We all want to be more carefree people, living a joyful, joyful life. The problem is that we all have problems. Intrusive thoughts and worries can really make us feel down. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to forget about your problems and take control of your happiness. As mentioned in the famous Judy Garland song “Forget your troubles, come on, get happy! You better chase all your cares away (forget your problems, come on, be happy!
Step
Method 1 of 3: Changing Your Point of View
Step 1. Go out of town
Try leaving your home environment for a few days. No need to spend a lot of money or go to exotic places. Sometimes a little change of location is all it takes to stop worrying about your problems.
- Visit a friend in another nearby town.
- Book a place at a lodge in the countryside.
- Look for hosts through lodging-sharing websites and see the new city through the eyes of its residents.
Step 2. Walk through the door
We've all experienced it: You remember that you have to call your credit card company, so you walk into the kitchen to pick up the phone. Suddenly, in the kitchen, you can't remember why you walked in there. One study showed that by simply going to another room, we tend to forget things. Interestingly, you can also use this forgetting power to temporarily forget about problems.
- When a thought bothers you, simply get up and walk into the other room through the door.
- Repeat this whenever disturbing thoughts arise.
Step 3. Keep that thought away
If there's a specific thought you want to forget, you can force yourself to do it by "active forgetting." Just as you can train yourself to remember things, research shows that you can train yourself to forget.
- Whenever that unwanted thought pops into your mind, put it away.
- It might help if you said, “No. I wouldn't think about it."
- Repeat this tactic again and again. Like remembering, forgetting will take a little practice and time.
- You will begin to forget these memory details. Eventually your memory will become very dull.
Step 4. Make yourself feel bored
Repeat distracting thoughts so often that they become boring to you. Unravel the power of distracting thoughts by making them commonplace. Focus on the disturbing thought or idea and repeat it out loud again and again.
- For example, if you're bothered by how you're doing at work, you might say, “I'm going to lose my job. I will lose my job, I will lose my job.”
- With enough repetition, distracting thoughts will seem strange, boring, or even funny.
- With practice, these thoughts will no longer bother you.
Step 5. Count your gifts
Shifting your focus to what you are grateful for is a great way to forget about problems. Cultivating gratitude will shift your perspective from worrying to a more positive interaction with the world.
- Whenever you find yourself in trouble, stop and make a list of five things you are grateful for.
- Perhaps you are grateful for your family, your health, a place to live, a good memory, or a good opportunity.
Method 2 of 3: Take a Mental Vacation
Step 1. Immerse yourself into the fictional world
Reading a good book or watching a movie can be a great way to forget your worries. Choose an interesting story in a genre that you enjoy.
- Choose a book (or movie) that isn't too difficult to follow. This way, it will be easier for you to immerse yourself in the narrative.
- Young adult novels can be a good choice for a number of reasons: (1) they are easy to read, (2) many of them are serialized, and (3) some of them appear in book and film form.
- Try Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, or Twilight.
Step 2. Go to your “happy place”
You can easily rest your troubles by mentally traveling somewhere you've been, or somewhere you've never been. Traveling to your happy place for just a few minutes is a great way to reset your mood and forget what's bothering you.
- Close your eyes.
- Relax your muscles.
- Bring that happy place to mind.
- Take as much detail as you can: What sound do you hear? What do you see? What does it smell like? How does the air feel on your skin?
- Spend a few minutes in this place.
- Repeat whenever you need a reset.
Step 3. Listen to music
Music has an important connection with human emotions. Just as sad songs can trigger sadness, fun songs can prevent negative emotions from arising. Forget your troubles by playing fast rhythmic music. If you turn it on loud enough, and/or sing along to the song, you'll effectively eliminate any problems you may have.
You can double the power of music to relieve stress by standing up and dancing
Step 4. Call a friend
If you want to get a problem out of your mind, pick up your phone and start calling someone. Focus the conversation on your friend. Ask questions and pay attention to the answers. Chatting with a friend can lift your mood and take your mind off your problems.
- Ask about his work.
- Ask about recent changes in his life.
- Ask him to describe a pleasant experience he just had.
Step 5. Come up with pleasant thoughts
Replace any negative thoughts you may have with positive ones. Generate lots of happy thoughts which can get rid of any problems in your mind. Start by complimenting about the things you like about yourself (even very small things). Continue by praising the things you enjoy in your life.
- For example, you might think, “I have beautiful hair”, “I never get sick”, or “I'm really good at basketball.”
- For example, you might think, “I live in a beautiful city”, “My mother and father are still alive”, or “I should never feel hungry.”
Step 6. Practice mindfulness
Problems often arise when we focus too much on the future or the past. Bring yourself back to the present by practicing mindfulness. Choose one basic task, such as folding clothes or making tea, then take five minutes to focus on that one task and nothing else. Try to pay attention to as many details as you can. At the end of these five minutes, the influence of future or past problems on you will lessen.
Method 3 of 3: Switching Your Body
Step 1. Sweat out
Few things have also been shown to be as useful and consistent as exercise for forgetting problems and improving your mood. Exercise can also help you focus and control your life, in addition to releasing feel-good endorphins to help keep you feeling that way.
- Dance. Go to a dance club or just dance at home.
- Cycling. Many cities offer bicycle rental.
- Play tennis with a partner, or alone against a wall.
- Try taking a hot yoga class.
Step 2. Take a walk
Any type of aerobic exercise has been shown to relieve anxiety and improve mood. Walking can be a great way to forget about your problems. In fact, one study estimates that a vigorous 30-minute walk can provide the same results as ingesting a mild sedative.
Step 3. Laugh
Genuine laughter is known to be beneficial for increasing the production of beta-endorphins (happy hormones) in the brain. Get rid of your troubles with hearty laughter!
- Go to comedy shows.
- Watch humorous sitcoms.
- Remember the funny experiences you had with friends.
Step 4. Get some sleep
One effective method of forgetting your problems is to go into dreamland. You can't think of anything disturbing if you're asleep! What's more, research shows that people who go to bed earlier tend to have fewer distractions caused by negative thoughts.
- Aim to get 8 hours of sleep a night.
- If you usually get much less sleep, start with 6 hours of sleep and work your way up.
Step 5. Hug
Physical touch has been shown to have a positive impact on mental health. Cuddling will make our bodies full of oxytocin (a hormone for building bonds). It makes us feel more secure, and also lowers our cortisol (stress hormone) levels.
Tips
- Remember that there are always better things in life than what you are missing. And always look at things from the positive side. No matter what, it will only make you stronger.
- If you have financial problems, don't go on a long vacation, but instead visit a place in your area or to a cheap resort for a week. Don't spend too much money.
- Drugs and alcohol will not help. The effect is only temporary and you will feel worse after consuming it.
- Seek professional help if you feel you can't handle it.
- If you have a problem with your boyfriend, just communicate with him or forget about him.
