Mental problems such as stress, anxiety and depression have become increasingly significant nowadays. It is getting worse and I believe it has happened to all of us. It has become a big problem all over the world.
Many studies show that mindset can influence the healing process.
All problems are a tests for us. It is up to us to choose the path to the solution. If we choose the wrong path then we will always sink.
If we think negatively and are not sure of what we want to achieve, then we will tend to fail.
Our thought can be a good stimulant, but it can also be a barrier to what we want. Our bad thoughts will control our lives and prevent us from changing and take action.
Our failure will in turn lead us to stress. Stress will disrupt our lives and stress hormones will start to rise. Stress hormones are one of the triggering factor to obesity and other health problems. It will also slowing down the healing process of a disease.
The question is, can you control your thoughts?
If we manage to control our thoughts, we will be more likely to succeed.
I was intrigued by Albert Hobohm in TedX Talk entitled, How to stop your thoughts from controlling your life | Albert Hobohm | TEDxKTH.
He gives a good explanation of the importance of controlling our thoughts that will lead us to our goal. He also explains how we can control our thinking so that it does not control our lives.
So how do we control our thoughts?
1. Mindset – Set your intention and goal
If we want to change, we have to have a good mindset. Everything we start with intention isn’t it? So we have to set our way of thinking first so that we move in the right direction.
What is the mindset?
It is a way of thinking. Your mindset is your collection of thoughts and beliefs that shape your thought habits. And your thought habits affect how you think, what you feel, and what you do. Your mind-set impacts how you make sense of the world, and how you make sense of you. We need to have a ‘goal’ to achieve something right?
In religion, we were asked to do anything with good intentions and to pray. It is to keep our mindset clear and keep our faith in God.
“Thoughts become perception, perception becomes reality. Alter your thoughts, alter your reality ”- William James
2. Meditation
There are many ways to meditate. A prayer is a form of meditation. Silence and clearing one’s mind of distraction is also a form of meditation. It works to calm us down and reduce stress. It is also able to open our minds to focus and see things more clearly. It is important to be able to form a thought pattern for our next step.
3. Control your mental dan physical input
No matter if you are a doctor, lecturer, lawyer, or entrepreneur, we will unconsciously be controlled by the input that we ourselves put into our minds.
Everything we see in news, advertisements, and social media posts will indirectly affect our thinking. If we see or read something good, then the way we think will change to be good.
If we look at what is happening now, we are filled with misinformation and nonsense. We are also intimidated by the ‘headlines’ of various bad news that lead to anxiety and stress.
Social media can be a good ‘tool’ if used properly but can have a very bad impact if misused. We will begin to compare ourselves with others which sometimes weakens our willingness to improve.
In fact, there is a new term, ‘Facebook addiction’.
A recent study from the University of Pitsburg states; ‘The more we use social media, the more isolated we feel. The more isolated we feel, the more we want to use social media ’.
If we are not careful, we could expose ourselves to ads about foods that make us addicted and at the same time change the way we eat. “Drink this and you will be healthy.” they said. Without us realizing it is high in sugar. Sugar, on the other hand, is a double killer than all drugs combined.
It is our own initiative to pick selective information that leads to our goals and so that we are not misled by misleading information.
“It is not the harsh, horrible events themselves that we should fear the most in life, but your own unwillingness to control your reaction to those events. Ultimately it’s your capacity to take full responsibility for your thoughts, that will dictate the course and growth of not just you, but our entire world. ” – Albert Hobohm
