Podcast Episode 157 - How to Deal With Our Hot Thoughts Before You Know What Hits the Fan
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Have you ever had a problem you were so angry or stressed about you couldn't think clearly?
If someone irritates or hurts you, do you worry that if you let it go, it means they're right, and you're wrong?
Have you ever had a reaction that escalated the more you talked about it?
We’ve all had challenges or issues crop up that have gotten the best of us. We didn’t respond like we wanted, or the situation escalated. What can we do to avoid that hot thought boiling over and spilling all over ourselves and others’ lives?
Today is for you if…
If you're tired of overreacting.
If you want to handle issues in a healthier way.
If you're ready to short-circuit that potentially negative reaction.
Our thoughts are like boiling a pot of water. When they go negative, they can get hot. How do we stop them from boiling over?
We could put ice in the pot, but that's only temporary.
We must remove the heat source to get the water to stop boiling permanently.
So it goes with our thoughts. Sometimes we must remove ourselves from the heat source so our thoughts stop boiling.
Then went we chill out, we can deal with this issue in a productive, calm manner.
And when catching negativity early, you keep yourself in a resourceful state of mind, giving yourself the best shot at effectively solving problems, dealing with stress and overcoming challenges.
A practical way to remove the heat source on that hot thought is to schedule a later time to deal with the issue.
Once it's scheduled, then it's easier to drop that hot thought because you know mentally you'll get back to it.
Many times you won't even need to deal with it later as it naturally resolves itself.
Now dropping the thought and rescheduling it for later doesn't mean that someone else is right and you're wrong.
It DOES short-circuit the potentially negative reaction and keeps it from escalating.
If the issue merits revisiting, you can go back once the hotness wears off and deal with it calmly and proactively.