Anxiety is in most cases related concern. The materializes anxiety in an anticipatory occupation of the mind’s resources on something that will happen or that it is feared that happening in the future. However, the concern can be useful when it leads us to take action and solve a problem. But if you are concerned with hypothetical scenarios or catastrophic scenarios, the concern becomes a serious problem. Doubts and irrational fears are paralyzing, and discouraging non-productive. Anxiety and hence the preoccupation drain your emotional energy, increase stress levels, and interfere with their day-to-day, all without any positive return. The good news is that the terrible habit of chronic worry is a mental process that you can learn to reduce and even overcome. You can train your mind in order to become more calm and controlled, allowing look at life in a more positive perspective.
Once triggered anxiety, concern it follows, is as a byproduct of anxious information processing. Consequently they are generated mixed feelings about their concerns. Their concerns start to bother you, going to manifest symptomatically, affecting sleep, concentration, power, humor and increasing pessimistic and catastrophic nature of thoughts.
But fortunately there are some forms of information processing that justify these concerns. For example, when you think:
Maybe I’ll find a solution.
I do not want to forget anything.
If I keep thinking a bit more, maybe I can resolve the situation.
I do not want to be surprised.
I want to be responsible.
We all have a natural tendency to worry, so it becomes difficult desenraizarmos this habit, because in a sense, our concerns have been serving us.
WHY IS IT SO DIFFICULT TO STOP WORRY?
For the more worried, anxious thoughts are fed by the beliefs, both positive and negative, that maintain inadequate mental inclination. On the negative side, you may believe that their constant concern is harmful, it will drive you crazy or affect your health. Or you will lose control of your thoughts, and never be able to control the worry. On the positive side, you may believe that your concern helps prevent bad things, avoid problems, and prepares for the worst, or that leads to solutions.
negative beliefs, or worry about your concern, triggers even more anxiety and the cycle of worrying thoughts will remain. But positive beliefs about worry can be even more damaging. It’s hard to break the worry habit if you believe your concern protects. To stop excessive worry and anxiety, you should abandon their belief that worry serves a positive purpose. After realizing that the concern is the problem itself, not the solution, you can regain emotional balance and restructure mental patterns for a more positive and optimistic way of looking at life.
clarifying note: Please note that this article when I refer to the concern, I am addressing the ruminations that you may have regarding a possible threat or problem, not being this real threat, but rather imagined, without there being any concrete evidence for this.
CONCERN AND ANXIETY – TIP 1: ACCEPT UNCERTAINTY
The inability to tolerate the uncertainty plays a central role in increased anxiety and worry. People who suffer from chronic concern have a huge boost to clarify all your doubts and unpredictability. They need to know with 100% certainty what will happen. Worrying is seen as a way to predict what the future holds for them, a way to avoid unpleasant surprises and control the results. The problem is that this strategy of wanting to know what will happen in the future and / or make sure that the feared things will not happen, simply does not work.
Thinking about everything that could go wrong, it does not make more predictable life. You may feel safer activating their mental tendency to worry, but it’s just an illusion. Focusing on worst-case scenarios will certainly not prevent some bad things to happen. Will only prevent you enjoy and enjoy the good things we have at present. So if you want to stop worrying and aims to relieve anxiety, first solve its need for security and immediate answers.
Challenge intolerance of uncertainty: The key to relieving anxiety
Ask yourself the following questions and write down your answers. See if you can come to an understanding of the disadvantages and problems of being intolerant of uncertainty.
You can be sure about anything in life?
What are the advantages of want to be sure of all things, versus the disadvantages? Or, as is the need to make sure something is useful or harmful in life?
You tend to predict that some bad things can happen just because they are uncertain? This is a reasonable thing to do? What is the probability of positive or neutral results happen?
You can live with a small chance that something negative could happen, because your risk is very low?
CONCERN AND ANXIETY – TIP 2: CREATE A PERIOD FOR CONCERN
It’s hard to be productive and functional in their daily lives when anxiety and concern dominate their thoughts. Simply try to stop worrying does not work, at least not for long. You can distract yourself for a moment (which may momentarily be beneficial), but you can not banish your anxious thoughts. Try this often makes them stronger and more incisive. But that does not mean there’s nothing you can do to reduce or overcome your concern. You need to apply a different approach. Rather than trying to completely suppress an anxious thought, a strategy that has proven effective is to develop the habit of postponing concern.
Learn to postpone the concern:
Create a “period for your concern.” Choose a set time and place to worry. Should be the same every day (for example, in the living room between 17:00 to 17:20), try to be sufficiently far away from bedtime so that anxiety does not harm his sleep. During his concern period, you are allowed to worry about what torments her mind. The rest of the day, however, is a free zone concerns.
Postpone its concern. If an anxious thought or concern arise in your mind during the day, make a brief note on a pad of paper and postpone the processing of information for your worry period. Remember that you will have time to think about it later, so no need to worry about that now. Save it for later and continue with their activities.
Check your “worry list” during the period to worry about. Think about the concerns that you wrote on paper block during the day. If the thoughts are still bothering enable worry about them, but only for the amount of time you specified for the period of worry. With this strategy probably their concerns will not seem important in this way can reduce or eliminate the period for your concern and enjoy the rest of your day.
The hold: Postpone concern is effective because it allows to break the habit of dwelling on the concerns at the present time. Once you develop the ability to defer their anxious thoughts, you will experience greater relief from anxiety, worry and increase the sense of control.
CONCERN AND ANXIETY – TIP 3: THE CHALLENGE NEGATIVE THOUGHTS
If you suffer from anxiety and chronic worries, you are likely to look at the world in ways that make it seem more dangerous than it really is. For example, you can overestimate the possibility that things will turn out badly, immediately jump into catastrophic scenarios, or treat every negative thought, as if it were a fact of life. You can also discredit their own ability to cope with life’s problems, assuming everything will go wrong at the first sign of difficulty. These irrational thinking and pessimistic attitudes are known as cognitive distortions.
Despite the cognitive distortions are not based on reality, it becomes difficult for the person counteract and eliminate this type of reasoning. Often, these distortions are part of a pattern of thought that is used throughout the life has become so automatic that is not even fully aware of it. In order to break these destructive and distorted thinking habits and stop the worry and anxiety that they originate, you should gain motivation to train your mind to new ways of thinking, establishing a positive and proper thinking.
Start by identifying the disturbing thought, being as detailed as possible about what scares or worries. So instead of seeing their thoughts as facts, look at them as hypotheses you are testing in order to verify that they meet what we want for you and serves you. To examine and challenge your fears and worries, you will develop a more balanced perspective, will develop emotional balance.
Stop worrying, questioning the thought that worries:
What is the evidence that the thought is true? This is not true?
There is a more positive, realistic way of looking at the situation?
How likely is it that I’m afraid really happen?
If the probability is low, what are some of the most likely outcomes?
It’s useful thinking? How does worry me with this help me or hurt me?
What would I say to a friend who has this concern?
cognitive distortions that lead to anxiety and concern:
Thoughts of all or nothing. You look at things thinking of categorical and absolute manner, as if things had to be black or white, with no middle ground. “If I fall short of perfection, I’m a total failure.”
Hipergeneralização. You make generalizations from a single negative experience, hoping she remains always true. “I will not be hired for the job ;. I’ll never get any job. ” The mental filter focuses only on the negative aspects, while omitting all the positives. Realizing the only thing that went wrong, rather than all the things that went wrong.
Devaluation of the positive. Pays no attention to the good things that happen to you. “I did well in the presentation, but that was just pure luck.”)
Jumping to conclusions and make negative interpretations without concrete evidence. You act like someone who believes being able to read the minds of others. “I know that person hates me.”) Or like a fortune teller. “I just know that something terrible is about to happen.”
catastrophic thoughts. Expect the worst scenario from happening. “The pilot said we are in a turmoil hole. The plane will crash. ”
emotional reasoning. Believing that the way you feel reflects reality. “I’m scared now. That must mean I’m in real physical danger. ”
rigid type rules: “I have to …” or “I never can …”. Arming is a strict list of what you should and should not do, punishing himself to break any of the rules.
Labeling. Labeling is based on perceived errors and deficiencies. “I’m a failure, an idiot, a loser.”
Customization. Taking responsibility (inflation of responsibility) for things that are out of your control. “My son had an accident, it’s my fault. I should have warned him to drive carefully when it rains. ”
CONCERN AND ANXIETY – TIP 4: LEARN TO RELAX
Anxiety is more than just a feeling. Anxiety includes a response that is felt in the physical body, emitting a reaction of “fight or flight” to a perceived threat. Your heart beats but strong, you breathe faster, your muscles tense, and in some situations to have a sense of “dizziness”. When you are relaxed, the opposite happens. Your heart rate decreases, you breathe more slowly and deeply, muscles relax, blood pressure and acsua stabilize themselves. In this way, something extraordinary happens to the reduction of anxiety, it is impossible to be anxious and relaxed at the same time. And this is tremendously capacitor is a very powerful strategy that can be used in extreme anxiety situations. Relaxation is a powerful tactic to relieve anxiety.
If you are a person who suffers from chronic worry, relaxation techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation, deep breathing and meditation can teach you how to relax. The key is regular practice. Try to set aside at least 20 minutes a day. Over time, the relaxation response will be easier, until it can be established as an effective technique at its disposal to regulate their state of anxiety for functional levels and appropriate for different life situations.
Some useful relaxation techniques:
Progressive muscle relaxation. When anxiety takes care of itself, progressive muscle relaxation can help you to release muscle tension and reduce or dismiss their concerns. The technique involves systematically contract and then relax the different muscle groups in the body. As the body relaxes, your mind will focus on this sense of automatically and wellness abandon anxiogenic thoughts.
Deep breathing. When you’re anxious, breathe faster. This hyperventilation causes symptoms such as dizziness, shortness of breath, stiffness, tingling in the hands and feet. These physical symptoms are frightening, leading to more anxiety and panic. But when breathing deeply from the diaphragm, you can reverse these symptoms and to calm down.
Meditation. Many types of meditation proven effective for reducing anxiety. The mindfulness, in particular, shows up as a very useful technique for the relief of anxiety. Research shows that mindfulness meditation can actually change some states of your brain. With regular practice, meditation increases the feeling of serenity and joy.
CONCERN AND ANXIETY – TIP 5: TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF
A healthy and balanced lifestyle plays a big role in the maintenance of anxiety, fears and concerns to functional and appropriate levels.
Present below a number of ways you can use to relieve anxiety and concern, taking care of yourself:
Look for support in friends, family or professional help. The anxiety and worry get worse when you feel helpless and alone. Strive to build a strong support system. The more you are connected to other people, the less vulnerable you will feel. If you start to feel overwhelmed with concern, call a family member or trusted friend. Talk to him about your concerns, vent can make your problems seem less threatening.
Adopt healthy eating habits. Start your day with breakfast and continue with small frequent meals throughout the day. Stay long without eating leads to reduction in blood sugar levels, which can make you feel anxious and angry. Eat carbohydrates, such as brown rice, fruit and vegetables.
Practice leisure activities. Look for practicing activities that bring you satisfaction, joy and relax. Do activities that allow you to stay involved and emersso that make you lose track of time.
Practice Physical exercise. Do some type of physical activity, aerobic nature of preference, such as walking, low-intensity racing, or some kind of collective game.
ATTACKS HAVE PANIC? LEARN HOW TO TREAT
If your anxiety and worry at very high levels to the point where you develop panic attacks, seeing their lives adversely affected to the point of avoiding a set of behaviors and situations that cause you discomfort, I want to introduce you to my book: Panic attacks – Learn how to overcome your fears. I believe that the contained information can help you, as it has been helping hundreds of people who have seen their lives improved.
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