Sometimes thoughts can lead you into a negative frame of mind. Thoughts can increase tension and lead you to using violent behaviours.
It’s important to remember that
thoughts -> feelings -> behaviour.
Your thoughts lead you to have feelings which then lead you to take actions.
You can take ownership of your thoughts and actively choose to stop when these thoughts become dangerous.
Here are some tips on how to stop “hot” or “dangerous” thoughts.
Stopping ‘Hot’ or Dangerous Thoughts
• Permission: remind yourself you want to stop thinking it, and you are allowed to stop thinking it.
• Stop! When the thought comes up, loudly say “Stop!” Some people also find it helpful to grip something tightly. • Grounding: use the Five Things exercise to get yourself out of your head.
• Distraction: get mindfully busy. Find something that requires concentration and effort.
• Moving down the Tension Scale: if the thought brings strong feelings of anxiety or anger, use breathing or relaxation to bring you down the Scale.
• Park it: choose not to worry about it for 24 hours. If you find you have forgotten about it by then, fine. Don’t think about it any more.
• Make an appointment: make a specific time of the day to tackle your thought, and don’t think about it until then. When the time comes, plan how to deal with the problem by using the Helpful Thinking screen.
And, always:
• Keep looking around you. Notice the world and be in it.