https://mcpress.mayoclinic.org/mental-health/coping-with-unwanted-and-intrusive-thoughts/
Mindfulness. Research shows that mindfulness exercises can improve attention control, reduce anxiety and reduce intrusive thoughts. There are several variations of mindfulness or mindfulness meditation. People can learn to reduce the significance of their intrusive thoughts by observing them without judgment.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/empowerment-solutions/202308/how-to-face-and-not-fear-intrusive-thoughts
Step 3: Calmly Observe—Then Interpret and Address. If certain thoughts persistently arise, instead of trying to let go of them, consider writing them down, much like you would record your dreams

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-to-stop-unwanted-thoughts/
And such habits can be difficult to reverse. "If you've been practicing thinking about events from your past that bother you or worrying about things that might happen, then practice makes

https://www.calmclinic.com/anxiety/symptoms/unwanted-thoughts
Learn to fight the compulsion as best you can. If possible, use reminders as well. For example, if one of your recurring unwanted fears is that you leave the stove on, then take a picture of the stove in the off position when you leave your home and use it to remind yourself that everything is okay.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/living-with-a-sticky-mind/202305/unwanted-intrusive-thoughts-images-sensations-and-stories
Unwanted "Thoughts" Include Images, Sensations, Memories, and Stories. The second major misunderstanding is that "thoughts" have to be understood in the broadest sense.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/in-it-together/202311/what-you-should-know-if-you-struggle-with-intrusive-thoughts
Label the thoughts as "intrusive" and unwanted. This discredits them immediately and lightens their impact. Accept that they happen and that they are only thoughts. Allow them to exist. Don

https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/intrusive-thoughts
Self-care. A good step toward treating intrusive thoughts is recognizing what they are: just thoughts. You can learn to label them when they happen and recognize that thoughts are not the same as

https://adaa.org/learn-from-us/from-the-experts/blog-posts/consumer/unwanted-intrusive-thoughts
Share. Unwanted intrusive thoughts are stuck thoughts that cause great distress. They seem to come from out of nowhere, arrive with a whoosh, and cause a great deal of anxiety. The content of unwanted intrusive thoughts often focuses on sexual or violent or socially unacceptable images.

https://psychcentral.com/health/ways-to-let-go-of-stuck-thoughts
Without even realizing it, you may be spending a lot of your time living in the past, or obsessing about the future. Focusing on the present moment can be a powerful way to manage this. Grounding

https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/intrusive-thoughts-coping
Focus on the present by paying attention to what's around you and grounding yourself in a chair or on the floor. Try to continue whatever it was you were doing before the intrusive thought

https://www.today.com/health/mind-body/how-to-stop-intrusive-thoughts-rcna148189
As you squeeze, visualize the tightened muscle, exhale, and then relax that muscle for 10 seconds, visualize the relaxed muscle and move on to the next, says Cleveland Clinic. For example, you

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/let-them-be-study-suggests-way-to-control-unwanted-thoughts
A new study has found that most people use reactive thought control to deal with unwanted thoughts once they have occurred. Proactive control—to avoid the thought occurring in the first place

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-athletes-way/202207/the-best-way-manage-unwanted-thoughts
For me, the best way to outsmart intrusive thoughts without overthinking my attempts to suppress them is to visualize wanted (positive) thoughts being covered in Velcro and Super Glue, which makes

https://www.health.com/intrusive-thoughts-7485777
Keeping your stress levels in check is a good way to help prevent a surge of intrusive thoughts, especially those that focus on self-doubt, fears, and worries. There are many ways to manage stress

https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/managing-intrusive-thoughts
Instead of fighting intrusive thoughts, it's better to learn to live with them. When these thoughts emerge, try taking the following steps: 1. Identify the thought as intrusive. Think to yourself, 'that's just an intrusive thought; it's not how I think, it's not what I believe, and it's not what I want to do. 2.

https://psychcentral.com/ocd/how-to-stop-ocd-intrusive-thoughts
listening to loud music and dancing. focusing on deep breathing and other relaxation techniques. tapping and pressing your body from toes to head. 4. Consider exercising regularly. Exercise may

https://psychcentral.com/anxiety/stop-ruminating-intrusive-thoughts
4 Tips to Stop Ruminating Intrusive Thoughts. Ruminating intrusive thoughts. How to stop ruminating intrusive thoughts. When to seek help. Recap. Yesterday's meeting. That talk with your partner

https://www.goodrx.com/conditions/obsessive-compulsive-disorder/intrusive-thoughts-examples
Seven common intrusive thought examples. There are many types of intrusive thoughts that can lead to feelings, such as fear, shame, guilt, and distress. Here are seven common types of unwanted intrusive thoughts. 1. The thought of hurting a baby or child. If you're a new parent, you may have experienced intrusive thoughts about your baby's

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/collections/202208/how-control-unwanted-thoughts
Thought preemption is a proactive—not reactive—way to control unwanted thoughts. Proactive cognitive control can keep unwanted meandering at bay and stop repetitive thought looping.

https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2020/11/when-unwanted-thoughts-intrude
OCD is a mental health condition that causes repeated unwanted thoughts, called obsessions. This can trigger compulsions—the urge to do things over and over to deal with the troubling thoughts. You don't need to have both to have OCD. Many people with OCD have a fear of germs or contamination. This can lead to obsessive thoughts about

https://www.verywellmind.com/learning-to-cope-with-unwanted-thoughts-through-proactive-thinking-6541953
New research suggests that proactive control might be better than reactive control in managing intrusive or unwanted thoughts. Sitting with or thinking about these thoughts could be more effective than changing your focus straight away. Most of us deal with unwanted thoughts from time to time, and they may have been exacerbated by the pandemic.

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/intrusive-thoughts
Intrusive thoughts are thoughts, images or urges that are unwanted but pop into your mind anyway. They find a way of disrupting your original thought patterns and can come out of nowhere or they

https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/empowerment-solutions/202308/how-to-face-and-not-fear-intrusive-thoughts
Here are some steps to help you feel less afraid and more empowered when dealing with intrusive thoughts. Step 1: Understanding the Nature of Intrusive Thoughts. Intrusive thoughts are common and