Do you ruminate?
When I catch myself overthinking or ruminating, I sometimes recall the famous skit from MadTV where Bob Newhart plays a therapist. Do you know the one? A woman has come to him because she has a fear she can’t stop thinking about.
He tells her he has an answer that will solve her worries. She’s excited to finally learn how to end her problem and asks for his solution. He leans forward and says, “Stop it!”
It’s absurd and funny. If only it was that easy, right?
I think we laugh because there’s an underlying truth in this. We can see how we mentally construct problems and get swept away – not necessarily by the actual event, but more so our thoughts, beliefs, and worries ABOUT the things going on in our lives.
We may not be able to stop our overactive thoughts with a simple command.
But there IS something we CAN stop – which will automatically quiet our overactive mind:
Subvocalizations.
These are the very small movements in our throat. Our inner dialog unconsciously activates our throat and other muscles involved in speaking.
Next time you find yourself caught up in worries or cyclical thinking, bring your attention to your throat, including the tongue, jaw, voice box.
More than likely you’ll notice some tension and tightness there as your throat muscles mimic the voice inside your head.
Simply notice. That’s often enough to shift your thinking. Even more, you may pause to consciously relax those areas – tongue, throat, lips, jaw, Notice your breathing.
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When you bring your awareness to your throat, it interrupts the mind’s pattern.
It resets, reboots, quiets, silences the thoughts.
I’ve found that it’s a simple and quick way to drop the worries. Yes, the worries like to return, so this is an ongoing PRACTICE.
What would open up for you if you created more peaceful space in your mind?
Will you join me in noticing subvocalizations? When one person calms their overthinking mind, it creates more peace inside, which has ripple effects into our lives – our families – our hometowns – our world.
Let’s keep the conversation going
What helps you calm your overthinking mind? Do you ever catch yourself subvocalizing? If so, does the simple act of noticing this cease your ruminating? I’d love to hear how this technique works for you. Share in the comments – I’d love to hear!
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About Manda
I’m Manda Stack, Intuitive Coach and Energy Clearing Specialist. I’ve dedicated my life to helping people get calm, clear, and connected so that they can make empowered decisions to live with joy, confidence, and freedom. My signature services include intuitive coaching and personal energy clearing sessions, which are done virtually through Zoom sessions.?Click here for more information.