3 Steps for Managing Worry & Anxiety
Many people experience anxiety in the form of worrisome thoughts, such as worst-case scenario thoughts, overthinking, overanalyzing, and so forth. What people often don’t realize is the ways in which their thought processes impact how they feel. Sometimes, these anxious thought patterns can be so automatic that we don’t even recognize that they’re happening. For example, let’s say you receive an email from your boss in which they ask for a meeting with you, without any context or explanation. An anxious thinker may automatically jump the thought, “What have I done that they’re unhappy with? They must be upset with me.” Because our thoughts often inform how we feel, this type of thought process may lead to feelings of anxiety, insecurity, and nervousness, all without the individual even recognizing that their thoughts may be contributing to their unsettled emotions.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a commonly used therapeutic modality for treating anxiety and depression. CBT teaches us that our thoughts impact our feelings, and that subsequently, our feelings impact our behaviors/actions. It also suggests that if we are able to identify and challenge our “negative” thought patterns, we are able to have a positive impact how we feel and how we behave. It’s important to note that the goal here is not to just “think positive” or focus on the good. Rather, the goal is to recognize when our worries may not be telling us the truth, and to try to work with those thoughts in a manner that reduces a sense of worry or anxiety. Sounds pretty easy, right? This can actually be fairly challenging to put into practice, especially when worrisome thought patterns are automatic and unconscious. That said, it is entirely doable with practice. Below are three strategies for managing worries and anxious thought patterns.
When you notice yourself feeling anxious or worried, pause and work backwards. Try to reflect on what sorts of thoughts may have been going through your mind that may have contributed to your feelings of anxiety. Building awareness around our thought patterns is a hugely important first step when it comes to managing anxiety.
Challenge the anxious thought. Once you’ve gained awareness around what sorts of thoughts were running through your mind that may have contributed to anxiety, take some time to challenge that way of thinking. This can be done by asking yourself questions like, “Do I have any evidence to support that thought? Could there be another explanation here that may be more positive or more likely? How realistic or likely is it that the thing I’m worried about has happened/is going to happen?”
Replace the anxious thought. After you’ve given yourself a chance to challenge the negative thought, spend a few moments trying to identify a more positive, more realistic, or more helpful way of thinking about the situation. In the example used above, the person may instead choose to think, “I have no concrete reason to think my boss is upset with me. They probably didn’t have time to give an explanation for the meeting, but I’m sure they’ll fill me in when we meet.”
Consistently following these steps can, over time, help us to rewire our ways of thinking and shift away from the negative or worrisome thoughts than can produce anxiety. For many people, this may feel sufficient when it comes to reducing anxiety and responding to worries! Often, more in-depth, exploratory work will also feel important or necessary for creating sustainable, long-term change. This may mean working with a therapist, or another helping professional, to explore more about the potential underlying sources of anxiety and worry, aiming to build insight into why certain thought patterns may exist, why particular worries may feel so frequent or present, and how past (or recent) experiences may impact how you feel in the present. Gaining this insight and self awareness can be hugely important when it comes to understanding and managing anxiety.
Disclaimer: This blog post is for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for individual therapy, and may not provide applicable recommendations for every reader.
