Especially New Members - Try These Mindful Detachment Metaphors and Meditations To Ease Away From Rumination

[taurean]

I have passed these on before but for those who missed them and for new members here they are.

When we are worried anxious or ruminating, our active doing part of the brain is whirring round and round and it can be difficult to break this cycle.

Switching focus to the just "being" part of the brain (mindful area) allows us to refocus onto something beenfical that will calm us down and may break the cycle.

These little gems must only be utilised when in a completely safe environment, not responsible for anything, not driving not operating machinery. So are best used at home lying down or in a chair.

when in that safe place, Just take a few deep breaths, close you eyes and begin.

BALLOON METAPHOR

You enter a well-kept garden, and it is summer and there is a beautiful blue sky with just a few cumulus clouds (the fluffy white ones).

Underneath a cherry tree there is a welcoming wooden bench and you glide over there, noting each footfall , and sit down in the welcoming shade. In your shoulder bag you have a bottle of water, and you take a drink from that to refresh you.

Imagine a yellow balloon appears in front of you, and just hovers in the garden. Then imagine that your unwanted negative intrusive thoughts drift out of your mind and enter the balloon.

The thoughts are still with you – but in the balloon – you can see them inside the opaqueness of the balloon.

Now, remind yourself that those intrusions are not wanted by you ; slow down your breathing, and relax your muscles as you sit on the seat in this beautiful garden. Think of your core values, the essential things that make up your own character reference. Note how the thoughts within the balloon are at odds to that – which is why you found them so distressing.

In the balloon the thoughts cannot harm you – you are now observing them mindfully – switching off the active “doing”part of your brain which wanted to ruminate, check, seek re-assurance – and you are using the “being” part of the brain in that you are just observing and noting these the thoughts.

If you can now see that these are OCD thoughts, you can label them as OCD and re-attribute them away from yourself and to OCD. If they are other sorts of thoughts, note why they are unhelpful and were causing you distress – and see how you might shift emphasis away from them to a more helpful mindset.

When you are now in this position, and feeling calm and relaxed, it is time to return to the here and now.

Waterfall

Walk calmly and in a mindful way along a winding path in the countryside, seeing the view, appreciating colours, observing the wildlife, smelling the air, noticing and feeling your steps, feeling the breeze.

Wander along a pathway until you hear and smell the sound and scent of water. Around a bend in the way you see a tall waterfall; just stand still a while and enjoy the glory and majesty of this thing of wonder; let your intrusive thoughts go, allow them and watch them to shift out of your mind and fasten into the waterfall; observe them as they continue to hang in the visible area of the waterfall.

Walk behind the waterfall and stand on the ledge behind, appreciating the sound of the falls, the smell of the water vapour, but most of all the detachment from your unwanted intrusive thoughts . Continue to observe the thoughts in a detached “impartial observer” way.

Just “be” – let this moment continue, there is no need for you to do anything, think anything but what you see hear and feel in this moment. Stay here for a few minutes at least.

When you are ready, come out from behind the waterfall, saying goodbye to your thoughts; watch as the thoughts free themselves and wash away down the hillside, resolving them and leaving your environment.

Choppy Ocean Metaphor

You are sitting on a hill overlooking the sea.

The surface of the water far out is choppy and this resembles your state of mind going into the metaphor, with thoughts all over the place.

Project your mind beneath the surface of the ocean and as your imagination takes you lower you can identify that the water is calm and the various fish that you see are swimming around quite placidly and so you can imagine that looking beneath the turmoil in your mind you can see a calm place where your thoughts are placid.

Edited February 2, 2015 by taurean

[Guest nswitch]

Thanks for these, Taurean. :original:

[Guest aleelliott]

Very useful, thanks Roy!

[Guest Orwell1984]

Going to print these out. Some new takes on things I haven't tried yet. Thankyou for another helpful thread

[Guest aleelliott]

I just came back to say I'm also printing them out and attaching to my crisis plan. Thank you again!