Be more creative with fewer distractions

Let’s face it. We can’t stop thinking. We’re hooked and there’s no expeditious “thinking rehab” in sight. We spend most of our lives lost in thought. It’s what we spend the most time doing from when we wake up to when we sleep. Even during sleep we have dreams filled with thoughts! The mind can be like a neurotic crazy person entering our home unannounced and uninvited, and following us from room to room with non-stop incessant chatter! Many of us feel helplessly lost in thoughts, especially the negative ones. Evolutionarily this makes sense; thinking has been our main line of defense to protect us from danger to our survival. Other creatures have fangs and claws; we have thoughts.

That said, our environmental context has changed dramatically from when evolution programmed us to be compulsive thinkers, eons ago. Although we’re not living in jungles anymore like our ancestors were, our evolutionary and biological wiring haven’t changed much. We still detect the slightest cues of peril and often react to non-threatening events (such as your child stubbing their toe, discovering a $50 late fee, or friend not answering your text for a full 8 hours) as if they were grave threats to survival. Evolution doesn’t care about our happiness or well-being; its only priority is our survival. No wonder we’re so deeply conditioned to think, anticipate danger, and worry!

The truth is we don’t have much control of our thoughts either in the short-term. If you don’t agree, try me. Stop thinking now... Did it work? How long could you go without a thought arising? Most of us average a few seconds (for experienced meditators, it goes higher). You can’t decide what you’re going to think next either. Most of our thoughts are repeat-thoughts too!

The sobering news is that mindfulness can help us feel less engrossed in compulsive thinking relate more skillfully and wisely to our own thoughts. Think of it like going from being trapped in your

“house of thoughts,” to acquiring the ability to zoom out and view it as a bird in the sky. Mindfulness practice can also help us experience the world and our lives outside of thoughts. It is a powerful antidote to our rampant and seemingly intractable thinking pandemic. We can loosen the strangle-hold thoughts have on us by strengthening your muscle of mindfulness.

There are many benefits to being able to stay present and less engaged in the “default narrative network.” Besides worrying and thinking less compulsively, you can also be more productive, present for your loved ones, and engaged in your life. In his seminal article, psychology professor Thomas Borkovec wrote “if focusing on the desired outcome of an activity is conducive to anxiety and depression, a focus on the process and intrinsic qualities of an activity reduces the likelihood of anxiety and depression. This not only eliminates their negative impact on performance and increases the pleasure of joy during the process, but also increases the likelihood of achieving the positive outcome. In this sense, I have to let go of the desired outcome in order to acquire it. What a paradoxical and strange way to live.” Our thoughts can clearly become too outcome-focused, making us miss the beauty in the journey of life, or the processes of the activities of our day; all the aspects of living and sensing to be enjoyed outside of thinking.

Regular mindfulness practice can help you live this way Borkovec explained above, focusing on the task at hand and what’s happening now. Now is the only moment we actually have, instead of the often old or past- or future-based fearful thoughts or mental tapes that latch onto minds like persistent, super-human leaches. Think of the last time you felt creative. Did it come from non-stop thinking? Didn’t think so.

You can train your mind, breath by breath, to weaken the “default narrative network” so you can be more present as your life unfolds. You don’t need to be at the mercy of your thoughts; it’s never too late to train yourself to go beyond compulsive thinking, and feel and engage with your life, the only one you have.

You don’t need to be at the mercy of your thoughts; it’s never too late to train yourself to go beyond compulsive thinking, and feel and engage with your life, the only one you have.