18 Effective Thought-Stopping Techniques (& 10 PDFs)

From time to time, we all experience intrusive, unwanted thoughts in our stream of consciousness (Shackelford & Zeigler-Hill, 2020).
While many are frivolous, such as what we are planning for dinner tonight, others are disturbing, distressing, or upsetting.
‘Thought stopping’ is a commonly taught approach for helping prevent recurring negative thoughts or interrupt them before they spiral out of control (Hardy & Oliver, 2014).
In this article, we review therapeutic perspectives along with several powerful thought stopping techniques for managing repetitive thoughts and blocking ones that are harmful.
Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our three Positive CBT Exercises for free. These science-based exercises will provide you with detailed insight into Positive CBT and give you the tools to apply it in your therapy or coaching.