Changing Your Relationship With Your Thoughts

We're processing thousands of thoughts every day, and most of those are negative and unhelpful. We'll never be able to eliminate our thoughts, but we can change our relationship with our thoughts. In this short insight, I share some ideas that can help you transcend those automatic negative thoughts so they actually contribute to your better mental health.

Transcript

Hello, My fellow fallible human. Welcome to The Harmonious Mind, A time to slow down and calm your nervous system. I'm Tanya McIntyre, Your mindfulness mentor. The Harmonious Mind is a bite-sized insight. Each short episode offers some practical ideas rooted in mindfulness and brain science to help you strengthen your mental health, Reduce stress, And shift perspective. Listen to this the way you would listen to music, With an open mind and curiosity. There's nothing to do, Nowhere to go. Just relax and be here in the present moment. Today, We'll explore how changing your relationship with your thoughts can contribute to better mental health. On the last Saturday of every month, I guide a mindfulness walk along a riverside nature trail here in the beautiful town of Goderich, Ontario, Canada. Some people often arrive with a mix of curiosity and hesitation, Unsure of what a mindfulness walk actually is. Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention to the present moment, Focusing on your breath, Noticing your thoughts, And doing it all without judgment. It sounds simple, But it's definitely not easy for many of us. It actually gets easier and more beneficial with patience, Practice, And persistence. I like to think of this monthly mindfulness walk as meditation for people, Like me, Who prefer to move. We begin by walking slowly and silently for 20 minutes. We walk toward the first river lookout. This mindful, Silent movement transitions us from the speed of daily life into the serenity of the woods. At the lookout, We pause to reflect on the experience and discuss the benefits of forest therapy and mindfulness as we admire the vistas of the Maitland River. It is here that many participants realize that mindfulness isn't about escaping reality. It's about finally arriving in it. A common misconception is that mindfulness or meditation requires clearing the mind completely so we can reach a blissful, Thought-free state. In reality, The mind is designed to think. Trying to force our thoughts away is like trying to stop the wind. It only creates more resistance and turbulence. Once you begin practicing mindfulness, One thing becomes clear. The mind is always busy. We are constantly thinking thousands of thoughts per day. Many of those thoughts are negative or unhelpful. When left unchecked, Those thoughts can shape our moods and our behaviors. How might it be beneficial for us to change our relationship with thoughts? Instead of viewing thoughts as noise to be silenced, It can be more helpful to see them as weather patterns. Some days, Our mental landscape will be clear and calm. Other days, It might be cloudy or stormy. By observing your thoughts with curiosity rather than frustration, You begin to understand that you are not the weather. You are the sky. When you create this distance, You notice that thoughts are not facts. They are transient, Like a bubble rising to the surface of water. A thought emerges, Lingers for a moment, And eventually dissolves. When we stop reacting to every mental cloud that passes by, Something shifts for us. We create space, And from that space, We can observe our fears or self-criticisms with more neutrality, Kindness, And self-compassion. We aren't trying to eliminate thinking, But simply choosing which thoughts deserve our belief, And which thoughts can be allowed to drift away. The goal of mindfulness isn't necessarily to think less. Thinking is essential for creativity and problem solving. We just want to create a larger, Calmer mental landscape, Where thoughts can come and go without taking us with them. Sometimes, That journey toward internal space simply begins with a slow and silent walk in the woods. Sometimes, You can also benefit from a tree hug along the way. The power of trees is very powerful. Give it a try. Thank you so much for being here with me. My name is Tanya McIntyre, Your mindfulness mentor. Please remember to keep showing up for yourself. Talk to and treat yourself like you talk to and treat a good friend. May the force of mindfulness be with you always, And remember, You are the force.