In a good morning post last month, we shared this image.
It illustrates perfectly how difficult it can be to switch off your brain and
ignore unwanted thoughts when you have depression or anxiety, and we
requested that you offer snippets of support to your fellow tribers in
need.
Since the response was so great (we received a whopping 65+ comments and
pieces of advice!) and this is clearly an issue close to the tribe’s collective
heart, we have assembled your tried-and-tested mind-clearing tips into our
latest tribe collaboration blog.
... And not a moment too soon, as some of you are struggling – or have in the
past – to keep your negativity in check, as seen in the following comments
and tweets:
 Andrew Morgan: That image really is me, struggling to stay afloat,
bailing all my anxieties out, in the rough sea of life and the constant
waves.
 Jenny Bunting: This has been on my mind so much recently.... You
can do so many things to try and ‘block sh*t out’ but at the end of the
day it's still there. 
 Lesley Goldburn: It doesn't matter what I do, my thoughts NEVER
stop.
 Cally Raven Hamill: I can't run away from mine, they are so horrible. If
I don't think about them, I think about thinking about them (if you get
that). Sometimes I want to curl up and hide.  I try and get out when I'm
feeling bad but everything scares me. I think too much – even crossing
a road I get a bad thought. They don't seem to stop and I've tried
everything.
 Portlandbelle Jay: I am glad I have moved on so much this year from
the constant negativity. Now it comes and goes. Anxiety truly is the
worst thing I have ever experienced.
DISTRACT YOURSELF
Finding other ways to occupy your mind is a great technique when you find
yourself endlessly ruminating or dwelling on the negative. As Louisa 'weasle'
Barnett puts it, “Put on some favourite music and concentrate on following the
tune/lyrics, or dance like an idiot to distract from thinking. Do some work/a
project/a hobby/exercise!”
The majority of tribers – including BiddyBoo, Jacqui Butler, Michelle Nell
and Julie Williamson – swear by listening to music.
 Joanne Green Bean Elliott: Music is wonderful. I've made a mix CD of
all my best tracks. Crank up the volume and focus on the tunes. 
 Sue Powell Armitage: Think about something mundane and trivial. Try
the mind gym, listen to some classical music for a few minutes and pick
out the instruments. Turn off for a few minutes then listen again.
Alternate.
 Terrie Bell: My iPod is my saviour.
Others favour pastimes such as reading, watching TV, listening to the
radio/audiobooks, playing computer games or surfing the net – whatever
works for you.
 Gemma Collins: I distract myself with the odd YouTube marathon –
watching funnies.
 Julie Griseldatrueowl Hardiman: Try reading a really good crime
thriller or any absorbing book really. Books are my passion, my
lifesaver, my total obsession!! While I'm living in a book I'm not thinking
about 'stuff'.
 Carol Pinches: Walking, reading and the radio work for me.
 Jane Parsons: I listen to Stephen Fry reading Harry Potter. He gets me
to sleep every night. Plus when I wake after a few hours, if I know that
I'll have problems falling back to sleep, then on he goes again. AND for
the moments when I feel low or need some ‘me’ time: back on he goes.
Such a calming voice.
 Susanne Lawrence: I distract myself by trying to focus on something
else - like getting outside, trying to draw, walking, even cleaning... any
project that can take me a few steps away from going to a dark place.
 George: I immerse myself in wikipedia, or scrabble. #distractions.
 Melissa Shawanoo: Reading short bios on the net works for me. In the
bio there are people mentioned who I don't know so I look them up - like
a chain.
 Alex Crane: Don't usually play computer games, but while depressed
they're the only thing that holds my attention, and work really well!
 Zoe Sharman: Candy Crush calms me down, focuses me and sets me
straight.
Why not try getting physical? Exercise is proven to divert the mind and can
tire you out, leading to a better night’s kip, while fresh air can provide many a
mood boost.
Tribers Teresa O’Neill Pearse, Ruth Kirby and Jacqui Butler all recommend
going for a walk. Here are some other ideas:
 Rebecca Fitzgerald: I actually go running. I'm not great at it but it does
help. Go somewhere green. I listen to comedy podcasts and
audiobooks at the same time, which interrupts the negative thinking.
 Julie Smith: I used to hate running but have recently found that running
with my headphones in and listening to great music helps me to feel
free of any intrusive thoughts. It takes me to a really powerful and happy
place! I love it! X
 Lucy Nottooshabby McCarthy: I physically exhaust myself by
swimming lots. The water calms me & helps my body too. Lucy the
mermaid X
 Fabio Robert: I find just being outdoors can help - seeing some
greenery instead of being stuck inside all the time.
Others recommend cycling, dancing and reiki.
Another popular way to keep the negative thoughts at bay is to do something
creative or crafty – focusing on keeping your hands busy can work wonders,
according to tribe members.
 Terri Sheaff: Loud rock music, knitting and crafting xx
 i need sleeeep!: I find jigsaws help concentrate my mind away from my
anxiety.
 Fiona Cheng: Gardening. Being outside, getting my thoughts on
something other than myself, getting my hands dirty. Hours go by..... I
must say that it helps that I live somewhere where it's often sunny
(Sydney) but gardening makes me feel better no matter what the
weather.
 Jacqui Butler: Try and focus on something to push the thoughts out.
Baking is good (it helped Marian Keyes).
 Deborah Whatford: Zentangling. Art therapy really works for me.
 Yolanda Jones: Loom banding REALLY helps. Only trouble is, I have a
house full of bracelets now that I'll never wear :-)
 Emma Louise Phillips: Doodle! Seems weird but it really takes my
brain to a nicer place - you concentrate so much, it's like a kind of
meditation...
DON’T RUN AWAY FROM UPSETTING THOUGHTS
Many of you were eager to stress that it is not always best to try to escape or
drown out negative thoughts; instead, try to acknowledge them. As long-time
triber Scott Delonette says, “Why would you want to run away? Confront
them, understand them and you remove their power over you.”
 Lucy Bailey: Don't run! Thoughts like that have a habit of trying to
chase after you if they see you are running away from them or trying to
block them out. Acknowledge them and then move your focus
elsewhere.
 Laura Russell: Observe and let them go their way!
 Emma Salt: Don't try to run away from them! Sit with them, observe
them. If it's a thought you can change, like maybe you're worried about
tackling the huge pile of washing, then go do it. If it's something you
can't change immediately, try some mindful breathing and radical
acceptance. Plus, remember, they're only thoughts - you don't have to
act on harmful ones.
It can often help to talk about them, as members such as Lou Jackson and
Janice Wilkinson advocate – even if it’s to a pet, rather than a person!
 Sharon Forward: Surround yourself with good people who you can talk
to.
 Deborah Whatford: My dog is a lifesaver.
Have you tried to write down your thoughts? Recording them in a diary or
journal can be a good way to, as Ruth Kirby says, “take them from your head
and put them somewhere else”.
 Anna Gwynne Morris: Put them onto paper. Writing them down can
help you make sense of them so they stop running circles in your mind.
TRY TO STAY IN THE MOMENT – AND BE KIND TO YOURSELF
Hayley Margieson advises “10 minutes of mindful breathing” whenever you
feel down or anxious, and David Miller, Linda Brannan and Deborah
Whatford also believe in the benefits of mindfulness and meditation (and
Tribal Mother Ruby Wax’s book!).
 Ravening Rattus: The first step is to recognise it's ‘depression brain’
talking, then I actively focus on the here and now.
 Julie Perry: The more I try to push thoughts away, the more they try to
stay. I was taught to imagine thoughts as transient objects that come and go!! Imagining thoughts as clouds, leaves in a stream and as
passing traffic is useful. Another useful technique is remembering that
thoughts are NOT facts.
 Michael Richards 'Buzz': Things in the head are make believe.
Illusions.  And they rarely happen.
Remember, tribe: most important of all is to practise adequate self-care.
 Sophie Del Espino Ibbs: Be kind to yourself. It's exhausting but
effective.
AND FINALLY...
Before we wrap this up, here are some of our favourite – and oh so unique –
mind-clearing methods:
 Kate Noble: Get the image of a box in your head. It can be clear,
wooden, plastic, steel, cardboard – anything you want. Just make it
definite. Now put all the 'bad' thoughts in there and close the lid. If the
box has a key, so much the better, because you can lock it for a while,
but it's ok if it's like mine: bursting at the seams with a broken lid. Spend
some time, whenever you recognise a bad thought, stuffing it in there. It
won't want to go in but just keep at it. The thoughts should be taken out
now and again so you can throw some away. This technique works for
pain too.
 David Miller: I find plotting to kill someone works for me! Fortunately it's
just fantasy – honest!
 Jean Kirby: Look to the sky, day or night; it's vastness can minimise
most things, including thoughts.
Thanks again for sharing your wisdom with us, tribe. Take care.