Reclaiming Your Thoughts: A Guide to Reducing Anxiety

Awareness brings Transformation 

Pay attention to the thoughts and feelings you are having throughout the day and the movies that are playing in your head. If the mental scripts you run have a recurring theme revolving around self-doubt and perpetual failure, anxiety can easily become a constant companion. So, step one to reducing anxiety is to notice the thoughts you are having and start to change them into something more positive.

Consider the transformation of the defeating phrase "I can't do this" into a powerful assertion: "I can." Similarly, challenges become more manageable when you reframe them, turning "This is too hard" into "If I take it one step at a time, I can handle this."

The Impact of Thoughts 

It's crucial to acknowledge the profound impact our preconceived ideas have on our experiences. Anticipating negative outcomes can set the stage for a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you convince yourself that work is bound to be unpleasant, your actions and mindset may align with that expectation. Instead, kickstart your day with positive anticipation or simply instruct yourself to find joy in the tasks ahead. If you keep telling yourself a way to feel, your body will respond in kind.

Some will say, "Well, that’s not realistic, It’s a lie" And what I would say to that is, it’s not… We are simply telling ourselves how we want to respond from now on to any given situation. You see, your brain gets stuck in a pattern and will automatically choose the route most often taken. To effect change in our life, we have to shift how we think, and to shift how we think, we have to tell ourselves new stories.

“Being realistic” is not helpful to our progress because it often leads to self-doubt, worry, sadness, and anxiety. This is because most people’s realistic views are skewed by negativity. So, in an effort to be realistic, you are merely repeating old concepts and limiting beliefs. You are playing worst-case scenarios in your mind for the sake of saving yourself from disappointment. My question to you is, does that really work? Do you ever feel better having predicted a horrible outcome? Repeatedly envisioning worst-case scenarios does little to shield us from disappointment. Instead, it propels us into a stressful journey filled with apprehension, a journey that in most cases will never manifest into reality.

Breaking Free: Envisioning a Brighter Reality 

So, why subject ourselves to this cycle of anxiety and negativity? It's time to break free from these thought patterns and grant ourselves the liberty to envision a brighter reality. Letting go of past grievances, embracing the present, and creating a new narrative where we are enough is the remedy for anxiety. When thoughts laden with dread, self-doubt, unworthiness, fear, and sadness surface, we possess the power to let go, disbelieve them, and choose a different story—one that instills hope, self-love, and excitement for life in the present moment. Check out my How to Feel Good Journal to get tips and tools for transformation and healing. #journaling #journalprompt #writingtherapy #selfreflection #personalgrowth

Freedom