Get Out of Your Head and Into Your LIfe

This morning on television, the news broadcast ended near the top of the hour and two talk show hosts came on the air. The topic of conversation turned to something that had happened in Hollywood overnight. I wasn’t all that interested so I turned the TV off.

How great it would be, I thought, if I could do that with the stream of chatter that frequently runs through my mind.  If only there were a remote control to shut off or at least turn down the volume of repetitive thoughts, my self-critical “inner voice,” and worrying.

Most likely, you can relate. Like the background noise of a radio or TV, streams of thoughts can rattle on and on, especially when you’re doing something you’ve done a thousand times before--driving to work, brushing your teeth, eating at your desk, and so on.

That’s why a skill set in the first DBT module, entitled “Mindfulness,” makes sense to me. They’re as close as I can get to turning the channel, lowering the volume, or simply shutting off unwanted, repetitive thoughts.

By practicing these skills over and over, I’m increasingly able to shift brain activity away from inner “self-talk” and to fill my mind instead with a greater experience of the present moment.

Here are the “Mindfulness” skills which help me be more present and aware of the moment at hand:

·        Observe: notice life experiences without judging them.

·        Describe: put words to those observations and stick to observable facts, not judgments about them.

·        Participate: be fully engaged in each moment.

I’m discovering that the fuller my mind is of what I am presently experiencing with all five senses—hearing, seeing, feeling, smelling, and tasting—the less room there is for negative, critical, repetitive “self-talk.”

I once heard someone say, “Observe, describe, and participate are ways to get out of your head and into your life.” I agree.