ANSWERS: 55
  • Meditate.
  • Get a bit upset.
  • Metaphorically speaking, I try to find a life ring to try and save myself.
  • Listen to my favorite music and go on AB.
  • Observe them instead of getting tangled up in them -- i.e. the basis of awareness practice / meditation. EDIT ========================================= OK, if you have trouble with following the breath or counting breaths and observing thoughts, here's another variation which might be more suitable: "jotting the thoughts". This is a variation of my own invention, especially for those who are good typists and spend a lot of time on the computer. - Sit quietly at the keyboard, sit up straight, stay as still as possible. Posture is important, you want your body to be at attention as well as your mind. - Close your eyes most of the time for this if you can type without looking at the keyboard. If not, it's ok to look but keep your eyes open just enough to see the keys. Don't look around the room, don't look at the screen. The goal is to reduce the amount of external stimulation. Turn off the music, TV, or other distractions. Get comfortable and alert. - Open up a blank text file (e.g. with Notepad or an empty e-mail, it doesn't matter), and enter the current time, i.e. "5:08". Then, while you sit quietly, just try to notice your breath going in and out. When a thought arises, if it tries to distract you, type it out on the keyboard. You don't need to write down the whole thought, just one or two words of it's essence. Don't try to THINK about these thoughts, that's contrary to the goal. The idea is just to spit them out as they arise. They don't need to be connected, you're not writing a diary. Spelling, grammar, punctuation, typos, and capitalization are all irrelevant and unnecessary. You want the "jotting" operation to consume as little brainpower as possible while still producing some output. - The game is about awareness, which is sort of the opposite of thinking. The goal is to build up a "pool" of here-and-now awareness, and to do that you have to be able to SEE what thoughts are running (typically on auto-pilot in repetitive loops). - Once in a while -- every few minutes or so -- open your eyes and check the time. Start a new line and put the timestamp there. This will help you stay present: it's all about what's happening NOW, and then NOW again. You'll notice that it all keeps changing. - Keep the file private, or destroy it afterward. This is NOT something you're going to be sharing, there should be no concern about putting the nastiest, ugliest thoughts into it. It doesn't need to be a permanent record of anything, it's just a trash can to dump your thoughts in. - Regularity is important. You should do this every day, even if only for 10 minutes. Ideally, it's best to work up to 30 minutes or even more -- awareness practice is something you really can't overdo. Here's an example of what the file will look like (created in real time by yours truly!): ============ Example ======================= 7:45 - drip sound. clock tick. pc hums. breath. britain. rflagg avatars. heartrate. jazzercise. airport. mr big wants in. pool pump. 7:48 - no birds. jeep cherokee. doctor appointment. derick's mom. bright mornings.
  • I scramble them together and post the results on answerbag in the form of a question.
  • I don't drown in my thoughts so much as I tread the surface, see things about myself I *really* *really wish I hadn't, and wish I could drown, instead of having to pick apart my motives and thoughts for everything. I'm very inclined to self-critisism, but when I do that, I just end up hating myself.
  • Sink a little bit farther, then put my thoughts to use.
  • Escapism, meditation, visualization, or medication. I sometimes combine them.
  • I hate to sound like I am a nut, but I hate to sound or seem like I am made of steel either. There are time that I get so fraustrated with my situation or stressed to the point of no return. That drowning you speak of can have its toll and I will break down. I never give up though, somehow somewhere I find the rope from which to pull myself up from that drowning sea of dispair. I find that time has a way of making things happen. i know it sound cliche but if you fuss and make yourself helpless how can you ever help yourself. They say that God doesn't give you anything you cannot handle and I agree. So dig deep and take the time to make things happen, even if it seems forever. And the other thing is that if you stop panicing and thrashing around you will realizes that you know how to swim and the drowning is only happening from your inability to use what you have. Take time to focus, meditate and rearrange the thoughts.
  • Turn on the television. Surely, the brainless programs that are always playing will make my thoughts disappear for the time being. I usually do this when I am seriously worried about something. "Oh no, I am in danger of failing scho--oh look American Idol!" Okay, so I hate American Idol, so I would probably go a little less on the brainless scale. But when thoughts start to consume you, there really isn't much else, anyways. =P
  • Fill a bath with cold water and just try to say under as long as possible. It works well.
  • read the bible...go to sleep
  • I don't drown in my own thoughts. I learnt how to swim a long time ago.
  • Taking a nap usually helps.
  • I write it all down.
  • I grab a straw and try to suck air for as long as I can because my thoughts are going to take me down with them.
  • let it go... eventually you'll float right? And while your waiting, you can contemplate life...
  • Organize them and write.
  • I write Poetry/Songs
  • Breathe, relax, and try to "resurface" by putting some of those thoughts down on paper. That tends to work for me anyway.
  • I work out or I read.
  • Honestly … Drink a lot. Everything just seems to make a lot more sense when inebriated. Thus the wave crashing down around us doesn’t seem to take the same kind of effect.
  • If I cannot distract myself or keep my own head from spinning out of control, consumed by unwanted thoughts and/or worries, and every other thing I have tried does not work,then I take a valuim wich is perscribed to me by my doctor for this very thing.(lorazapam)=anxiety. Sometimes I call these little pills "my tiny little miracle" because for me,they stop the spinning thoughts just long enough to gather my senses together and calm down,1 is all I ever need to accomplish this goal and luckily it is not needed on a regular basis so I don't have to worry about addiction.
  • I turn on my MP3 and pretend like nothings wrong and Im care free and hen Im done, I take a deep breath and then start over what I didnt finish.
  • I look on the internet for MSN display pictures, and dont talk to anyone on MSN. =| I have a really uneventful home life.
  • Try to rearrange them, then think more about what and were it happened, if i'll see the peson again, what happened etc....
  • Go with the flow
  • Try to write everything down to get it off my mind. Sing something or do some exercise.
  • Read a good book on metaphysics.
  • Nothing, thats why I continue to do so.
  • I try to step back and look at my thoughts as disembodied from me. This way I can see them objectively and they don't suffocate me. I look at them one at a time and deal with them, and usually end up laughing at myself.
  • Smoke a cig.
  • dear god, let me know when you find out. I've had a wretched day of thought drowing and I feel as though I'm dying :]
  • I do something mind-numbing, watch television. That erases any brain activity...
  • Write and share them with others - who then give me new thoughts, so that's good. If that's not available, read or watch TV to help a bit.
  • take a lifeboat (good songs ,sitcoms ) and move up to the coast
  • Write them down. It seems to keep them from from going round and round in my head.
  • smoke a joint.
  • well i used to drink a lot so i can think more (well i used to drink a lot generally) but now i guess i am just playing some guitar or try to make some noise to help me out. I dunno i guess i am weird after all :P
  • If I'm drowning in my thoughts, I'd remember to wear a snorkler next time I think that much.
  • try to wake-up.
  • i just call one of my friends and talk to them about it.
  • Stop thinking! Imagine you were about to be eaten by a whale in the middle of the deep blue sea, how would you stop this from hapening ....STOP IMAGINING!
  • go out and sky watch, night or day.
  • Play a video game, watch a movie, heck, read a book. Whatever can distract me from myself. thats what i do anyways.
  • the best solution that works for me is to get into a really good book,this always works for me.odly enought going for a walk has never worked for me,some people say that it really clears their head,but i ve tried it many times and it just never helped.
  • I work out / exercise .
  • Observing my thoughts carefully shows that they about the past or the future, so they are not about Reality; they are not about Now. So I focus on what's happening in the present: awareness of my body, my enviornment. And when the thoughts come back, if they are about the past or the future I dismiss them. I also find that focussing on the silence between thoughts tends to lengthen the silence.
  • pick up the guitar and play... and cry
  • I've never felt like I was drowning in my own thoughts. I've felt overwhelmed by the fact I can't give each of them my full attention because there are too many and I often don't finish one thought before being interrupted or distracted by another, but if they are important enough they cycle back around.
  • Answerbag, Quora.... Reddit.... it's why these are here.
  • Go out for a walk in the country. After a break I can usually come home and get my thoughts in order and write a to do list in priority order, and disregard the rest.
    • Linda Joy
      It has been proven that stress is often relieved through nature. Good strategy!
  • I read the Bible. I am impressed by how people handled hardships and adversity. Depression and bullying, discrimination and scandal... humankind has been dealing with these things since the very beginning.
    • Linda Joy
      The Bible is a good hard time buddy. No matter how bad you think your life is there are always others who have it worse! Puts things in perspective!
  • Exercise

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