Mindfulness changed my life. What is it and why do I recommend it for overthinkers?

Okay, so we’ve been given a brain akin to a nasty social media algorithm. What do we do about it?

What does it mean to “let go” of thoughts? This phrase comes up all the time in therapy. Picture yourself 5 minutes into a mindfulness meditation, and the whispery-voiced therapist says, “Notice the thought, and let it go.”

We want to avoid emotional pain. It generally feels awful. The physical sensations are sometimes unbearable. Suffering sucks. Ugh. Of course we want to get rid of these feelings!!

Discover two processes (noticing the thought and categorization) that help create psychological distance from the thought, so we can begin to view thoughts as simply - thoughts.

Why does this inner critic exist? What is it doing in your head besides torturing you? We can imagine the inner critic as an over-tuned, too effective part of the threat defense system.