Have you ever been “lost in thought.” This is when you pour the coffee creamer into the sugar bowl or end up in a room or a situation where you do not know why you are there. Getting caught up in our internal world of confusing thoughts can cause all sorts of problems. Overthinking can create confusion, clutter, and noise in our heads and keep us from seeing all the available options. Sometimes, we try to think harder to solve problems that thoughts cannot fix. This causes our minds to race, and we have difficulty turning off thoughts.
We all have an amazing superpower known as neuroplasticity. Just like muscles in the body change when we do physical exercise, our brains change in response to our thoughts and actions. The more specific thought patterns are used, the stronger the connections between the neurons associated with that thought become. We can use our minds to literally change our brains.
Repetitive thoughts become patterns of activity in the brain. Many thought patterns that originate in childhood are carried into adulthood. When we do not re-examine our thoughts as we grow, we treat our thoughts like an uncultivated garden. When we challenge our unhelpful notions and ideas, we become conscientious, deliberate gardeners, and our thoughts bloom healthily. Learning to challenge what you think rather than accepting thoughts blindly is essential. Thoughts are just thoughts; careful examination helps us determine which ones are helpful and most deserving of our attention and are up to date with our knowledge and experience. This process is known as updating the reward value of our thoughts and behaviors; it is a necessary part of growth and restoration.
Becoming aware of how our thoughts influence us is a step toward learning how to manage them. Awareness or noticing thoughts is known as metacognition (thoughts about thoughts), and it is a step toward insight into how our thoughts impact us.