Having fun with thoughts

It can be quite distressing to have a multitude of thoughts racing through our minds saying all sorts of mean things to ourselves.

Thoughts such as, “I’m bad,” “I’m worthless,” “No one will ever like me, or “I mess up everything that I touch,” serve no benefit for our well-being.

When we find ourselves with a relentless barrage of negative thoughts, we can practice Mindfulness of Current Thoughts. Mindfulness simply means paying attention. So, mindfulness of thoughts means paying attention to the thoughts.

One strategy of paying attention to thoughts involves changing the rhythm and tone of the words in the thoughts. Marsha Linehan offers the following suggestions (Distress Tolerance Handout 15A):

Verbalize thoughts or beliefs out loud, using a nonjudgmental voice tone, over and over and over:

• As fast as you can until the thoughts make no sense.
• Very, very slowly (one syllable or word per breath).
• In a different voice from yours (high- or low-pitched, like a cartoon character or celebrity).
• As a dialogue on a TV comedy show (“You’ll never believe what thought went through my mind. I was thinking, ‘I’m a jerk.’ Can you believe that?”).
• As songs, sung wholeheartedly and dramatically, in a tune that fits the thoughts.

Through this process, the thought is externalized and examined in a non-judgmental way. When we play with a thought, we put space between ourselves and the thought. The power of the thought is diminished, and it no longer holds the same significance.

This process puts on the “mental brakes” to slow the mind and reduce distress.