As many states move to ease social distancing measures, it makes logical sense that we would feel more confident about going into public spaces. However, anxiety does not work that way. It is completely normal to continue to have heightened anxiety levels, including experiencing extended periods of dwelling on your anxiety or hyper-focusing on the causes of your anxiety.
I will walk you through a visualization exercise that will have you literally stopping those thoughts in their tracks as part of our weekly self-care series.
How to Stop Anxious Thoughts:
- Recognition: The first step of this simple exercise is to recognize when you are having a thought that is making you anxious or that is constantly repeating in your mind.
- STOP: Close your eyes and imagine in your head a giant stop sign. Really focus on the details of the stop sign. How big is it? What is the shape? What color is it?
- Stay Positive: It is important to not get down on yourself for having these thoughts or having these thoughts repeatedly. Again, it is completely normal in high-stress times to have repeated, anxious thoughts. When you realize the thoughts are happening again, simply repeat the visualization of the stop sign.
Need further help for managing big life transitions? We are accepting new clients of all ages from Iowa and Nebraska for telehealth sessions. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.
Recent Comments