There is research that shows that practicing meditation can have positive benefits on your brain. If fact, meditation can help reconfigure your brain to operate more effectively and to better handle stress. Consider a simple breathing exercise that allows you to focus on your breathing in and out. You can acknowledge any thoughts that come to mind, let them go, then refocus back on your breathing.
Heidi Godman of Harvard Medical School writes that physical exercise has scientifically proven benefits for the brain. These include:
She goes on to write that walking briskly twice a week for 20 minutes can have positive benefits. Before beginning an exercise regimen, make sure to consult with your physician first to check for any medical problems or restrictions that could affect you physically.
Rock climbing is just an example, but any activity that requires concentration can help push those obsessive thoughts aside. Climbing requires you to focus your thinking on what you are doing at the moment, such as which move you are doing next. With the growth of climbing in North America there is a climbing gym or wall in almost every major city where you can receive instruction on climbing techniques.
Instead of letting those thoughts sit in your mind and control your thinking, find ways to be creative and get those thoughts out of your head. For instance:
Spending time in nature can be another way to control obsessive thinking. It can also be combined with physical activity to get the chemical and physical benefit of exercise as well. Time spent surrounded by nature can be a calming influence and is fun too. You don’t have to spend a full weekend away from home to get the positive benefits the natural world provides. You can;
Just because you have obsessive thoughts does not mean that you have to be controlled by them. You can take simple steps that are easily incorporated into your daily routine and have positive benefits on your mind, and your life.