I have seen many people on social media talking about 'how to control your thoughts'. I have some news - you can't! Our thoughts are not us as individuals. They are simply just thoughts. Therefore, if we allow the thoughts to just come and go as they please, you will see they have no representation over who you are as a person. The only thing you can control is your behaviour and attitude that surround your thoughts. There are times when thoughts enter my mind, but knowing myself I know they don't belong there and simply push them to the side and forget about them. We get very consumed with the idea of controlling thoughts or switching off, but essentially the brain is a machine and will have many things happening all at once to keep your body functioning so try not to worry about thoughts and switching off. There is no light switch for the brain. Learning how to be present, sitting in silence and allowing yourself to just be can be a great start in helping you manage your thoughts. Start to become aware of your thoughts and just sit with them, let them come and go and recognise the thoughts that make sense to you. If your thoughts are consuming you try:
Journalling: start writing. It doesn't need to make sense, it could simply be words or getting your thoughts or worries down on paper.
Gratitude: practice daily. List at least 3 things in your day to be grateful for and really feel it.
Reframe your thoughts: if you think something negative try to reframe it so it's positive. For example, if you lose £20 don't feel bad, think that the person who finds it needed it more.
Life is full of wonderful thoughts, let's not consume our minds with unnecessary control.