Heal Anxiety by Retraining Your Brain
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1. Start small and be brave.
If there’s something you’re avoiding, set yourself up for small wins. Be brave. It will show that “little child” in your brain’s fear center that the “unsafe” assessment isn’t accurate. And though it may sound like it, I’m not just talking about phobias here (if you do have a specific phobia, please work it through with a professional). This also works for everyday anxiety-provoking situations in which avoidance becomes a habit.
Pay attention to all the good feelings that come from your small wins. It’s time to re-educate your brain that certain activities are fun, really quite safe, and worth whatever small risk might be involved.
2. Acknowledge the fear but put it in perspective.
When fear comes up, take a step back. Think of it as your brain responding to a trigger. You can observe this more objectively versus letting the fear response overwhelm your rational mind.
Say something to yourself like, “This is just my fear system talking; this isn’t really me.”
Or: “My limbic system thinks this situation is a threat, but it’s wrong. I’m safe. I’m ok.”
Another good one: “This feels scary but I know that I need to do this in order to help my brain to heal and enjoy my life again.”
Take a breath to calm your system. And again—really celebrate the triumph and pat yourself on the back for being brave and conquering your fears.
3. Shift a fear pattern by directing your attention to good things.
When your anxiety gets triggered, intentionally focus on what’s joyful and good around you. If you’re actually safe, feel the safety. Let that get into your bones. It will get into your brain, too, and will start to change (and heal) your limbic system’s erroneous narrative about anything you might be irrationally afraid of.
4. Live a calm and calming life.
If you’re in a season where you’re feeling anxious, be kind and gentle with yourself. Don’t force yourself to do things that have nothing to do with the source of your anxiety but make you feel more stressed.
Practice mindfulness or other mind-body practices that calm your nervous system down. Remember to breathe, especially if you’re stressed. If there are people in your life who you find really stressful, maybe you don’t need to see them in this season.
5. Rewire your brain with the truth.
Think of your brain as a machine that can get stuck in a pattern of error that needs to be rewired.
Write down a fearful thought that’s holding you back or making your life miserable.
Where did that fear come from? What’s true about it? What’s not true about it?
What are the probable negative outcomes or losses you might experience if you give into the fear again?
What are the probable positive outcomes if you step past your fear and move forward?"
Read the complete article available at Psychology Today!
Reflection:
What are your thoughts on the article?
#Anxiety #Brain #Coping
@comfortableNight4463 Falls into a common trap I see about anxiety of assuming things are safe, what about when things are not? I find there are often times that things feel like a threat because they ARE safety threats. I dislike the suggestion we start gaslighting ourselves, it happens enough from others.
@AffyAvo I think we're able to discern whether something is genuinely a threat and when something is not. Personally, with my anxiety, I'm able to since my anxiety majorly revolves around social situations. And 'gaslighting' myself helps me. Every individual is different and each person has different way that help them cope with their anxiety.
Great approach!
I do believe the mind can be rewired from repetitive exercises. I think repetitive exercises such as meditation mindfulness and focus are all great tools to reduce anxiety from a scientific perspective. To be aware of what's causing the anxiety is a critical observation. Just because we're aware of it does not mean we can get rid of it but it does give us the option to try.
With all the different levels of anxiety from minor to extreme I can totally understand where it would seem unlikely that someone suffering from extreme anxiety and fears could or want to put their faith in these techniques because their fears are what seems to be protecting them and that is a legitimate claim.
There are some fears that we cannot whitewash away and they cause us great anxiety but there are many others that are just springboards to anxiety that can be addressed by this article and reduce our constant anxiety throughout the day. (therefore, retraining our brain for years to come.)
I think this was a great article and a very good exercise to practice.
@IsayUncle
I think medication is critical too. I didn't mean to exclude it in my previous post. 😕 sorry.
@IsayUncle Well said! Thanks for sharing!
@comfortableNight4463
Yw. it is a good subject and thread.
@IsayUncle Thanks for linking this for me! I do try to take deep breaths when I feel anxious and remind myself that most of my fears are irrational. And also that I almost always feel better in the situation I am worrying about than I do during the before and after - when I’m thinking and analyzing about what might happen or what did happen.