We’ve all been there – in bed, desperate for sleep but unable to switch off the thoughts running through our heads. Work, family, debt… all keep us awake at some point in our lives.
Just repeating “the” could be the solution. It’s known as a blocking strategy, another cognitive technique. The aim is to stop the mind racing.
Repeating a simple word like “the” at irregular interval blocks other thoughts coming into your head.
“If you say the word at regular intervals, you stop thinking about what you are saying and other thought come back in,” says Professor Morgan.
“By saying the word at irregular intervals, you make sure you are just monitoring what you are saying.”