Noticing when a thought feels sticky

We get thousands of thoughts in a day. Most of them pass by without us noticing. 

When one starts to feel ‘sticky’, it’s usually because we’ve attached meaning and judgement to it — we start questioning the thought, analysing it, or trying to figure it out.

But the more we try to solve it or give it weight, the more we get pulled in.

Mindfulness can help us notice that our mind is doing this, and help us go from being caught up in the thought to observing it from the outside and noticing that it’s a thought.

It can help to name what’s going on: “I’m overthinking” or “I’m spiralling.”

It isn’t about trying to get rid of the thought or expecting it not to come back, but about consistently working on the practice of letting thoughts be there without getting pulled into them.