How do we navigate negative thoughts during crisis period?

Let us discuss the above question using Mindfulness of Thoughts.

What is mindfulness. It is purposely bringing your attention to the present moment in a non judgemental way.

Thoughts are your thinking pattern based on early experiences, may be ideas, beliefs, facts occurring in the form of visuals, pictures, conversations, memories etc. You cannot stop your thoughts as it is the work of brain. As long as we live, our brain works and produces thoughts.

Thoughts act as vehicle to your emotions . Whenever you feel happy, sad, guilty, irritable, just analyse the thoughts. You can understand that it is the thoughts which creates those emotions and not the situation.

Let us take the current crisis situation, It is normal to have feelings of fear, anxiety etc,.This is in fact high in case of health care workers who are close to infected people.

How do we navigate these negative thoughts. A simple tip which could be practised as a mindful exercise or a fun activity. When you feel uncomfortable, your can identify it through you body sensations. You may feel tightness in chest, difficulty in breathing, in that case, stop your work for 2 minutes. Analyse your thoughts. Visualise as though you are standing in a railway platform. Train is coming, it’s nearing the platform. It stops for a while and then leaves. Here as if a visitor watching the arrival and departure of train, watch your thoughts from outside, it comes and leaves the mind. There is no need to get attached with the thoughts. Thoughts have nothing to do with your self. You cannot be labelled by your thoughts.

 Some people have the obsessive thoughts of contamination, bad things which they are feared to tell it out because of labelling self as bad person. This creates guilt and negative image of self.

These occurs even in children and they are hesitant to communicate this to their parents.

As a fun activity you can tell them to imagine themselves as Harry potter standing in the railway platform .your thoughts are like trains which comes, stops and leaves. Thoughts have nothing to do with your real self. Whatever thoughts coming are like passing trains, passing clouds, don’t get attached to it. Allow it to move on. Staying out and watching your thoughts gives you the awareness as how to navigate these negative thoughts mindfully without harming you.