How to Stop Thinking – The New Science of a Lost Art

I’M all for rediscovering the ancient tools that can help us to be our optimal best. This one is brilliantly simple.
How do we master the lost art of how to stop thinking? Patrick McKeown is one of the world’s leading experts on optimal breathing, in his book The Oxygen Advantage, he presents a simple yet revolutionary approach to improving your body’s oxygen use, increasing your health, weight loss, and sports performance – whether you’re a recovering couch potato or an Ironman triathlon champion.
Patrick makes a remarkably interesting point, he says that we spend all our time in school learning how to think but that we’re never taught how to STOP thinking.
Fact is, most of our ‘thinking’ isn’t thinking at all. We’re simply looping the same unproductive thought over and over again.
Get this: According to a study done at USC, the average person has 70,000 thoughts per day. And, according to some experts, most of our thoughts are useless, 70 per cent are negative and 80-90 per cent of them are the same thoughts we had yesterday, and the day before and the day before and before…
You get it, that’s crazy. (Literally.) I get it, if I allow myself, my mind is full of useless negative, ‘I’m not good enough’ chatter and filled with ruminations of how things are going to spiral out of control.
This is really enervating. We waste a tonne of energy spinning our mental wheels – creating more stress and anxiety and fatigue while diminishing our performance and well-being. (Not a winning combination.)
So, learning how to STOP thinking is an especially important skill.
Patrick’s #1 tip on how to master the art of not thinking.
Breathe. Simple eh!! But believe me it is SOOO powerful.
Specifically, breathe through your nose. Deeply (but lightly!) into your diaphragm.
(One of Patrick’s Big Ideas I’ll share more in another column, is the fact that we all breathe way too much – which, paradoxically, decreases the amount of oxygen released into our cells.)
For now: Breathe through your nose. Deeply. Yet lightly.
And ahhhhh…
Our mind has slowed down. All that wasted energy is recouped.
Bonus tips!! Here’s two other ways to stop that mental chatter:
#2 Put your attention on your body. And a final tip,
#3 Take time to be present, immerse yourself in the present moment.
Let’s think productively when we need to do so, and then get really good at turning the brain off. Give it a try, I promise you will reap the benefits. Let me know how you get on.
Stay Focused, Keep Positive and Choose to +1 in Every Moment.
Love, Hugs, High Fives and Fist Bumps
Toni x
Toni Eastwood OBE, MBA #TheWomanBeyond. Ignite Your Passion, Fulfil Your Dreams and Awaken Your Greatness!
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