5 Truths to Overcome Anxiety
by Cherilyn Schutze
MEd., LPC, CCATP, CGC, EMDR Trained, DNMS Trained
Being a Certified Anxiety Treatment Professional, I have found that these 5 Truths to Overcoming Anxiety can be very helpful to my clients. Anxiety is sneaky, and when we are in the throes of it we can easily be led to believing the exact opposite. Make note of these truths today, then pin this list where you can easily find it for yourself or a friend who may benefit from these gentle reminders when most needed.
5 TRUTHS TO OVERCOME ANXIETY
1: What fires together, wires together.
Our brains are wired for the negative, so it naturally gravitates to negative thinking, especially when we focus on negative thoughts. When you actively reframe by changing a negative thought to a positive, you are rewiring your brain, creating new connections and pathways. These new connections can help your brain become less reactive to anxiety and negativity. You don’t have to believe your reframe. You just have to do it.
2: Just because you think it, doesn’t mean it’s true.
We can’t control the thoughts that pop into our heads, but we can control what we do with them. You get to choose whether or not to give a thought meaning. Use curiosity without judgment to look for evidence and decide whether or not the thought is worth further exploration.
3: Worrying does not change outcomes.
Research shows that most of what we worry about doesn't happen. When we worry about something and it doesn’t happen, anxiety tells us that worrying works. But the reality is, worrying can’t change the future. Worrying doesn’t give us some “magical” power that will prevent an outcome from happening.
4: Anxiety can be a liar.
When working overtime, anxiety can make us believe we can’t handle a problem or situation, and tells us that by worrying we can prevent or be prepared for the thing we are worrying about. (See #3) That simply is not true. Anxiety has its place. It can protect us when we are in immediate danger and motivate us to do something (or not-—fight, flight or freeze). However, when it’s overworking, it actually has the opposite effect, making us believe the worst case scenario is likely and that we will be prepared if we ruminate. Ruminating is never helpful. It only serves to keep us in the feelings we are trying to avoid.
5: When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.
By reframing, and using curiosity without judgment about our thoughts, we are changing the way we are “looking at” our problems. When we do that, the problem changes, making us more empowered and less reactive to our thoughts and feelings.
Our brains learn through experience, so when we recognize the power we actually have, we gain more control of our anxiety, learning to manage and actually change our brain. We don’t want to try to get rid of anxiety. It serves a very important role in our lives. We want to learn to live with anxiety and recognize when it is serving us and when it’s not.
If you are struggling to manage anxiety, reach out today for a free consultation!
