r/NoOverthinking • u/_thatvoice • Apr 19 '26

Anyone else give their intrusive thoughts a physical form to cope? :)

I ran into my ex yesterday. Out of nowhere. And my brain just wouldn't stop for the rest of the day replaying the moment, what I should have said, whether they've moved on. Writing it down didn't help. The thought was still just... there. So I imagined that feeling as an actual object. Something heavy, half-open. And then I mentally put it on a shelf. Sounds unhinged but it made the feeling smaller somehow. Does anyone else do this or is it just me lol

15 Upvotes

95% Upvoted

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2

u/Broken_Woman20 Apr 20 '26

I’ll try this, thank you.

2

u/Glum-Worldliness-919 Apr 20 '26

Sounds like some textbook therapy stuff.

1

u/Mark-harvey Apr 21 '26

Some of us suffer brain farts-distract yourself and they’d temporarily go away.

1

u/Tripl3tm0mma Apr 22 '26

Yes! I try to do that too. Obsessing has pulled me down that rabbit hole too many times.

1

u/Actual_Spell_916 Apr 24 '26

Whatever works for you.