How to Think about Your Thoughts: You are not your thoughts, thoughts are not facts

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How to think about your thoughts. Each, and every day, you have tens   of thousands of emotions, urges, memories,  concerns, and feelings moving through your mind.   They are there from the second you wake up  in the morning, all through the day, until   you go to sleep at night. Scientists estimate  that humans have 12 to 60,000 thoughts a day.  You have boring thoughts that float right on  through. Thoughts of you navigating your current   task. Thoughts analyzing past experiences. And  planning and worried thoughts about the future. Brains have evolved with a huge capacity for  problem-solving, connecting, and understanding   to ensure survival on this danger-ridden  planet. In modern times, though, we don’t   need 12 to 60,000 thoughts. When the mind has more  thoughts than you need to get through your day,   the extra space can be taken up by  disturbing negative or anxious thoughts.
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This is because it’s your mind’s duty to keep you  safe. It takes that job very seriously. Because   when you are safe, it looks for what it might  be missing so that it doesn’t miss anything!   And when there are no threats, it simply makes  them up. Weird, familiar, and freaky thoughts   light up with more energy. They might even scare  you. However, the more upsetness and attention a   thought gets, the more frequently it comes. You may be holding on to a thought that you   don’t want to hold on to. Soon it could  feel like the thoughts are in control.   But thoughts are not facts, and they’re  not always true, even if they seem to be. Next time you feel caught up in your  thoughts, try taking a step back.   As an observer, you could pay attention to them  from a position of curiosity instead of judgment.   From here, you are outside the chaos  of the content of the thoughts.   Think about them as mere ideas rather than  judging them as true or false, or right or wrong.   Some of your thoughts may be unwanted but instead  of reacting or attempting to figure them out,   notice your body sensations,  and check in with your emotions.
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Stay out of the content of the thoughts  and experience them as just thoughts.   Observing without engaging in negative thoughts is  a skill that takes practice, like playing a sport.   Sometimes it’ll be easy, but other times you’ll  work really hard to get some distance from them.   You might have to keep letting go of  the same unwanted thought over and over.   If you expect this, it won’t upset you as much.
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You can say, “Hey, negative thoughts, I knew  you’d come back. Just have a seat. I’m busy   right now.” Then, pull your attention off them and  engage it in an activity that is fun and creative. Being afraid or upset about your  thoughts feeds them more power.   When you don’t give them energy or meaning, they  shrink, come less often, and eventually fade away. Don’t give up! Be gentle and  compassionate with yourself.
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Thoughts will always pass through your mind,  but you can give them any meaning you choose.   Taking that step back to observe your  thoughts allows you to respond in ways   that you prefer. This will help you feel  empowered instead of disempowered and   enable you to get closer to the things  in your life that are important to you. Life is hard, and it’s okay to be  stressed and overwhelmed sometimes. But remember, you don’t have to do this   alone. Find a trusted adult to  assist you in getting better.