New research reveals that you can literally throw away unwanted thoughts
You can get rid of negative thoughts by writing them down, ripping them up, and tossing them in the trash.
You can also protect positive thoughts by writing them down and tucking the paper into your pocket.
“However you tag your thoughts—as trash or as worthy of protection—seems to make a difference in how you use those thoughts,” said Richard Petty, co-author of a new study published in Psychological Science revealing these new findings.
“At some level, it can sound silly. But we found that it really works … Merely imagining engaging in these actions has no effect.”
Through three studies, researchers found ways to enhance the positive and negative connotations of thoughts. Petty says, “you can magnify your thoughts, and make them more important to you, by keeping them with you in your wallet or purse,” Petty said.
Conversely, “The more convinced the person is that the thoughts are really gone, the better,” Petty said. “Just imagining that you throw them away doesn’t seem to work.
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