Stopping internal dialogue helps a person maintain a resourceful state and protect himself from exhaustion. Internal dialogue is a person’s communication with himself. Without control, this turns into chaos, sometimes turning into self-digging and self-flagellation. Therefore, it is important to be able to direct and stop the process of communicating with yourself.
Why do you need to turn off internal dialogue?
Why stop the internal dialogue? It takes a lot of energy. If this process is not controlled, then everything can end in exhaustion and illness. But first the psyche will go into economical mode. What does it mean? A person’s performance and productivity will decrease. The internal dialogue will not stop, but the psyche will try to replenish the energy balance through other activities.
For example, a person will become absent-minded in work and everyday matters, and drowsiness will begin to bother him. And every day the work of the economy mode will be more and more noticeable. As a result, a person will be a hostage to his thoughts and he will no longer have the strength to do anything. Therefore, it is important and necessary to turn off the internal dialogue in your head. But sometimes this can be difficult to do.
Note! You need to stop the background dialogue to save energy for more important things. And turn it on in those moments when you need to make a difficult decision, get rid of internal contradiction.
For what reasons is this difficult to do?
Why it can be difficult to stop internal dialogue:
- Automatic thoughts (AM). This is a concept from cognitive behavioral therapy. AM means a stream of chaotic thoughts that arise against the will of the subject one after another as an assessment of some situation. That is, any event, even some story with random passers-by on the street, is subjected to careful analysis and assessment in a manner characteristic of a particular person.
- Increased level of anxiety. Some people don’t even realize that an endless stream of thoughts compensates for the anxiety that does not leave them for a minute. Moreover, in this case, the internal dialogue can be fully or partially conscious, that is, it is no longer a background. A person always keeps himself busy with something, thinking about something, so that experiences, fears, and anxiety do not remind him of himself.
- Lack of self-confidence and self-doubt. A person doubts the correctness of his actions. And even stopping the internal dialogue can be difficult for him to decide: “What if I’m missing something important?”
In addition, problems with stopping internal dialogue arise in people in a state of stress and neurosis.
Stealth (37)
This fairly simple exercise can produce very powerful states of “heightened perception.” It is sometimes called "shadow walk".
The exercise consists of moving slowly, but silently, trying not to make any sounds. Neither your breathing nor the sound of your steps should be heard - you yourself should not hear your steps and breathing. You must become silent, like a shadow. In this case, all movement is “guided by the ears” - you should constantly listen to your own movements in order to avoid the slightest sound. Hearing should become your most important sense at this time. During the exercise, you should not step on objects that can make noise - you need to step over branches, walk around small objects without stepping on them, in general, constantly make sure not to make noise.
Ways to stop internal dialogue
In psychology, there are special techniques for stopping internal dialogue. But besides them, there are also rules. Let's start with this.
Important Rules
Rules for stopping internal dialogue:
- Refusal of any assessment, maintaining complete neutrality. Your thoughts are neither good nor bad, they are just your thoughts.
- Acceptance and humility. Everything that is happening to you now, what you are thinking about, is valuable and has a place to be.
- Passive position. Don't try to speed up the flow of thoughts or change it.
- Patience. Find the strength to walk this path to the end. Find the courage to face all problems and thoughts, especially negative ones.
These rules, like the technique presented below, help not only stop internal dialogue, but also get rid of fatigue.
Bottom line
In this article, I talked about how to stop constant internal dialogue and gave 3 useful exercises to develop this skill.
The psychology of internal dialogue is very simple - it is a habit that often limits us in using the various capabilities of our human brain.
It is worth noting that internal dialogue is normal !
And if there is no need or desire to turn it off, then there is no need to suffer, because this is one of the normal mechanisms of the human psyche. If you have something interesting to tell, it will be very cool to see it in the comments
How to stop internal dialogue
How to stop internal dialogue (universal technique):
- Choose a suitable time and place, take a comfortable position.
- Close your eyes.
- Take a deep breath and exhale slowly. Imagine how, as you exhale, all thoughts and worries leave you.
- Follow your thoughts for a minute. Determine where they go, how they fit together, and what they look like. Don't evaluate or criticize, don't try to change your train of thought - just observe.
- Get a feel for the observer's position. Stay in it. Renounce everything. Tell yourself right away that this will only last a couple of minutes. In just a couple of minutes you will not decide anything and manage your life.
- Feel humility and indifference giving way to peace.
At the same time, you will feel that your body and mind have relaxed. Feel this state, try to remember it. The next time you again feel hostage to thoughts or feel tired, remember this state, imagine that it is already with you again. And if necessary, repeat the entire practice from start to finish.
Walking trail (36)
This is a type of Indian chain in which each participant, with the exception of the leader, follows closely behind the one in front.
In this case, all participants walk in step, moving their legs synchronously - simultaneously the left one, then the right one at the same time. The foot is placed in the footprint of the same foot of the person walking in front (even if the print of the footprint is not actually visible - you, as it were, “visualize” this print and step into it).
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The main thing here is to step exactly in the footsteps of the person in front and not lose your footing, even with an unexpected change in speed or terrain. This is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance, you just have to really concentrate on this task.
The exercise should last at least an hour (longer - as much as you like). If you do it correctly, in accordance with all the requirements stated above, then soon a kind of “bubble of perception” will arise that will “absorb” the group. During the exercise, the sense of one’s own ego is gradually lost, and the person begins to feel more and more like part of a single group, a collective. The most amazing thing is that in this state people are able to walk without feeling any signs of fatigue. 'On the contrary, they seem to receive a charge of energy, they feel renewed, reborn.
Exercises to stop internal dialogue
How else can you stop the internal dialogue? Let's look at a few exercises to stop it:
- Worst case scenario analysis. Suitable for situations when anxiety and negative thoughts overcome. Choose your first thought. For example: “I will fail my report at work.” Ask yourself the question: “What happens next?” For a new answer, ask the same question again. Do this until you come to the most terrible ending. What is the benefit of this exercise? When you reach the end, the brain will decide that everything has already happened and calm down.
- Relaxation with a candle. Light a candle and don't think about anything, just watch. Study the light, the flowing wax and other details. The exercise of looking at a fire has a similar effect. By the way, you can turn on such a screensaver on your TV or find a suitable video on the Internet. Or you can look at any other object that surrounds you. Feel yourself relaxing. Our brain cannot perform several tasks at once. If you force him to study the candle, then he can no longer think about anything else.
- Development of awareness. It is based on the same principle as in the exercise with a candle. When you consciously concentrate on something, your brain can no longer process anything else in the background. Increase your awareness in everyday activities: brushing your teeth, taking a shower, going to the store, eating food, etc. Focus on the process. Learn to live in the moment “here and now.”
- Listening to audiobooks. Concentrate on each word, visualize what you hear. If you do get distracted by your thoughts, then don’t get hung up on it - return your attention to the book.
- Associations. Imagine that you are looking at water. Sometimes ripples appear on it, waves are your thoughts, a flow that you want to stop. Imagine how the ripples fade away. Feel how your thoughts fade away along with this.
- Fantasizing. Imagine that you are looking at a white screen. Move your gaze along it: from one corner to another, around the perimeter, in a circle, from top to bottom, etc.
- Substitution. This technique helps to get rid of a song that is boring and stuck in your head. Replace the entire text with just two sounds and repeat them in the same rhythm. Soon your brain will get tired of it, just like the original song.
We have discussed the rules, methods and techniques for stopping the internal dialogue in your head. Choose the workout exercises that you like best and work best for you, and use them regularly.
It remains to talk about the mistakes that some people make when trying to stop their internal dialogue.
Possible mistakes
Don't get too hung up on the idea of stopping your internal dialogue. The more you want to switch from a thought, the more you get stuck in it. Make relaxation your goal, not getting rid of your inner voice.
Don't blame yourself if you haven't been able to successfully complete any of the exercises yet or if you break the rules. For example, if you couldn’t stand it and assessed your thoughts, and then also began to scold yourself for bad thoughts. You learn, it's okay to make mistakes. Don't give up and don't go into self-flagellation.
Do you need to constantly think about problems and solutions?
No no need. As I already wrote, the task of the mind is purely applied, so let it help you with this. And constantly turning thoughts in his head on how to solve the problem is not his task. He won't find it early. Tell me, has he ever helped you solve a problem quickly and easily? No matter what solutions you consider, nothing good will come of it.
There is no need to stop the mind. Our goal is to slow down the mind, make it quiet, subordinate it to the true Self.
Everything will be difficult and unprofitable. And sometimes it’s not possible. Why? Because the mind relies on past experiences. And if you haven’t had such experience yet, then it won’t be able to solve anything. Or he will decide, but based on the past already known to you. And this is all complicated and difficult.
The Higher Self has no problems. He sees everything as a game. Therefore, problems are easily solved. Playfully. I will write a separate article about this. Follow the publications. In the meantime, you can check out the series of articles: “Life is a Game” on Yandex Zen until I delete them. Zen does not show such articles to people, there is no point in keeping them there, read (deleted, channel blocked) . All publications are now on this site, here is the beginning.
Consequences of stopping internal dialogue
What are the consequences (results) of stopping the internal dialogue in your head? Once you learn this, you will feel a surge of strength. The released energy can be used to develop abilities, fulfill desires and implement plans. In addition, you will become more confident in yourself. As a result of stopping the inner voice, your productivity and performance will increase, your sleep will normalize, and your overall emotional background will become more stable and positive.
