Changing the Worry Habit: Stress Relief Action Step Six

CHANGING THE WORRY HABIT

Stress, anxiety and reactions such as worry and fear can be caused in 3 different ways:

1.  Scary thoughts that move through the mind.
2.  Repressed emotions that are chained to present day events.
3.  Bodily reactions such as a pounding heart, clenching stomach or muscle tension.

There are many different techniques that can be used to stop disturbing reactions. Because there are three different ways stress is created (cognitive, emotional and physical) it’s important to know what techniques to use for each different type of stress.  Each type of technique has its own importance.

In todays Action Step (6) I’ll start by giving information on how thoughts can create stress.  In Action Step 7, I’ll give you a skill for stress relief using a cognitive technique.

This technique  is useful when you feel overwhelmed, worry or fearful.  It works because it helps to change negative thinking.   Using it over time will help you to re-program the worry habit.

Sometimes it takes a bit of a push to get yourself to use cognitive techniques. Because negative thinking habits take time to change. When you do push yourself a little you will get the benefit of the wonderful feeling of getting back in control of your own thoughts.

Remember, cognitive skills are only one part of the journey to a calm, relaxed way of being. What we want to do to build skills in each area so you no longer have to work so hard on just the cognitive or managing stress level.

In the first five steps we’ve started the process.  Be began by tapping into the creative part of the mind when you used your  imagination to create a future image of what you want in your life.  We then added a physical stress relief technique in the Breathing for calm exercise. 

Setting up a place to cue your mind that it was about to do something different was the next step as you dedicated to practicing the techniques. And I hope you have your journal that you are using for questions, complaints, and any thoughts that you are having as we do this work together.

Cognitive  techniques can help with negative thinking because the thoughts you have can create fear, worry, anxiety and even panic reactions.  They can stimulate pain in the body, can increase the discomfort and pain of IBS and other stomach and bowel issues.  Our thoughts can even increase the severity of migraines and other health issues. Therefore it’s important to know how to reprogram the pattern of your thoughts.  The cognitive part of the stress is something we change on a conscious level.

Many times the thoughts behind the symptoms you feel, will pass through the mind so quickly that a you might not be aware of it.  At other times you are aware of the anxiety that comes with worries you conjure up.  As you are well aware just thinking about all the possible things that can go wrong creates stress.

The body reacts as if the negative predictions had already happened, and it gets into the fight/ flight mode, even though the negative prediction hasn’t even happened yet.

Worry can serve a positive function when you use it to prepare for possible future difficulties.  But, continuing to be stuck in worry, even after the possible problems are recognized, becomes an obstacle itself.

In the next post (Action Step 7) you’ll learn a skill called the “2 for 1 Technique.”  It will help you to change negative thoughts into more positive, enhancing ones. There might be times when stressors and events are outside of your control, yet even in these circumstances thoughts can be used in a way that will have a positive impact on your stress level rather than creating more distress.

Action Step Six: Identifying your negative thoughts

1. Take out your journal and start a new page.

2.  For one day pay attention to your thoughts and make a list of any negative thoughts or worries you have.

3.  It is important to write down your thoughts.  Once they are on paper they will be easier to change. 

4.  Include any images that come with the thoughts.  

5.  Start to become aware of any stories you are telling yourself. Stories can be positive or negative. They are called stories because they aren’t facts, they are only possible outcomes.

6.  After identifying negative thoughts, images or stories focus on your feelings: both physical and emotional.

a. Just notice where the feeling is held in your body.   There is a connection between the body and mind and thoughts can lead to physical issues in your body.

b. Write down what you are saying to yourself about the physical feelings you are having?

7.  Sometimes a negative thought goes through the mind so quickly that at first you might not even conscious of it. Take a moment to search for these thoughts.

8.  If there you have trouble finding the thought,  it can be helpful to think back to the moment just before the emotion or physical manifestation in the body was felt.

9.  Being curious is the best state to be in to bring these thoughts into awareness.

10. Doing the above steps will help the thoughts and images to surface.  

Negative thoughts typically create a vicious cycle, with more negative thoughts popping up to support the first one. As you probably have noticed, this creates unnecessary anguish and stress on you.  Creative people have an amazing ability to create many negative thoughts in just an instant.

Once you recognize the thoughts going through your mind, it becomes possible to stop, and correct the negative thought process.

These exercises are from books and e-books and workshops written by Audrey Sussman PhD,  Director of the Anxiety Control Center.