Mental Prison: How To Free Yourself From Your Thoughts?

Last updated by Lauren Hart

Thoughts are... thoughts. So far, I think we’re in agreement! So these thoughts aren’t reality, do you follow me? And yet they’re sometimes even more painful than reality itself. And when we give them too much space, well, they’re not worried about taking over. So, how do you live harmoniously with them?

Mental Prison: How To Free Yourself From Your Thoughts?

When the brain starts chatting to itself...

For me, this image of a mental prison immediately echoes some of my nights. Yes, you know, those nights when thoughts go round and round in your head like a goldfish in a bowl that’s too small... In fact, the night doesn’t have a monopoly on goldfish! All our lives, all the time, we live with our thoughts and that’s perfectly normal. Christophe André calls it “the chatter of the mind”. What’s annoying is when worrying thoughts imprison us, going around in circles without getting anywhere, preventing us from acting and living serenely. In short, what’s annoying is when our own thoughts make us suffer, and we also tend to overthink.

Free yourself from mental prison

In his book Mindfulness: 25 Ways to Live in the Moment Through Art, Christophe André offers some valuable advice on how to break free from our mental prisons... (Christophe is the miniature shrink I’d like to have in my pocket when I’m feeling a bit down 😊). So of course, it’s not going to happen overnight, it’s a long-term process. But we all have to start somewhere, don’t we?

The 3 steps to freedom

Step 1: See the bars

It’s hard to free yourself from your prison if you don’t even realize you’re in it, isn’t it 🙄? This is the first step, and undoubtedly not the least. Becoming aware of the presence of these invisible bars and accepting that they’re making us unhappy. If the bars of your mental prison are thoughts, what are they? What would it be like if you tried to dust off the haze that surrounds them and formulate them clearly? Are they already losing a little of their importance, their hold over you? 🤔 In any case, you’ve already taken a step towards acceptance.

Step 2: Make room

Do you see the tent used by the Weasley family in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire? It’s a tent that’s tiny on the outside but huge on the inside! If I use this comparison to talk about the mind, it’s because it’s important to make room in your mind for something other than those painful thoughts (and also because it might be time for me to re-watch the saga... 📺). Do you know this Chinese proverb? “You can’t stop the birds of sadness from flying over your heads, but you can stop them from making their nests in your hair.” “The idea is to understand that these thoughts will always be there and that we need to learn to live with them, but that we can ensure that they take up much less space! How? By welcoming other guests to our mind,” says Christophe. “By becoming aware of breathing, sounds, the body, and all the other thoughts that make up their lives. Being in the present is what mindfulness meditation is all about. Accompanied by other birds in a bigger sky, the birds of sadness will seem much less important.”

For example? Try taking a few minutes every day to focus your attention solely on your breathing 🕰️.

👉 You might be interested in this article: How to get your act together, this is where to start.

Step 3: Taking action

Earlier, I was talking about “starting someday somewhere”. This evokes movement, setting things in motion, and momentum. Our thoughts, by going around in circles in our heads, end up settling down. Even though a thought has nothing concrete in it, it can solidify, become very heavy, and take up a lot of space if we feed it too much, if we cling to it as if it were a certainty. One of the ways of freeing ourselves from it is also to act, to take action.

I recently watched this Brut report on Vincent, who runs despite his weight. One passage stood out for me: he said that if he’d waited until he was ready every time, he’d never have done anything. I found that beautiful and inspiring! 👍 Because that’s exactly what all those thoughts that are just thoughts do: paralyze us. By being around them, they seem truer than nature, become certainties, prevent us from doing things, and make us afraid or suffer. To avoid this and take the first step out of this mental prison, you can take action in real life. That’s what Vincent did.

Breathe 🌬️

“This too shall pass”. I really like this phrase. It speaks to us of the temporary nature of things, whether good or bad. Like our pleasures, our suffering won’t last. So you can be sure that the thoughts that are attacking you and taking up all the space today aren’t permanent. They, too, will come to an end. And you can help yourself to give them some height so that you can breathe a little easier.

>>> Discover; 4 Exercises that will help you breathe better

Editor’s note: Fewer thoughts, more avenues

Having thoughts that come and go is a normal process, but sometimes these thoughts take up too much space and are painful or obstructive. They seem so real to us that their impact on our lives becomes real. Realizing this, then distancing yourself through meditation or taking action, are ways of freeing yourself from these thoughts, and psychologists are here to help!

🤗 Understanding yourself, accepting yourself, being happy... It’s here and now!

#BornToBeMe

Be sure to check out these articles too;

Article presented by Lauren Hart

Writing is a beautiful means of expression that I cannot do without. It has allowed me to channel my hypersensitivity, plus I love writing about psychology and personal development. For me, self-understanding is the best way to move forward!

Read our latest articles here:

Are Narcissists Born Or Made? - Let's Settle The Debate

There you have it, the nature vs nurture debate is back, only this time I want to focus it on those deviously manipulative personalities we refer to as narcissists. Now, evidently these folks get bad press and rightly so because they are often at the root of plenty of harm, but is it really their fault? Can they really be blamed for their terrifying and perhaps inherent traits, or are they simply just products and in this case victims of their environments? Let’s settle this debate once and for all and figure out how and when this disorder becomes apparent. So, are you born a narcissist or is it developed?

Standing Up To A Narcissist Is Possible If You Follow These 9 Steps

If you’re anything like me, you’re no doubt sick of being manipulated and humiliated by the narcissistic vampires that surround you. Enough is enough! The time has come for you to stand up for yourself! No matter who is making you feel bad about yourself; you need to flip the tables and take back the power. Psychological abuse has deep and lasting impacts, but turning the page and moving on is the healthiest thing any victim can do. Here are 9 essential tips on how you can defend yourself against a narcissistic pervert.

Am I Too Demanding Of My Partner And Too Tough On Him?

Excessive expectations, intense routines and warped images of relationships often make our love stories difficult to manage and maintain. A relationship is one of life’s greatest balancing acts and requires compromises to be made regularly. In short, one cannot be too demanding or severe with their partner if they want a smooth sailing union. Being so tough is a way of testing our partner's feelings for us, yet this can lead to extremely toxic behavior. Although, thanks to our tips, you'll know how to turn things around.

Female Masturbation

That’s right, masturbation isn’t exclusively reserved for men, and us girls can enjoy the benefits of this practice too. It may seem like a very taboo subject, although over time it is becoming more and more talked about online, but that’s not to say that women feel comfortable with the idea… Many women run away from this pleasure and refuse to take care of themselves because they feel a cocktail of shame, fear, and embarrassment. Masturbation is all about self-care and making love to your body, and it’s one that no one should feel too guilty to practice.

Who Do Narcissists Target?

If reading up on narcissists terrifies you, you probably already realize how dangerous their toxic personalities can be. Although, that being said, I’m probably going to add to the list of reasons as to why you should be ultra wary of these abusers, by revealing who they prey on. One thing that can be said about narcissists is that they certainly aren’t predictable people! 😱 Plus, spoiler alert, they don’t necessarily always choose to emotionally abuse seemingly weak people, no, in fact, they often choose bigger fish to fry because they love a challenge. Discover the types of personalities they hone in on and why.

Overinflated Ego

“No, but in any case, I’m better than you.” Honestly, who likes hearing this kind of sentence? Sometimes, it’s not put so bluntly, but clearly, if we read between the lines, that’s what is meant. An overinflated ego is what defines a megalomaniac, along with a need to put yourself before others… Dealing with a megalomaniac isn’t easy, especially when it’s a daily occurrence! So, if you want a peaceful life, discover the true meaning of this disorder, and follow our tips to making this relationship just that little more bearable.

Should You Really Confess Your Feelings?

Who hasn’t had a crush in their life? You know, it’s when you fall for someone and have feelings for them even though you don’t really know them. I’m one of those people who have had lots of crushes, and sometimes I’ve even admitted my feelings. In fact, a recent example was just before I started my relationship with my current partner. I offloaded what I was feeling all of a sudden… I’ll tell you why I did it and how to go about it.

How Does A Narcissist React When They Can't Control You? 10 Things They Do

You probably know by now that narcissists only ever look for one thing and one thing only; and that’s control! Whether in their personal or professional life, folks with this personality disorder need to be in the driving seat and the one calling the shots, otherwise all hell breaks loose. 😨 Although their cunning and manipulative nature means they are often hard to escape, it is still possible to turn the tables on them and take the upper hand. Yet, you’ll need a thick skin to do so because when they feel their power slipping away, they become even more dangerous and abusive; here’s how they react when that happens.

I Still Suck My Thumb As An Adult

In general, thumb sucking ends around the age of 6. I say “in general” and not “normally”, because as an adult I don’t feel weird or particularly bothered by it. When I get stressed, I allow myself to let go and return to my childhood self by sucking my thumb. Those who know about it or catch me by surprise make me realize I should be ashamed… But is this habit a big deal? What if it makes me feel better? It’s certainly no worse than lighting up a cigarette or biting your nails…

Are Narcissists Lonely?

Loneliness is one of society’s biggest enemies, and none of us are exempt from it, not even the most devilish of narcissists out there. In fact, throughout the Coronavirus pandemic, 36% of Americans claimed that they have never felt lonelier, which sets a scary benchmark for the wider population 😔. Now, lots of us would no doubt immediately assume that narcissists are too independent and strong-willed to feel alone, however, the truth is they are often the biggest victims of loneliness, yet simply have trouble expressing their inner malaise.



Wengood's favorite tunes 🎵

Wengood's playlist

wengood

  1. Only LoveBen Howard
    4:08
  2. Invalid date
  3. Fix YouColdplay
    4:55
  4. Beautiful DayU2
    4:08
  5. Thinking out LoudEd Sheeran
    4:41
  6. White FlagDido
    4:00
  7. Lay Me DownSam Smith
    4:13
  8. Nine Million BicyclesKatie Melua
    3:17
  9. Put Your Records OnCorinne Bailey Rae
    3:35
  10. Summertime SadnessLana Del Rey
    4:24
  11. Imagine - Remastered 2010John Lennon
    3:07
  12. Shake It OutFlorence + The Machine
    4:37
  13. Space Oddity - Love You Til Tuesday versionDavid Bowie
    3:46
  14. What A Wonderful WorldLouis Armstrong
    2:17
  15. With Or Without YouU2
    4:56
  16. HelloAdele
    4:55
  17. Don't Stop Me NowQueen
    3:29
  18. Skinny LoveBirdy
    3:21
  19. WingsBirdy
    4:12
  20. Californian SoilLondon Grammar
    3:41

How to detect a narcissist

How to detect a narcissist

How to soothe an anxiety attack

How to soothe an anxiety attack