Published By: Elisa Ghosh

Ways to distract yourself to avoid something you don't want to think

Finding distractions might help you divert your attention away from distressing or negative thoughts.

If particular thoughts or memories make you sad or worried, you may be seeking a way to divert yourself from them. Everyone has troubling memories that they prefer not to recall. These ideas here might occasionally indicate a serious ailment such as depression, anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder. Remember that talking about painful thoughts or situations such as abuse, catastrophic accidents, and mental illness with a mental professional is also a way to completely move on.

Maintain a journal

One of the reasons it can be difficult to quit thinking about something is that we continuously attempt to push those thoughts out of our minds. Unfortunately, this frequently exaggerates them and introduces negative sentiments like as shame or guilt.

Break the loop of rumination

Ruminating is the act of repeating a subject in your head. This usually entails a negative thought or worry. You may be ruminating if you feel the need to divert yourself from your thoughts. It is critical to break this behaviour because rumination is connected to significant depression.

Practise attentive meditation

Being mindful implies paying attention to the present moment. This is the practice of being in the present moment. The goal is to slow down your thoughts and become conscious of the frequent thoughts that enter your head.

Be creative

You can raw, write or paint. Make something out of nothing by using your hands and your imagination. Being creative can boost your happiness and make you feel good about what you are doing with your time. Creativity has been shown to promote cognitive flexibility and problem-solving abilities. Exercising your creativity may assist you in coming up with answers to problems that are upsetting you.

Bake or cook

If you enjoy baking or cooking, these hobbies might be a terrific way to distract yourself from negative thoughts. Preparing a meal can boost your confidence and give you a sense of success.

Watch TV or something you like

Humour is useful for deflecting negative thoughts or memories. Looking at a long-running meme account is also a terrific method to keep yourself amused and in high spirits.

Listen to songs

Music has been used to express emotions since humans discovered how to make it. It has also been found in studies to help relieve tension and induce relaxation.

Practise these to fight your anxiety, depression or distressing thoughts and move on with your life for good.