How to get rid of intrusive thoughtsāBacked by brain science
Unwanted memories, thoughts you just canāt turn off, thoughts you didnāt ask for are all intrusive thoughts. If you deal with anxiety, OCD, PTSD and even mental burnout, youāve probably experienced them. But the solution isnāt always about willpower
Your brain runs on chemicals and one of the most important for calm thinking is GABA, which is your brainās main calming neurotransmitter. It basically tells your mind when to stop firing, settle down and let go of thoughts that arenāt helpful
When GABA levels are low, it becomes much harder to block out intrusive thoughts. Even if your prefrontal cortex is trying its best to stay focused, low GABA can cause your memory system (the hippocampus) to keep looping the same thoughts. It's not that your rational brain is broken itās that without enough GABA, it doesnāt have the support it needs to do its job
So if you find that you canāt willpower your way out of spiraling thoughts, the issue might be chemistry. And when your GABA levels are balanced, your brain can finally do what itās designed to do which is filter, release and move on
Natural ways to get rid of intrusive thoughts by boosting GABA levels:
L Theanineā Calms brain, improves focus and boosts GABA
Magnesium Glycinate/Threonateā Helps GABA work better and eases anxiety
Vitamin B6ā Needed to create GABA from glutamate
Taurineā A GABA like amino acid that helps quiet your mind
PharmaGABAā A natural form of GABA shown to reduce stress in some people
Ashwagandhaā Reduces cortisol and helps regulate GABA
Oats, sweet potatoes, quinoa
Training your brain to let go:
10ā20 minutes of meditating a day can raise GABA naturally. Box breathing also helps
Cold showers activate parasympathetic nervous system and GABA production
Exercise (even going on walks) boosts GABA and rewires your brain away from rumination.
Grounding reduces overactivity in the part of your brain that loops and obsesses
7ā9 hours of quality sleep
Reducing caffeine and alcohol (both mess with GABA)
Taking breaks from constant stimulation and scrolling
Do not suppress your emotions. The more you push the thought away the stronger it gets because it is essentially your main focus still. Science shows that when you label your thoughts and feelings they have less control over you. Do not attach any meaning to the thoughts or judge yourself for them instead tell yourself something like " ok well I had this thought and its bad and definitely not something I want, so I will not be doing that" and continue on
Every time you respond to an intrusive thought with calm instead of panic, youāre strengthening your prefrontal cortex (rational thinking, decision making and emotional regulation). Instead of shaming yourself for what your mind throws at you, youāre choosing understanding over judgment, which is what healing really looks
This is not medical advice :)