Relief from overwhelm, hopelessness and fear: Step 1

Blueprint for hope and optimism

Today we’ll be looking at 2 questions about feeling hopeless, fearful and overwhelmed.  After a step-by-step plan for my clients, I decided to put some of my answers into the next few posts.  People don’t need to suffer with churning, harmful thoughts, I hope you enjoy these posts and if you have question just contact me on the tab on the side of this page.

Question 1:  This week I’m feeling anxiety again.  After our sessions I usually  leave feeling like a new person. Like there is a ray of light.  But this week I’m feeling like I will never get better.  It feels like there isn’t any hope for true relief.  I feel like I’m backsliding into anxiety and fear.    I followed up on 2 of my action steps and started to be fearful about moving ahead with my plans.  What is wrong with me?

Question 2: I’m feeling disconnected, whenever I start to feel good, I start monitoring my body for signs of anxiety.  I can be really happy and at ease, then I start to check to see if I am really feeling that way, within moments the good feelings disappear.  That’s when I get disconnected.  Even though I find I’m calmer physically my thoughts still get overwhelming.

Is there an effective strategy for breaking the cycle of monitoring my thoughts, that you can give me until we meet again?

The following answers will be a combination answer to both Questions: Today I’ll start with step 1, and in the upcoming days the next steps will be given.

Answer:  Dear Rennith (fictional name).
I am happy to see that you did give yourself a bit of credit for the relief you did feel recently.  That is a glimpse of the positive changes you are capable of.    It is my desire teach you the tools you need so that you once again will feel optimistic and hopeful.

Steps for hope and optimism:

Step 1:  Start jotting things down that would have to happen to make you feel hopeful.   Not just the major changes, but also the smallest “things” that would “have to”  change for you to feel even the tiniest bit of hope.  (This way you’ll start to notice the smallest changes in the positive direction and be able to remind yourself that there is movement in the right direction.

We’ve talked about the times recently, where you felt a “reprieve” from overwhelm and anxiety.  Think back to those times you felt the changes starting to happen, where you felt different and better.

Fear, negative thinking and checking your feelings are all old patterns. It’s interesting that the upset resurfaced when you were feeling happy. I imagine that the  “little voice “in the back of your mind started giving you negative messages, such as telling you that  nothing was changing.

When that pattern happens the old panic cycle gets going as you think about all the reasons that you are afraid, stuck or that nothing will change.