Blinking!

[Bill]

Have you ever tried focussing on your blinking? Difficult isn’t it! You either keep staring or blink too much. The more you focus on it, the more difficult it is to time your blinks! It’s just something we all do naturally without thinking.. Once you stop focussing on blinking, your blinking returns to normal.

It’s exactly the same with anxiety symptoms, the difference being they scare us whereas blinking doesn’t but if we learn not to focus on our symptoms by not thinking about them, then they too just return to normal.

I can hear you say, we know but it’s so hard to do!....but I’d reply it maybe difficult to train the mind to stop focussing on symptoms but it’s not impossible to do with practise!

[looking4answers]

Focus is what its all about. This makes me smile..Of course people are going to say quit focusing..

Ill do something better than that. When I get odd sensations or freak things that happen to me..and I do :-) What I do is something that sounds odd but works..

Start thinking about your "big toe"
Think my toe feels funny ..focus as hard as you can and don't let anything break that focus.

Logic here..You have to admit.. How many people died from something wrong with there "Big Toe' lol.. Its funny and strange but I have done this since I was very young.I used to even go to sleep focusing on my "big toe" feeling every sensation that you can feel in your "big toe" but the afflicted area whatever it was ,heart,arm,head etc..soon forgotten and focus was on the "big toe" and soon drifted off to sleep or whatever else it was while I was awake.I know this seems odd advice but it worked for me and still does

Also something someone told me many years ago that I still practice.
This person was in the medical profession and it just made sense to me.

He said "no matter what you feel,just tell yourself over and over it is just a feeling,it can't hurt me and it will go away" guess what? He was right.
My three cents lol..

[Bill]

You're right. It's good advice because focussing on your big toe distracts your mind away from symptoms that cause worry. I must admit I'm often aware of doing little things like this, like playing with a pen in my hand. It doesn't matter whether it's an object or a toe, it distracts the mind away from focussing on symptoms. I reckon that must be why people use worry beads. Good suggestion!

[Rachy]

Hi there
My OCD problem is thinking about blinking!!

[Bill]

Hello Rachy,

I know some people have a problem when talking in front of someone else because they feel if they're staring if they look into the other persons eyes.

Have you noticed how often people look away when they themselves speak but look at the other person when they're talking?

When do you focus on your blinking? When talking or when alone?
If it's when you're talking, focus on what they're saying rather than how you're feeling. If it's when you're alone, every time it happens, distract your mind by doing something or shut your eyes until you need to do something.