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Yes, what you described is normal. I do it quite a lot myself, especially if I am... - replaying some sort of argument/confrontation or other high-stakes conve

Yes, what you described is normal. I do it quite a lot myself, especially if I am... - replaying some sort of argument/confrontation or other high-stakes conversation from earlier in the day (simulating ways the conversation could have gone better--the best zingers are the ones you come up with in bed at night). - preparing for an important presentation or meeting the next day (informal rehearsal). - out hiking alone (especially longer solo backpacking trips). Without fresh content bombarding my brain, I tend to dwell on the same ideas/conversations. - reading a particularly engrossing book, and get into a character from their point of view. - studying something new, then I imagine myself tutoring someone else on the subject (my go-to learning technique). Now if you find yourself having conversations that you were convinced are real at the time, but it later dawns on you that it never actually happened, then that might be something to talk (for real) to someone about.

Flex247A 6y ago
The tutoring someone part is so relatable considering that I am in university and usually have these conversations after I learn some difficult concept.
agent008t 6y ago
For what it's worth, it may actually be healthier to not do these, particularly 1 and 3. You may be ruminating, and ruminating is not good for you - it can tire you, agitate you, cause you anxiety; also, you end up being in your thoughts and not in the moment (e.g. when hiking). It is fine and good if you are doing it with purpose (e.g. tutoring someone else in your mind to understand something better, or trying to work out some problem that has a solution), but bad if you are trying to solve something unsolvable, dwelling on the past or worrying about the future, or just wasting your own CPU cycles. This is something you can practice as part of mindfulness practice - getting spontaneous awareness that you are engaging in an unproductive internal dialogue and letting it go. Not fight it or stop it, but just let the thoughts come and go without engaging with them.
- Flex247A 6y ago
  This is some great advice! Any tips on how to be mindful? Can you direct me to some resources which are helpful?
  - agent008t 6y ago
    The go-to resource that is usually suggested is The Mind Illuminated by John Yates. I found it to be a very nice tutorial-like guide to meditation with hardly any spiritual/religious bullshit, and it breaks it down into stages so you get some idea of where you are at and what progress you are making (even though progress is not really something you should be focusing on with this). The introductory course on the Headspace app I also found good but I think it is better to not stay on it beyond that. If your thoughts keep you awake sometimes I think you would definitely benefit greatly from this.
  - ZitchDog 6y ago
    The Waking Up app by Sam Harris is a great way to get started - there is an introductory course I found very helpful.
- jointpdf 6y ago
  Good points, #1 can become especially loopy for me (my fight or flight response is jacked up to 11) to the point of being bothersome. When I notice it veering into unhealthy territory, I try to use mindfulness techniques to reel it in. Still, it's "normal" in that it's not indicative of mental illness other than maybe social anxiety. But I disagree slightly on #3. My frame of reference is thru-hiking and/or intense solo missions where I'm alone in the backcountry hiking for 10-14 hours a day for days on end. In that setting, I find it impossible to stay mindful continuously. Also, without news/email/social media/etc. as input, I just find that my mind gravitates towards internal dialogues about the same big picture life issues. In that state, I'm actually listening to my body and mind more, not less. Personally, it can be frustrating to worry about whether I'm "in the moment" enough (the quintessential frustration with mindfulness, I know). That said, I do try to mix it up between fully immersing myself in the wonderment of the wilderness, letting my mind chew on ideas, listening to podcasts/music, and sometimes attempting actual meditation sessions.
truetraveller 6y ago
+1 on the "tutoring someone else". All the time. I think the saying goes: "You don't know something until you can explain it simply".
nexus2045 6y ago
This is very much a description of the modes I operate in! And I get very high levels of engagement with myself. My thoughts actually distract me a lot from real life verbal conversations as well. People think I'm not all there and I don't listen well, but in fact I'm just at a different wavelength and processing speed....

Flex247A 6y ago

The tutoring someone part is so relatable considering that I am in university and usually have these conversations after I learn some difficult concept.

agent008t 6y ago

For what it's worth, it may actually be healthier to not do these, particularly 1 and 3. You may be ruminating, and ruminating is not good for you - it can tire you, agitate you, cause you anxiety; also, you end up being in your thoughts and not in the moment (e.g. when hiking). It is fine and good if you are doing it with purpose (e.g. tutoring someone else in your mind to understand something better, or trying to work out some problem that has a solution), but bad if you are trying to solve something unsolvable, dwelling on the past or worrying about the future, or just wasting your own CPU cycles. This is something you can practice as part of mindfulness practice - getting spontaneous awareness that you are engaging in an unproductive internal dialogue and letting it go. Not fight it or stop it, but just let the thoughts come and go without engaging with them.

Flex247A 6y ago
This is some great advice! Any tips on how to be mindful? Can you direct me to some resources which are helpful?
- agent008t 6y ago
  The go-to resource that is usually suggested is The Mind Illuminated by John Yates. I found it to be a very nice tutorial-like guide to meditation with hardly any spiritual/religious bullshit, and it breaks it down into stages so you get some idea of where you are at and what progress you are making (even though progress is not really something you should be focusing on with this). The introductory course on the Headspace app I also found good but I think it is better to not stay on it beyond that. If your thoughts keep you awake sometimes I think you would definitely benefit greatly from this.
- ZitchDog 6y ago
  The Waking Up app by Sam Harris is a great way to get started - there is an introductory course I found very helpful.
jointpdf 6y ago
Good points, #1 can become especially loopy for me (my fight or flight response is jacked up to 11) to the point of being bothersome. When I notice it veering into unhealthy territory, I try to use mindfulness techniques to reel it in. Still, it's "normal" in that it's not indicative of mental illness other than maybe social anxiety. But I disagree slightly on #3. My frame of reference is thru-hiking and/or intense solo missions where I'm alone in the backcountry hiking for 10-14 hours a day for days on end. In that setting, I find it impossible to stay mindful continuously. Also, without news/email/social media/etc. as input, I just find that my mind gravitates towards internal dialogues about the same big picture life issues. In that state, I'm actually listening to my body and mind more, not less. Personally, it can be frustrating to worry about whether I'm "in the moment" enough (the quintessential frustration with mindfulness, I know). That said, I do try to mix it up between fully immersing myself in the wonderment of the wilderness, letting my mind chew on ideas, listening to podcasts/music, and sometimes attempting actual meditation sessions.

truetraveller 6y ago

+1 on the "tutoring someone else". All the time. I think the saying goes: "You don't know something until you can explain it simply".

nexus2045 6y ago

This is very much a description of the modes I operate in! And I get very high levels of engagement with myself. My thoughts actually distract me a lot from real life verbal conversations as well. People think I'm not all there and I don't listen well, but in fact I'm just at a different wavelength and processing speed....