thought stopping

Unwanted negative thoughts haunt us all  but now there is a new technique for stopping them, because, left to their own devices they will continue to run over and over in our minds.  So the thing to do is to use a device such as saying ‘Stop!’ out loud, or snapping your fingers or pulling on an elastic band around your wrist to interrupt the bad thought.  Then you have to consciously direct your mind to a good thought, to something positive and uplifting. Once established as a corrective habit thought stopping can control depression and anxiety.

It seems to work as a technique for some people but not all.  Violently stopping anxious thoughts gives them a greater presence in your mind. Some  people find that the interrupted bad thoughts simply build up a subterranean strength and then all burst forth in an even bigger explosion.