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How to Meditate: Meditation 101 for Beginners
10 Science-Backed Benefits of Meditation
What is Meditation?
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How to Meditate: Meditation 101 for Beginners
10 Science-Backed Benefits of Meditation
What is Meditation?
Benefits of Mindfulness: Mindful Living Can Change Your Life
Mindfulness 101: A Beginner's Guide
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Hi, and welcome to your Daily Mindfulness. Today, I'm going to talk about the unhelpful thinking habit of jumping to conclusions. So how often have you had an argument or a fallout with a friend or a loved one because one of you jumped to a false conclusion? I mean, I know in my life, this has happened many times both when I made the wrong conclusion or the other person did. Either way, it was always a painful experience, you know? So we're all prone to this unhelpful way of thinking from time to time, because it's kind of just the way that our mind evolved. So the human mind generally dislikes uncertainty.
So it attempts to fill in the gaps of what we don't know as quickly as possible, even when we really kind of know that we don't have all the information yet. But the mind wants certainty so much that sometimes we form fixed ideas based on very little evidence and information because it takes the path of least effort and the most speed. So it's easier to just come to a conclusion for the mind then to take the time to sort through all the necessary information. This way, the mind doesn't have to tolerate that feeling of uncertainty for long. But often when we're jumping to conclusions or over-generalizing things it's because we're feeling some kind of negative emotion or stress.
This triggers our fight or flight response. And that makes our brain hypervigilant for threats. So your mind is primed to kind of make a quick snap judgment, to look for faults and see the negative. So an example of jumping to conclusions or over-generalizing things might be like this. So let's say you, you go for a job interview and you're not sure if it went well.
So you go home and then you find yourself thinking, he's never going to hire me. No one ever hires me. Or you get a bad grade on a test, just one test and you think, I'm so stupid. I'm going to fail all my tests. Or maybe you meet someone for lunch, right, and they're 20 minutes late.
So you think to yourself, this person is so rude and inconsiderate. Or maybe you go on a date and the other person doesn't contact you for 24 hours and you think he, or she doesn't like me, no one ever likes me. So jumping to conclusions like this is really unhelpful, painful, and often very limiting. But once we begin to bring awareness to this mental habit, we can let it go. So here's my invitation.
Today, just try to notice when you're jumping to any kind of conclusion about yourself, about life, about others. And when you do notice that habit, just pause, breathe and remind yourself that it's just the mind jumping to a conclusion. And then question the conclusion. Is this thinking actually true? Do I have enough evidence for this conclusion? Are there other possible ways of seeing this situation? Is there more to this? So by taking a moment to pause and check in with yourself like this, you step back from the unhelpful thoughts and therefore become more calm, present and non-reactive. I wish you well with this practice.
I hope you enjoy this practice. And as always, thank you for doing this work and your presence here with us. And let's settle in for today's meditation.
Unhelpful Thinking Habits: Jumping to Conclusions
Personalized support for learning how to integrate mindfulness into your life. Delivered fresh everyday by our world renowned experts. Choose meditation duration:
Duration
Your default time is based on your progress and is changed automatically as you practice.
Hi, and welcome to your Daily Mindfulness. Today, I'm going to talk about the unhelpful thinking habit of jumping to conclusions. So how often have you had an argument or a fallout with a friend or a loved one because one of you jumped to a false conclusion? I mean, I know in my life, this has happened many times both when I made the wrong conclusion or the other person did. Either way, it was always a painful experience, you know? So we're all prone to this unhelpful way of thinking from time to time, because it's kind of just the way that our mind evolved. So the human mind generally dislikes uncertainty.
So it attempts to fill in the gaps of what we don't know as quickly as possible, even when we really kind of know that we don't have all the information yet. But the mind wants certainty so much that sometimes we form fixed ideas based on very little evidence and information because it takes the path of least effort and the most speed. So it's easier to just come to a conclusion for the mind then to take the time to sort through all the necessary information. This way, the mind doesn't have to tolerate that feeling of uncertainty for long. But often when we're jumping to conclusions or over-generalizing things it's because we're feeling some kind of negative emotion or stress.
This triggers our fight or flight response. And that makes our brain hypervigilant for threats. So your mind is primed to kind of make a quick snap judgment, to look for faults and see the negative. So an example of jumping to conclusions or over-generalizing things might be like this. So let's say you, you go for a job interview and you're not sure if it went well.
So you go home and then you find yourself thinking, he's never going to hire me. No one ever hires me. Or you get a bad grade on a test, just one test and you think, I'm so stupid. I'm going to fail all my tests. Or maybe you meet someone for lunch, right, and they're 20 minutes late.
So you think to yourself, this person is so rude and inconsiderate. Or maybe you go on a date and the other person doesn't contact you for 24 hours and you think he, or she doesn't like me, no one ever likes me. So jumping to conclusions like this is really unhelpful, painful, and often very limiting. But once we begin to bring awareness to this mental habit, we can let it go. So here's my invitation.
Today, just try to notice when you're jumping to any kind of conclusion about yourself, about life, about others. And when you do notice that habit, just pause, breathe and remind yourself that it's just the mind jumping to a conclusion. And then question the conclusion. Is this thinking actually true? Do I have enough evidence for this conclusion? Are there other possible ways of seeing this situation? Is there more to this? So by taking a moment to pause and check in with yourself like this, you step back from the unhelpful thoughts and therefore become more calm, present and non-reactive. I wish you well with this practice.
I hope you enjoy this practice. And as always, thank you for doing this work and your presence here with us. And let's settle in for today's meditation.
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I have been on a journey of healing and learning self-love. Amidst the work, I have been using the mindfulness app for the gentle reminders, guides to the moment (especially the difficult ones).
Kelly Boys offers a fresh and illuminating take on how to step out of lifelong patterns that keep snagging us.
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This is the app I turn to when I want to feel calm and loved.
- Abby
Melli has a beautiful way of guiding and reminding us of the stillness within.
- Adrienne James
I have been on a journey of healing and learning self-love. Amidst the work, I have been using the mindfulness app for the gentle reminders, guides to the moment (especially the difficult ones).
Kelly Boys offers a fresh and illuminating take on how to step out of lifelong patterns that keep snagging us.
- Tara Brach, PhD
Truly life changing. This isn't solely meditation and mindfulness...this is about striving to be the best the versions of ourselves.
- Marisa, Plus+ Member
Relaxing and assuring beyond description... thank you, Cory.
- Babs312
This is the app I turn to when I want to feel calm and loved.
- Abby
Melli has a beautiful way of guiding and reminding us of the stillness within.
- Adrienne James
I have been on a journey of healing and learning self-love. Amidst the work, I have been using the mindfulness app for the gentle reminders, guides to the moment (especially the difficult ones).
Kelly Boys offers a fresh and illuminating take on how to step out of lifelong patterns that keep snagging us.
- Tara Brach, PhD
Truly life changing. This isn't solely meditation and mindfulness...this is about striving to be the best the versions of ourselves.
- Marisa, Plus+ Member
Relaxing and assuring beyond description... thank you, Cory.
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Shamash's guidance is a gift of wisdom to help us in our busy and stressful lives.
- Paul Gilbert, PhD, FBPsS, OBE, Centre for Compassion Research and Training, University of Derby, United Kingdom
Excellent! Cory gently guides you into internal peace.
- Steve Ericson
A necessary tool for those who feel lost.
- Piper
Just want to say a big thankyou to all involved as this has had a positive impact in my daily life 🙏 Valuable teachings that have allowed me to have a better relationship not only with those around me, but with myself. Heal ourselves and we heal the world 💫✨🌍
- Marty
I start every day with Cory or Melli for my daily practice. Including this app into my practice helps me continue to build more mental focus and understanding of my thought processes. What a welcome and powerful gift.
- Oku
Shamash's guidance is a gift of wisdom to help us in our busy and stressful lives.
- Paul Gilbert, PhD, FBPsS, OBE, Centre for Compassion Research and Training, University of Derby, United Kingdom
Excellent! Cory gently guides you into internal peace.
- Steve Ericson
A necessary tool for those who feel lost.
- Piper
Just want to say a big thankyou to all involved as this has had a positive impact in my daily life 🙏 Valuable teachings that have allowed me to have a better relationship not only with those around me, but with myself. Heal ourselves and we heal the world 💫✨🌍
- Marty
I start every day with Cory or Melli for my daily practice. Including this app into my practice helps me continue to build more mental focus and understanding of my thought processes. What a welcome and powerful gift.
- Oku
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