The roots of obsessive thinking run deep in our culture. We are conditioned to navigate our daily experiences through reason, which naturally leads to obsessive tendencies. Yet, our fixation on thoughts brings about unhappiness. It diverts our attention from the present moment, making us no longer engaged in our lives, and it serves as a catalyst for anxiety and feelings of sadness.

So, how do you break free from the cycle of obsession? In Western psychology, the belief is that cognitive-behavioral therapies can alleviate obsessive thinking. But as a former compulsive thinker, I disagree. Attempting to dismantle obsessive thoughts through cognitive solutions amounts to trying to solve thinking with more thinking. While cognitive-behavioral therapy may effectively assist in mapping certain thought and behavior patterns, it falls short of structurally calming your mind.

To truly halt obsessive thinking, you must redirect your focus to the sensations within your body. This involves a two-step mindfulness approach: first, being mindful of the obsession itself, and second, cultivating mindfulness of your feelings. Each time you become aware of obsessing, inquire within: "What sensations am I feeling in my body?" Unpleasant feelings typically arise because, instinctively, you try to escape these feelings by fixating on various thoughts (i.e. obsessing). Instead, teaching yourself to confront these difficult feelings in your body facilitates a gradual calming of the mind. By allowing difficult feelings to be there, you stop trying to escape challenging sensations.

This mindfulness practice may initially feel uneasy because breaking the habit of obsessive thinking by reorienting your focus towards the body is a scary thing to do. We are conditioned to solve our problems through reason, making the act of letting go of thought feel vulnerable, akin to lowering our defenses. Please know, therefore, that meditation can aid you in this journey and that, as your life coach, I am there to assist you in initiating this transformative process.