Thoughts & Anxiety

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This article is a small taste of how our thoughts impact anxiety.  Many of us visit the land of "What If' this happens! This is the world of swirling thoughts on everything that can go wrong in every area of your life.  One can easily get caught up in the swirling eddies of the land of "What if" and keep one in a constant state of anxiety!  

So, where to start?  Let's begin by examining what we are thinking about daily.

Thoughts significantly influence emotions and the body, so the potential for improvement is immense. By examining and managing your thoughts, you can make significant strides in reducing your anxiety. With the aid of tools, calming down practices, and possibly herbal or supplemental assistance, you can embark on a journey toward a less anxious life. 

How does this work with the idea of thoughts causing anxiety?  When one has a thought, this thought goes all the way through your psyche to your emotions and body. So, for example, let's say you are thinking, 'I am not going to get to work on time,' and you worry you might catch some flack from your boss and you have been late a lot in the last month, and you could lose your job, and then you will lose your house and your family will be on the streets!' Yikes! That entire flow of thought happened in a millisecond, and now your emotional body and physical bodies will give you their responses.

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This way of worst-case scenario thinking can become habitual and, over time, creates well-grooved tracks that your mind rides along with most thoughts. If this describes you, changing your mental habits must be addressed. 

So let's take a few breaths and calm down enough after this cascade of fear and hormones flood the body, and we can take the time to look at what we were thinking. So let's take apart that thought:

'I am not going to get to work on time, and you worry you might catch some flack from your boss and you have been late a lot in the last month, and you could lose your job, and then you will lose your house and your family will be on the streets'

Ask yourself these questions:

1.What is the best-case scenario- I explain to my boss my new baby is keeping me up at night. My boss responds with okay, let's have your start time in the morning at 10:00 instead of 9:00 

2. What historically has happened with this scenario- well, Susan, the Sales manager, had the same issue, and it was worked out in a way that suited both parties 

3. What is the worst-case scenario- well, I get fired, but it is more likely I'll get a warning.
 
4. What is the probable scenario- there will probably be a meeting of the minds, and a solution that suits both parties will be worked out. 

The above dissection of the thought taking place now no longer holds as much anxiety as the emotions are calming down as solutions are provided. The emotions can now stop yelling to get your attention. 

Most anxiety is a result of our thoughts. 

Granted, other things set off anxiety, such as a physical condition trying to get your attention will cause anxiety, or perhaps an emotion coming up from a memory of an experience, or a car is indeed barreling down the street at you. But most of the time, it is your thoughts. 

So this idea that thoughts are a primary source of anxiety may not seem very comfortable at first glance, but it is a good thing as thoughts can change. Some thought patterns will take a little more work, but sometimes thoughts can change in a heartbeat. 

To allow your brain to change a thought pattern requires the learning centres to be open, not closed—judgement of self, shame of self, and criticism of self cause these centres to close down. What is truly amazing is that kindness and compassion for self opens these learning centres up so you can now change the brain patterns, which is called the brain's neuroplasticity. Yes, it can seem daunting to change old thinking patterns, but once you recognize them, you can catch yourself thinking about them and then change them. 

So in the case of "I am going to be late for work again, and lose my job and be homeless," it can become, yes, 'I might catch some flack from the boss, but I will strive to get up earlier, or get the lunches for the kids made before bed', or whatever will handle the reason or reasons why you are late. When you change the thought progression, the logical mind can step in and make the adjustments necessary for you to keep your job. The anxious feeling is simply telling you it is time to pay attention to your tardiness.

Once solutions for your tardiness have been decided on, the feelings of anxiety will go away.

I know it sounds too simple, but it is a start to dealing with anxiety.

The 'Healing with Anxiety, Naturally course discusses how your emotions and body are doing when experiencing anxiety and what results from too much anxiety running habitually through the body. This can become cumulative, and if it is allowed to build up, what appears to be a somewhat easy stress to deal with is now sitting on top of a barrel of stress. If one little extra drop of pressure comes into your barrel, it will explode in what is considered an overreaction. 

Examining and managing your thoughts consciously will help the emotions and the body calm down. If you are constantly bombarding yourself with scary scenarios, your body and emotions will become overwhelmed.  Learning to look at your thoughts lovingly will help you on all levels, no matter how anxious you are.  Of course, the nervous system will need some support, which is available through herbs, therapies, talk therapy, supplements and if necessary, pharmaceuticals.

(c) Wendy Murdoch 

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