5 supportive ways to get out of your head and start enjoying life

How many times a day or week do you get stuck in your own head, worrying about things?

Has it been happening for a while now and you can’t seem to shake your head from the thoughts that keep spinning around? You’re weighed down by them and are thinking that you’re doing things wrong. STOP IT!

Often you get stuck in your head because of 3 things

• Something that has happened in the past
• Something that might happen in the future
• Something that you have to decide on

They all have 1 thing in common…

They make you second-guess yourself

• Did I do the right thing? What if I had said this instead of that? What if…
• What if it doesn’t work out? What if they won’t like it? What if…
• Is it best to go with A or B? What if C makes more sense? What if…

All these “What ifs…” can take a toll on you in every way possible.
Mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually, and even financially.

And guess what… You are not alone.
We all have moments when we get stuck in our heads and forget to enjoy the present.

In order to move away from the things that you worry about, a mind shift is needed. You need to refocus your thoughts.

That’s the best advice there is but…
If only you knew how, am I right?
It’s not that you enjoy being stuck in your head…

To help you with this, I’ve got 5 supportive ways to get out of your head for you in this blog, so you can start enjoying your life!

Beat the fear of “what if” in 3 steps

Most “What if” questions are the worst.
They drain your energy and put you in a bad place emotionally.
They keep you stuck in your head with a never-ending loop of doubting yourself.

So let’s beat this sneaky little bugger headfirst with the following 3 steps.

Step 1: Discover the fear that triggers your “what if”?

When over-thinking is ruining your life, it’s exhausting.
To tackle this or even overcome it, it’s important to become aware of your fears and triggers so you can face them.

Yes, this can be challenging but it’s also necessary.
You can’t face things that remain hidden.
When you turn toward your fear instead of away from it, you will start to notice things about it that you didn’t know before.

Ask yourself what it is about this situation that you fear. That brings up anxiety?
What causes the stress? What fear keeps you stuck in your head?

Once you’ve identified what the fear is, it’s good to look at what triggered it.
Did you have this fear before? Were you in a similar situation before? What happened?

Your mind will go to great lengths to protect you so if you ever had a bad experience with this kind of situation, it will put you on high alert or even in survival mode. All just to protect you.

And while the intention of your mind is good, it’s not helping you, is it?
It’s putting your thoughts in a negative loop and you just want to get out of it.

If you’d like you can keep notes on when this happens. Do you see a pattern happening here? Does it happen mostly at work, with friends, or when you are about to do something you don’t feel confident about?

Do you experience the same symptoms and emotions every time? Do the same thoughts come up or different ones?

All good things to pay attention to when you write them down so you can become aware of the fear & what triggered it.

Step 2: Provide your brain with PROOF

As mentioned, your mind is trying to protect you and wants to keep you safe. So the best way to ease your mind is to show it that it’s safe. To provide proof that things are okay.

Take a moment, sit down, and take a couple of deep breaths. Close your eyes and thank your mind for bringing these thoughts to your attention. There is so much power in acknowledging things & thoughts instead of fighting them or letting them run your life.

Think of a time when you had these thoughts & feelings before. It probably wasn’t easy but you came out on the other end. And because of that, you know you will do so this time as well.

You’re strong, you’re resourceful, you will make it happen.
So tell yourself that!

By doing this, you’re giving your mind the proof it needs so it knows that, even though things are stressful right now, you will be okay.

Think of all your accomplishments in life and stick to the facts. Things you made happen.

You’ve survived 100% of your hardest days, you can do this too.
You will pull through no matter what happens.
You got this!

After you provided proof to your mind that things will be okay, it’s time to reframe your thoughts.

Step 3: Reframe your negative “What if” into a positive one

Once you’ve identified what causes the negative “What if…”, you’ve provided your mind with proof that you’ve got this, it’s time to change the narrative.

It’s time to shift your negative “What if” that causes fear & doubt, into a positive one that empowers you.

Because you can go down the rabbit hole of things not working out, but what if things would work out?
What if things would turn out the way you wanted? Or what if they would turn out even better than you expected?

This is a skill that might need some practice because it can feel unnatural to you in the beginning, but keep practicing it. By changing your thoughts, you will be changing your actions which will change the result you get in life.

Here are some examples of negative thoughts with the results that they get you.

Work meeting

Thought: What if my boss doesn’t like my idea?
Action: You’re not sharing your input.
Result: No one will know the idea you had. Your idea might have been the solution the team was looking for.

Meeting new people

Thought: What if they won’t like me?
Action: You’re not going to the social event
Result: You’ll be missing out on a night of fun and possible new connections.

Relationship

Thought: What if my partner doesn’t like my favorite food because it’s spicy?
Action: You’re not cooking it anymore
Result: You’ll be missing out on your favorite food and so is he.

Now let’s shift those thoughts into positive ones and let’s see how it impacts your results

Work meeting

Thought: What if my boss likes my idea!
Action: You’re sharing your input
Result: Based on all the information that everyone gives, your boss can make an informed decision. They might even choose your idea but either way, your input will be appreciated.

Meeting new people

Thought: What if they will like me!
Action: You’re going to the event with an open mind.
Result: You’ll be enjoying a night out and possible new connections. In case it’s not you’re cup of tea, you always have the opportunity to leave but you never know until you’ve tried!

Relationship

Thought: What if my partner likes my favorite food because it’s spicy!
Action: You’ll be cooking it with great enthusiasm.
Result: You won’t be missing out on your favorite food and neither is he. Best case scenario… you’ll be eating more often, worse case scenario he’ll eat his plate and yours…

Did you notice the big difference here? You never know until you’ve tried!

And yes, I know it’s hard!

Trust me, I’ve been there and so have my clients. But we all agree on 1 thing and that’s that we’re never letting another “What if” hold us back from enjoying life to the fullest.

Want to know more about thoughts that are blocking your happiness and how to shift them?

Book a complimentary discovery call with me and I’ll tell you all about it!

What you focus on grows

Another good thing to know when you want to get out of your head and start enjoying your life is that YOU are in control of your thoughts.

Are you having a lot of negative thoughts?

That’s probably because that’s where your focus lies. Whenever negative thoughts pop up, you give them attention. You give them meaning and that’s why they keep coming back. And THAT’S why you stay stuck in your head.

This is totally understandable because you don’t want negative things to happen, do you?

But things will happen, no matter your thoughts.
No matter how much you worry about things, they will happen. Or not, but often it’s not in your control.

However, your thoughts and your focus ARE in your control. It all comes down to “What you focus on will grow”.

When you focus on your positive thoughts, instead of the negative thoughts, that’s what your mind will produce more of. If you deliberately focus your energy on the positive things that happen in your life, more positive things will pop up.

And that’s not because all of a sudden you’re in Candyland after 3 positive thoughts and now only good things happen.

No, it’s because you start focusing on them, looking for them, acknowledging them.
You’re becoming more aware of them and because of that, you start seeing them.

So the big question is…

What do you decide to focus on today?

Disrupt your thoughts

As mentioned before, one of the key things that will help you to get out of your is to become more aware of your thoughts without giving too much meaning to them.

You have thousands of thoughts per day!

They aren’t all positive and they aren’t all negative. In the end all they are… just thoughts.

It’s up to you what you do with them. It’s up to you how much meaning you give to them. Plus, it’s up to you to decide to which thoughts you give meaning.

Do you choose to focus on negative thoughts which will instill fear and ignite your worries? Or do you choose to focus on the neutral and positive thoughts that empower your mood, your emotions, and your overall well-being?

To get out of your head so you can start living your best life, it’s good to take little moments throughout the day so you can become more aware of your thoughts.

How to do that?

First of all, take a deep breath. It all starts with that. A deep breath to relax, to anchor yourself, to literally catch your breath. Because I’m sure it’s been a while since you did that, isn’t it?

Take a moment to take that deep breath and notice whatever pops up in your mind. It can be thoughts, emotions, images, flashbacks, memories…

Let them flow and just observe them.
Don’t judge them, don’t give meaning to them, just let them come and go.
This is how you become aware of them.

Note that your mind will always try to protect you and that’s why it will try to focus on the negative.
So that you’re prepared.

The best way to handle these thoughts is not by fighting them.
Labeling them as “bad” or “wrong” makes that you’re focusing on the thoughts in a negative way.

Instead, acknowledge the thoughts.
Acknowledge and thank them for bringing them to your attention, for trying to keep you safe.

By acknowledging instead of fighting the thoughts, you’ll interrupt your usual pattern & the loop of worrying. This way you’ll create an opportunity for a new pattern. A positive one that helps you to enjoy your life.

So after interrupting your usual thought pattern, be curious about what else pops up in your mind. Are there also things that you like? Sometimes it helps to give your mind a gentle push in the right direction.

Does something come up that puts a smile on your face? Acknowledge it as well and sit with that thought or emotion for a minute. Then let it go and see what else pops up.

The more you practice this, the easier it will become. To help you with this, I’ve made my guided meditation that I use with my clients public. It’s designed to bring your mind back from your thoughts so you can unhook them and let them flow.

This way you make room for new thoughts in your head, thoughts help you, that empower you. Thoughts that you want to give attention to so you can get out of your head and start enjoying your life.

Because remember, what you focus on will grow!

If this is hard for you, try my guided meditation that’s designed to bring your mind back from your thoughts.

Is your mind full? Try mindfulness!

Sure you can meditate and it’s very effective, but there are a lot of other ways to practice mindfulness as well.

List the things you HAVE

For example make a list of the things you have in your life, that you’re grateful for.
Often you focus on the things that you don’t have and you miss out on all the things that you do have.

Making a list of those things helps the mind shift from focusing on the worries and the lack of things to focusing on the positive, on fulfillment.

Focus on your breathing

Paying attention to your breath can do wonders for your health!
It reduces stress, it helps you to clear your mind, it helps you to relax, it helps you to sleep better…

Isn’t it amazing how much a few deep breaths can accomplish?

To get you started with this, I’ve released my mediation “Alleviate stress with three deep breaths” for you to download for FREE. Because you don’t need another spa date or holiday to reduce your stress. Sometimes it’s as simple as taking a few guided breaths.

Immerse yourself in nature

Put on your shoes and outside. Take yourself out for a walk.

It doesn’t necessarily have to be in a forest or on the beach, going outside to breathe in some fresh air, feeling the wind in your hair, and (hopefully) some sunshine on your face. It makes ALL the difference.

A change of scenery can do wonders for your well-being so don’t forget to look around and enjoy all the beauty nature has to offer. Take it all in and let it refresh & inspire you.

Start moving

Not in the mood to go out? Exercising is another great way to get out of your head.

Get your heart rate up, smile, and experience how it gets your mind off of things.

When you exercise you change your focus from your thoughts to your movement and when you push yourself hard enough, there won’t be room for negative thoughts, fear, or worries.

Focus on your senses

Another way to practice mindfulness is by focusing on your senses. This really helps you to be present in the moment. Not thinking about the past, not thinking about the future, you’ll be simply focusing on what’s happening here and now.

What do you see, smell, hear, taste, feel etc.

It’s extremely powerful because when you focus on your senses, there is no room for what ifs!

Tap into your community

Feel free to reach out to your community when you’re stuck in your head!

If you’re anything like my clients you are one of the most loving members of communities because you are always there for others. It’s okay to reach out to them for support as well. Permission granted!

By engaging with others, you’re creating opportunities for yourself.

The opportunity to talk things through, to just get it out, and the opportunity to get the mind off your worries by helping them.

So take action and reach out to someone in your inner circle, someone you trust.
Let them know what’s going on and ask if they have a moment for you.
Sometimes saying things out loud can be such a relief!

Or share that you need to focus your mind on something else and ask if you can help them with something.
Showing an act of kindness does wonders for your mind and mood. It’s definitely a mood booster that gets you out of your head so you can start enjoying life!

Last thoughts

This is a lot of information to take in and I want you to go at your own pace.
So make sure to save this blog so you can come back to it.

Know that all the tools mentioned in this blog are for you to practice. They’re free and most definitely worth a shot so that you can start enjoying your life.

Why do I keep talking about “practicing”?

All tools & skills are developed by practicing them. There’s no “right” or “wrong”. There’s only practicing.
Because… when you’re practicing things, there is no judgment. Only trying with compassion will help you to move forward.

If you’re interested to know more about practicing compassion towards yourself, feel free to read my blog about it.
It’s been an eye-opener for many already!

Enjoy practicing the tools that this blog got you excited about & feel free to leave a comment sharing which one it is!

Lots of love & positivity,

P.S. When you’re ready to make real, lasting change happen in your life, book your complimentary call today to discover what’s blocking your happiness and how to change it.