A month or so ago, I was struggling with anxiety and unwanted thoughts. I was scaring myself with things I knew wouldn't happen and things I knew I didn't really believe. Dr. F gave me a to do list and it has really helped me so I wanted to share it.
*Deal don't dwell: If it's a realistic fear, don't just sit there, get up and do something about what you are scaring yourself about.
*Look for the theme: If you are daydreaming about getting in a car accident, maybe the theme is control. What in your life feels out of control?
* Thought stopping doesn't work for obsessive thinking. There is a famous study called the "White Bear Study." Participants in the study were told to close their eyes and they were all given a bell. Then they were told, "Under NO circumstances are you to think of a white bear. If you do think of a white bear, you must ring the bell." Within seconds, the room filled with the sound of bells! From that study, behaviorists concluded that thought stopping does not always work. We find that to be so with obsessive thinking. Thinking, "Don't think of a white bear, " IS thinking of a white bear.
SOLUTION: Respond in the same way each time you become aware that you are obsessing.
1. Notice and accept the thought.
2. Call upon your relaxation response. Relax from head to toe.
3. Breathe. Inhale for two seconds, exhale for four.
4. Soothe your mind with three or four under-reactive, calm sentences.
Gently glide away from catastrophizing, negative, thoughts. The less attention you give to the thought, the sooner it leaves.
We are not our thoughts. Your thoughts do not represent who you are. What you think about is not as critical as what you tell yourself about what you think.
