Let’s talk about how to deal with anxious thoughts in a new way—one that doesn’t involve fighting them.
Earlier, you learned how to challenge scary or extreme thoughts. That can help.
But sometimes, even when we challenge a thought, the anxiety stays.
And that’s okay.
The goal isn’t to never feel anxiety.
It’s to stop letting anxious thoughts run the show.
That’s where mindful acceptance of thoughts comes in.
A technique called defusion helps you step back from your thoughts so they don’t feel so heavy or powerful.
What Is Defusion?
Defusion means seeing a thought as just a thought—not a fact, not a command, and not something you have to believe.
When we’re “fused” with our thoughts, it feels like we are our thoughts.
Defusion helps us create space between ourselves and our thinking.
This gives you more choice. Instead of reacting, you can observe.
Instead of obeying every anxious thought, you can pause and choose your next step.
Two Big Truths About Thoughts
1. Thoughts are mental input, not reality. Your thoughts are like messages your brain sends you. Some are helpful. Some are junk mail. You don’t have to believe every single one. You can thank your mind for its input—and still choose a different path.
2. Thoughts don’t last forever. Even big, loud, stressful thoughts fade. Your mind is always moving. Just sit for five minutes and notice how many different things you think about. Even thoughts that repeat will shift, grow quiet, or disappear.
When you start trusting that your thoughts aren’t permanent, they become less scary.
You begin to realize, “I don’t have to fix this thought. I just have to let it be.”
A Simple Tool: Labeling “Thinking”
When you notice your mind spinning, try this:
- Say to yourself, “Thinking.”
- Or, “I’m having a thought.”
- Or, “I’m having the thought that I won’t sleep.”
This small step helps you step out of the story and back into the moment.
You stop being stuck inside the thought and instead become the observer.
Once you’ve labeled it, you can choose what to do next.
Maybe you stay with the thought.
Maybe you let it go.
Maybe you return to what you were doing. It’s up to you.
Try This: Watch Your Thoughts
Set a timer for five minutes.
Just sit and notice how many different thoughts come up.
Watch how fast your brain changes direction.
This shows you in real time that thoughts move on—even if it doesn’t always feel that way.
What If the Thought Comes Back?
That’s normal. Some thoughts, especially anxious ones, like to visit again and again. Each time, you can:
- Label it.
- Notice it.
- Gently return your focus to the present.
- Remind yourself, “It’s okay for this thought to be here.”
The goal isn’t to get rid of thoughts. It’s to hold them more lightly.
Imagine walking through life carrying a backpack of worries.
Defusion doesn’t empty the bag all at once.
But it lets you stop gripping it so tightly.
You still carry it, but with less tension and more ease.
And that makes space for you to live—to keep doing what matters, even with a few noisy thoughts tagging along.
So next time your mind says something scary about sleep, try this:
- Notice it.
- Label it.
- Thank your mind.
- Keep moving forward anyway.
You’re not your thoughts. You’re the one who notices them.
And that changes everything.
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