It seems that life is filled with one escape attempt after another.

What’s not immediately apparent is that almost everyone is attempting to escape the same thing.

There are many methods of escape. Here are some of the main ones: alcohol abuse, drug abuse, excessive activity, couch potato-itis, social media preoccupation, (insert yours here).

So what is just about everyone attempting to escape from? – The thoughts in their head.

The activities we choose as a diversion are an attempt to get away from our disturbing thoughts. The Grasshopper weighed in with this over the weekend: “When you pay too much attention to the voice in your head, you have joined the walking dead.”

The best way to quiet your excessive thoughts is to observe them, not argue with them. Get curious about cultivating the habit of observing your mind at work, as a bystander, not as a participant. When you observe your thoughts, you give them the attention they crave. They will dissipate more quickly when you invite them in for observational tea.

Observation is how to get your thoughts to leave town instead of your method of leaving your senses.

When your diversion attempt is over, those thoughts are waiting with the same intensity. Let’s call it a “thought hangover.”

Yes, even observed thoughts can return but not with the same frequency. In fact, with observational practice, they visit less and less.

The side effects of escapism are cumulative, which means you will pay a continual price for your particular vice.

Want your mind to be more kind? Observe your thoughts in action, and you won’t need to escape as a distraction.

All the best,

John