Six Tricks to Stop Anxious Thoughts
When worry takes hold of your thoughts, it's difficult to concentrate on anything else. You're loaded with concerns and apprehensions. As a result, you can become unable to relax.
Luckily, with practice, there are ways of controlling negative thinking.
Try these tips to control your anxiety:
Distance yourself from the worrisome thoughts. Learn to see your anxious thoughts in a new light. The idea is to change your perspective on things. When you have an anxious thought, recognize that it is an indication of your concern, but not your reality. Correctly labeling your ideas improves self-awareness and makes it easier to manage them. It also offers you something else to think about instead of stressing all the time.
Ask yourself questions. Stop and ask yourself these questions whenever you get an anxious thought:
○ What is the true source of this anxious thought? What am I really terrified of?
○ Is there a genuine threat, or is my mind just playing tricks on me?
○ What is the probability that the bad result I'm thinking will occur?
○ How do I put an end to or transform these negative ideas into something more positive?
View your thoughts as data. It can be useful to think of your ideas as facts and your mind as a data processing center. During the day, you'll get a lot of data. Some of this information may be inaccurate or misleading. It's also possible that you'll misunderstand the facts. You might be allowing your nervous thoughts to take control of you. You're letting things fester and develop. But remember that you get to determine how to manage all of the data as the data processing center. Keep in mind that you are in command. This implies you have the option of discarding or ignoring the erroneous data. Remember that the brain is wired to sense danger and is attuned to it. It's possible that you'll pick up on things that aren't even genuine.
Focus on the present. A lot of anxious thoughts are either about the future or about the past. Focusing on the current moment can help you break free. By interrupting your thoughts, you may avoid thinking too much about the past or the future. When you find yourself thinking about the past or the future, bring your attention back to the current now. Thoughts from the past may sometimes make you frightened of the future. Keep in mind that the past does not have to repeat itself.
Take action. Anxious thoughts often stop you from acting. They keep you trapped in your anxiety and concern. Learn how to take action even when you are scared. Find one item you can positively affect at that moment and act on it. This will reduce the number of worried thoughts you experience on a daily basis. It will teach you that you have nothing to fear, that you are strong, and that you can make a difference.
Get rid of unhelpful thoughts. Some of your ideas are right, but they aren't useful. First, learn to distinguish between helpful and unhelpful ideas. Then start picking out the ones that aren't useful. An example of an unhelpful notion is if, for instance, you know the chances of delivering a flawless presentation at work are low, yet you still have to do it. It doesn't motivate you to give it your all.
You don't have to let irrational feelings rule your life. However, when you find yourself worried, you may use these techniques to successfully take control of your thoughts.