Peace of mind

Neuroscientists like Dr. Joe Dispenza talk about the fact that we have around 60,000 thoughts each day. While this is a significant number, the concerning statistic is that 80% of our thoughts are repetitive. Every day, we engage in the same thought processes, which generally consist of behavior patterns and beliefs anchored in our minds, creating a thought loop that we often aren't even aware of.

Photo credit: Business Insider

Has it ever happened to you that you went on vacation, changed your life's scenery for a few days, and suddenly a new idea popped into your mind or you found a solution to a long-standing problem? This happens because you've broken free from your routine thought loop.

Our thoughts wield significant power over our lives. Consider this: everything that exists in this world was born from a thought. Our thoughts also have a profound effect on our health. As humans, we can dwell on a past event that hurt or insulted us, and suddenly, a physical reaction to this thought emerges. Stress hormones flood our body, causing our heart rate to increase and blood to flow faster to our muscles. We may begin to feel hot. Our body doesn't discern that it's just a thought; it reacts as if the event is happening in the present. In other words, every time we dwell on a negative thought, our body re-experiences the event.

Conversely, when we focus on pleasant thoughts, something we love, or an exciting event we experienced, our body also reacts by releasing the "love hormone," oxytocin. We physically feel this relaxation and can be more present in the moment. In a nursing mother, the release of oxytocin causes the muscles around the mammary glands to contract, helping to push milk towards the nipple.

Given this, we can agree that there's significant importance in observing our thoughts and choosing whether and when to give them space.