Troubling thoughts

We all have troubling thoughts from time to time. Sometimes we don't like what we're thinking, or our thoughts scare us. Sometimes our thoughts just keep going round and round and it's hard to make them stop.

Our thoughts happen very quickly in response to things around us, and to other thoughts and emotions - we have very little control over the thoughts which come into our mind - but we have more control over what we do with our thoughts once we become aware of them.

In this section we'll learn ways of dealing with troubling thoughts. Remember that thoughts are the results of connections and pathways in our brains - the more often we think something, the more likely we are to think it again.

That's why it's really important to practise noticing thoughts and simply letting them go.

Worrying about our thinking just makes worrying thoughts stronger.