How to Think in Spanish
 

Most people have to translate from English to Spanish in their heads in order to understand spanish. This is ok, but what I've found most helpful is to combine a Spanish word with it's picture. That way every time you see that object you learned in Spanish your brain instantly recalls the word associated with the image. With this approach you never need to translate in your head.

Please share your experience on how you transitioned or began thinking in the native spanish language. I'd love to here your stories.

Progressing from direct translation to thinking (hasta soñar) en español
for me required dialogue with native speakers, some fluent in both
English and Spanish...

In my complete case, I have to think in Spanish and later in English for that I can write or speak something in English.
I can't think directly in English, because sometimes I tend to forget the words in English, but sometimes I try to recall the words in my brain when I'm very well rested for the night.

My method to remember the words in English is practice the words in English each time.
Because when I learn any word new for me, I try to write them a lot of here in the forums, of thus way, I can remember them and with the pass of the time, I achieve to record them in my mind.

At least that's my method.

associating words with pictures works very well

That's why watching movies (pictures) without subtitling is one of the best exercises.

One thing I did to learn certain words was I labeled things. Like the table I put a little sticky note on it that said "mesa." That way I saw the word and the object I associated with that word.

Maybe that might help you. It helped me with learning different objects.

Yes I believe that you could relation the words with a label word, like as an user said you can use the picture and figure a picture or draw with a word and then it could works in your brain.

The first time I learned Spanish Language, I used to listen to to every person who talks with it. As I am listening, I been able capture some Spanish words and then will think of its version in English. It is not hard to memorize words in Spanish, just relate to the words.

Learning to think in Spanish takes time. For me, it’s not wrong to think about how you think in your first language, it just becomes easier as time goes by, It also helps to be living fully immersed in the language-learning environment.

Exactly. You are not a baby who needs to start expressing him/herself.

At to your last statement, which is true, is not as valid as some years ago, since we have the Internet available to two of our senses, and if applied correctly, you don't even need to go out of your home to learn another language. :)

Of course, nothing beats "being there" ...