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Any conscious attempt to get rid of obsessive, disturbing thoughts is doomed to failure: they arise again, forcing you to experience more and more. To cope with a panic mood, you need a different strategy.
Describe the situation
Our unconscious tries to protect us by drawing possible pictures of what might happen so that we can adapt to the situation by experiencing it in our imagination. However, this does not mean at all that all our fantasies will come true. Try to describe the situation on paper in order to analyze whether the danger is really so great.
Can something good happen instead of the negative scenario A? Try to write another, more successful scenario B. Think in detail how the situation will develop in this case and what you can do to implement the second option. This will allow you to distance yourself from the obsessive scenario A and look at what is happening more soberly.
clear the field
Panic thoughts are a kind of time bomb, a mechanism inherited from distant ancestors.
“Our brain is super sensitive to any information that it reads as dangerous. This mechanism allowed distant ancestors to survive in much more severe environmental conditions, says cognitive psychologist Tatyana Pavlova. – That is why many fears are not a reflection of an objective situation, but only an automatic reaction provoked by the brain, which is primarily focused on survival. Instead of preparing to repel a likely threat, consider whether the unconscious is exaggerating the danger.
Live in the present
Often the mind relies only on negative experiences. However, we can look at the situation with an open mind. Is something unfavorable already happening or just about to happen? Real and probable events are not identical, but the brain easily replaces these concepts. Think about which of the events of the past may actually be associated with fears?
“Try to celebrate everything that continues to delight you in the current moment, because this is the only opportunity to experience life in its entirety,” says clinical psychologist Melanie Greenberg. – If something negative happened in the past, this does not mean at all that the same thing will happen to you in the future.
Sometimes, when we think about something, we focus only on what we think is potentially dangerous.
Try to analyze how much the circumstances of life and yourself have changed since something happened to you that probably mentally keeps you in the past. Many fears are drawn from childhood and adolescence. However, now you have more inner strength and the ability to be aware of yourself, analyze current events and leave negative experiences behind you, moving forward.
Name your thoughts
Imagine that your thoughts are floating clouds. Some enchant with their beauty, while others, on the contrary, are alarming – suddenly it will rain. Watching the clouds, we guess in them the outlines of one or another image – an animal or a tree. Similarly, you can try to observe the flow of thoughts. As soon as you realize that you are emotionally assessing the situation as dangerous, name these thoughts.
If you are haunted by the thought that you will fail, then its name is “anxiety”. When you are dissatisfied with yourself, this is “criticality”. In the future, this will help you rise above overwhelming emotions and control the situation, realizing what exactly is happening to you now.
“Now think: do you really want to spend your time evaluating or harassing yourself with criticism?” Melanie Greenberg asks.
Don’t narrow your eyes
Sometimes, when we think about something, we focus only on what we think is potentially dangerous.
“Inner fear always plays a trick on us and forces us to focus on what is mistakenly perceived as a threat to well-being, and does not allow us to assess the situation in its entirety. It is important to see the nuances and details that would play in our favor, – says Melanie Greenberg. – Answer yourself the question: will the situation be as significant for you in 5 or 10 years? And if not, why bother?”
Get Started
So that uncontrolled fear, which we are not able to control, does not deprive us of the ability to act, any activity is useful – even cleaning the house or just walking the dog. The main thing is to get up and start moving. Physical action literally frees the mind from the captivity of heavy and debilitating thoughts, and it becomes easier to believe in yourself again.
From adversaries to allies
Even if all fears largely reflect the real state of affairs, constant negative thoughts begin to play against you. For example, you want to get a new job, but you know that only one candidate out of ten will be selected. However, the constant scrolling in the head of a scenario with a negative result can only demotivate and deprive the desire to even submit a resume. Although the person on whom the choice falls may well be you.
“You don’t lose anything,” reminds Tatyana Pavlova. – In case of failure, you remain in the same position as now. But if you can overcome self-doubt, you will have a chance to change something.” Focus on what exactly you can do to realize your ideas and desires.