"If I didn't think, I'd be much happier." Sylvia Plath

This quotation (there is a second part but I have chosen not to include it but concentrate on the first part - for the purists) means a lot to me. People have often told me that I think way too much and if I didn't think as much I would be more peaceful, calmer and possibly happier.

Now we are encouraged to change the way we think. We are told that what you think affects how you feel, so if you want to feel better we should change how we think. Counsellors challenge our pattern of thinking and show us different ways of thinking will hopefully be more helpful.

Why is thinking so problematic for some of us? Would we be much happier if we didn't think or didn't think as much.

Various studies have shown that the average person has more than 30,000 thoughts a day. About 90% of those thoughts are repetitive and 80% can be classed as negative.

Some of you will say 30,000 thoughts, I would not think that much in a year while others will say, like me, 30,000 thoughts, I think that before breakfast!

Negative here means those thoughts that do not give anything beneficial like support for our desires, health, ideas and accomplishments. Those thoughts are really your mind worrying, planning, going over and over problems. This means that studies show that the majority of our thoughts are a constant negative force in our body-mind because they deprive us of energy and mental peace.

I often wonder how this research is done and who does it. What machine is there that can detect 30,000 thoughts?

Would you agree that 90% of your thoughts are repetitive and 80% are negative? I would say some days that would be true but on other days it maybe half positive and half negative thoughts.

I know people who don't seem to think and worry as much as I do and they seem happier.

Do you think you would be happier if you didn't think so much or if you thought more productively, more positively?

What have you found that helps you to change your negative thoughts?

Leah

A Moodscope member.