, such as making a coffee. counting to 10 on each action, like 12345678910, spoon the coffee in 12345678910 put the kettle on etc. yes it does sound silly when i write it down but it sort of keeps my mind in order and it helps to quieten the rabble (i do it in my head of course)

[brightlite]

Gawd I wish my mind would Just Shut Up

Thanks all for the input. I do exercise, but my mind is always thinking. I did read the Power of Now and enjoyed that book...that was a while ago, I may reread it. I think I will look for the Untethered Soul...Sheri, thanks.

[Doggygirl]

Gawd I wish my mind would Just Shut Up

I can relate!! Whatever has transpired in my mind over the time I have been going to AA has made a HUGE difference for me. It's not nearly as crazy insane in there as it used to be. :H

I also was wondering if you have tried the MWO hypnosis CD's. They seemed to help me a lot when I first quit drinking and was following the MWO program with the exception of no Topa (or other meds).

southernbelle47;946081 wrote: Joyce Meyer's "Battlefield Of The Mind"...

There is a workbook that goes with the book!

I have this book and work book and never got around to reading / doing. Good to hear you recommend it! This will make a good winter project. I really like listening to Joyce on many topics. I especially love her description of a woman's pity party. Was she watching me in my bathroom?????? :H

DG

[PhoenixRising]

Gawd I wish my mind would Just Shut Up

read
crochet
meditate
talk on the phone
pray the Rosary
listen to music

[NoraC]

Gawd I wish my mind would Just Shut Up

I'm heading to bed now but I'm going to read this thread tomorrow. It sounds just like me!!!!!!