Here’s how it goes…
You are angry because of how your partner spoke to you at the end of a hard day. Then you begin to worry that you’re not being patient enough. Now you’re angry with yourself for your lack of compassion. Then you begin to worry whether you’re a non-compassionate person in general. Now you’re wondering why you worry so much. Maybe you have an anxiety disorder? You’ve heard about how much anxiety affects your health. Maybe that’s why you can’t lose weight. You can’t believe that you have still not lost weight after trying several different diets. What the heck is wrong with you? Clearly you lack discipline. Meaning you’ll never succeed at anything. You are doomed to a life of mediocrity.
THIS is the downward spiral of thought looping. You have descended into a deep state of mindfuck.
The deeper you dive into this mentally destructive state, the more stress hormones begin to course relentlessly through your body. Making it increasingly more difficult for you to extricate yourself from this state.
The next thing you know you’ve been lying in bed all day watching reruns of Netflix surrounded by empty containers of Häagen-Dazs ice cream. Feeling helpless. Feeling worthless.
Until suddenly you think to yourself…
What am I doing?! Omg! I need to get off my ass and stop this right now.
And you do!
So what changed? Your thoughts changed.
Have you ever been upset about something and suddenly…you get good news? No you are no longer thinking about what was just stressing you but about something exciting. Mindfuck over in 30 seconds!
Again what changed? Your thoughts changed.
Your thoughts are the key to unlocking the prison when you slide down the slippery slope of looping thoughts. But it is important to understand that the longer you submit to the thought looping process, the more stress hormones are being released and the more difficult it is to extricate yourself from the downward spiral. But at no point is it impossible to pull out of the spin.
What makes it more of a challenge once you have descended to the bottom of the spiral, is the fact that it does take a while for the neurochemistry of the body to return to normalcy. The system is now coursing with chemicals that must be processed adequately over time. So you may alter your thoughts, but not feel the immediate effects of that alteration. The body takes time to return to balance, as it moves from flight or flight to rest and restore.
We all know that it is better to prevent cancer than to deal with its aftermath. Certain precautions taken with our health can decrease the likelihood of illness. The same also applies to what emotionally ails us. Taking preventative measures to avoid mindfuck in the first place can reduce the likelihood of its occurrence.
What are steps to prevent getting derailed by mindfuck….
1. Start your day right. Begin your day on a positive note by actively pursuing your own personal development. Reading personal development books, meditation, and exercise to raise your empowerment level and give you a positive outlook for the day.
2. Catch the downward spiral early. Learn to detect variations in your emotional status early on and begin to implement proactive measures to redirect your thoughts – right away.
3. Realize that your thoughts are not necessarily reality. The only thing that truly exists right is the present moment.
4. Step outside yourself and ask the question… If my friend we’re going through this… What advice would I give?
5. Think differently. Sometimes we just need to take a look at what we are saying to ourselves. And say the opposite. Like a good friend would.
The best way to deal with mindfuck is to prevent it to begin with. But if that fails, try the above measures to bring about a quick recovery.
