Hello and welcome.
We are going to be talking today about unwelcome thoughts or obtrusive thoughts that you'd rather not be having.
And this is going to be a mindfulness meditation that explains a little bit about what's happening and why,
But also gives you the tools to address this.
The very first thing to note is that everybody deals with unwelcome thoughts.
And by everybody,
I really do mean every single person on the planet deals with unwelcome or obtrusive thoughts.
But it is a matter of degree.
And if the thoughts that are bothering you are interrupting your ability to live a happy and productive life,
If they get in the way of your everyday interactions,
And if they make you feel bad about yourself in general,
Then it certainly is something that's worthwhile addressing.
I should certainly say at the outset that if you are experiencing very,
Very strong reactions to thoughts that you are having,
Then mindfulness meditation on your own is probably not the first thing that you should try.
Talking to a trusted adult would be really important.
We are very rarely as alone as we sometimes feel.
And reaching out to someone that you trust can be the first step in getting the help that you need.
So let's begin today.
Find a comfortable place where you can sit or lie down,
Hopefully somewhere without too many distractions.
And I'd like you to take a deep breath in through the nose,
Hold it for a second,
And then slowly release it.
And as you do that,
You can allow your eyes to gently close.
And to ask you to do that a few more times now on your own.
Notice how you feel your muscles and your body relaxing with each exhalation.
And now I'd like you to imagine a place,
A beautiful,
Peaceful place.
That might be a beach,
Might be a forest,
Might be a mountain,
Anywhere at all where you feel calm and relaxed.
And I'd like you to picture yourself there,
Surrounded by nature,
Surrounded by things that make you comfortable.
And you're feeling completely safe,
Completely calm,
Completely at ease.
And as you breathe in this peaceful environment,
I want you to think of a peaceful colour.
Imagine a colour that makes you feel calm.
Perhaps it's the blue of the sky,
The green of the grass,
Or maybe it's a pink sunset.
Imagine that colour filling your body with each breath that you take in.
Maybe you can start from the top of your head,
Breathing in and imagining that colour filling your body,
Gradually filling you from the top down,
With each breath getting fuller and fuller of this peaceful,
Calm colour.
The colour becoming deeper and more intense as your breathing continues to fill you.
And now sit with that feeling of calm,
That feeling of peace.
And if you feel able to,
I'd like you now to think of your unwelcome thoughts and imagine them as clouds in the sky.
Maybe they're little fluffy clouds,
Maybe they're big maybe they're big dark grey clouds.
But they're clouds passing the sky.
They come,
They go,
They don't have to stay.
And as you breathe out,
Imagine these clouds slowly drifting away,
Taking your negative thoughts with them.
If you find it difficult to let go of those thoughts,
That's okay.
Imagine yourself reaching up into the sky with a finger and thumb and plucking those thoughts out of your head,
Much like plucking an apple from a tree,
And simply flick them away like a ball or a balloon,
And watch them float off into the distance.
These thoughts are not yours,
They're not a part of who you are,
They are simply things that happen to you.
They pop up from time to time,
But they're not who you are.
So you can simply acknowledge that you've had an obtrusive,
Unwelcome thought,
And you can let it go.
You can watch it drift away and choose not to engage with it.
Don't beat yourself up for having had a negative thought.
Don't try to reason with the thought or argue with it.
Recognise that it's there and let it go.
Thoughts will continue to pop up in your head.
This is what brains do.
But you don't have to follow them,
You don't have to engage with them,
And they will pass,
Like clouds do.
Take a few more deep breaths,
Imagine yourself feeling light,
Feeling free,
Perhaps like a bird soaring through the sky.
When you're ready,
You can slowly open your eyes.
Take a moment to notice how your body is feeling.
You can return to this meditation any time that you're feeling overwhelmed by your thoughts.
Please remember,
It's okay to go and seek help from a trusted adult if you're struggling.
Please remember that you are not alone.
There are people who care about you and want to support you.
Have a peaceful day.
