The thoughts we put in our mind will affect how we feel and consequently, how our body will react. Anxiety is a result of anxious thinking and these thoughts need to be addressed. Intrusive thoughts make us more susceptible to anxiety attacks therefore if we want to avoid this mental disorder; we need to avoid anxious thinking. This could come in any form such as problems with a family member, a relationship gone sour, financial difficulties our maybe problems with health. If we keep on thinking about these problems, we in turn become anxious, worried and stressed which will eventually result in anxiety attacks. Intrusive thoughts may also come from past experiences such as a traumatic event or it could be just strange phenomenon that we have come across.
There are two simple ways to get rid of intrusive thinking. This is a two-pronged approach that will completely change your thinking patterns through a change of attitude and visualization techniques. These steps are really basic and anyone at anytime can do them in order to eliminate intrusive thinking thereby improving our defense against anxiety attacks.
A change of attitude
Intrusive thinking stems not only from our way of thinking but also on how we react to what is going on in our head. How we deal with given situations would certainly affect how our body will react and how much stress we are inflicting in ourselves.
Our mind is a very powerful tool. It can create things and it can also destroy things. It is then necessary to handle our thoughts carefully. We need to dissect the things we think about and make sure we only let positive thoughts enter our head. Thoughts are taking control of us, in everything we do. Thoughts regarding bills and household chores can either be good or bad depending on how we perceive them to be. When you focus on something, it gravitates towards you. Therefore, if you think about good things such as getting a promotion or getting married, it will eventually become real. However, if you think about losing the job or breaking up with your lover, then it will happen too. Again, what you think will determine the outcome. With this ideology comes the idea of how we can avoid intrusive thoughts as a means to avoid anxiety attacks. If we do not control and focus on what we think, if we often think about problems and worries then you are not helping yourself at all.
Let us say you are walking down the street with so many thoughts coming in. Some could be yours, originally while others you just picked up as you were walking. As you focus on things, they gravitate towards you. So, for example, a thought which we shall label “Fear” hovers in your mind. It could be stemmed from fear of a panic attack or fear of someone or something. You are then little by little becoming more attuned to “Fear” that it seems you can no longer get away from it. The more you think about it, the more afraid you become. It seems that no matter where you go, the thought follows you. This is a clear example of thinking of intrusive thoughts. They are subtle thoughts that will be hard to get rid of once they are there. It does not mean though that we cannot get rid of it, because we can- if we try hard enough.
Our intrusive thoughts greatly affect us because they tend to “linger around.” When we become emotionally driven in reacting to the thoughts being processed in our mind, we tend to worry more and even become obsessed with them. The worst part is, if we do not do something about it, it might just become permanent. We have to understand that thoughts become evident in just about anything. They can be good thought and they can also be bad thoughts. Whatever we do, our mind is constantly thinking. What we can do is to choose from our thoughts and know which ones we should keep and which ones we should put in the “trash.” Sometimes though, the problem lies in our inability to determine which one is good and bad. Thoughts may appear very appealing to us and it is easier to accept them right away. Once they are imbedded in our minds, they are harder to get rid of.
Now let us say we made the mistake of letting negative thoughts in. We can still find a way to prevent anxiety simply by fighting or neglecting these intrusive thoughts. How we react to these thoughts will matter a lot. Our behavior that results from our thoughts is really what makes a difference. If a negative thought comes in and we pay no mind to it because we know it will only stress us out, we are actually doing something to help ourselves this way. However, if a negative thought comes in and we got so caught up with it, we feel bad and lousy and ultimately, stressed. As a result, we are inviting anxiety in our life.
It is also important to note that suppressing thoughts can be just as destructive. When we say we pay no mind to something, it does not mean we keep it inside us- no. We need to face them and let them go. Let’s say we are afraid of taking the elevator. We fear it but we just keep it inside us. We do not even acknowledge the fear at all. So what happens is we become afraid every time we take the elevator. However, if we face the fact that we are afraid and ask ourselves why this is so, then perhaps something can be done to overcome it.
The reason why we are afraid of things is because of our behavior towards them. If we stop being afraid, then we will. You see, whenever something we do not want to deal with comes along, we find ourselves dreading the thought. When we push them away and try to escape, it becomes all the more glued to your mind. It is somewhat like a song that gets stuck in your head. If you keep telling yourself you do not want it, well guess what? It stays around. What you can do is face this fear head on and tell yourself it is not such a big deal. Face it and do something to get rid of it. Remember that when you suppress them they will keep coming back to no end.
When we change our attitude, we change the way we react to intrusive thoughts. We do not have to be afraid or we do not have to run away from things that scare us. Changing our attitude means we become brave and courageous. It means we do not have to get angry or stressed when unique situations arise. By changing our attitude we can break free from bad old habits and look at things much differently. There is no secret ingredient to changing the way we think but we can change the way we react to these thoughts.
The most effective way to get rid of intrusive thoughts is to start within yourself. No amount of medication or therapy can be as powerful as your will to change. Mold you attitude for the better so that you will already know how to appropriately react to any thought that you have and will no longer have to deal with anxiety.
In the same way, if things go wrong at work for example, our tendency is to become upset. We feel bad because it did not turn out the way we expected. We thought we would get a 20% increase but we only got half of it. We tell ourselves that we worked so hard and deserve much better. So we resort to sulking and getting irritable. We might even decide to quit our job. What happens? We end up with no job and a pile of bills to be paid. Now this is even more stressful. However, if we had dealt with the situation better by avoiding emotionally driven reactions, the outcome would have been positive. We could talk it over with the boss and explain why we think the increase is too low. If we do this, we will most likely save ourselves from further stress and depression and at the same time get a good increase, or at the very least, keep our job.
Trying to control how we react to a certain stimulus (our thoughts) takes a lot of effort and sacrifice. It is not easy at all, especially at the beginning. We will have to be more patient, understanding and focused. The key here is to practice every day. Be conscious of what we think and pay close attention to how we react. Take a second or two to stop and think before reacting. If your mind is neutral and clear, you can easily decide how to handle the situation. To get away from anxious thoughts, to control them instead of them controlling you, you have to have focus and keep your mind neutral. Switch to a positive cycle and do away with the negative.
As illustrated above, if we keep on following the negative thinking cycle, we always end up stressed. However, if we use the positive thinking cycle, we become more calm and at peace. Most importantly, if we are in neutral grounds, meaning, in between the two kinds of thinking cycle, we become more capable of thinking clearly and avoid the confusion. When in neutrality, it is easier to transition to the positive thinking cycle.
You probably have noticed that people have different ways of dealing or coping with difficult situations. Others are getting all worked up while there are those who look like nothing is wrong at all. Those who get stressed are those who allow the negative thinking cycle to rule over them that is why they are always so concerned and worried. Those who use the positive thinking cycle are those who relax and take things as they are. They are not afraid to face the problems and they know exactly how to deal with them without having to get so emotionally attached or be emotionally drained.
One last important note that everyone should know is that just because you have always been an anxious person it does not mean you will always be that way. You can still change so as long as you are determined to do so. Anxious thinking is a habit and like all habits, it can be broken. Even after years and years of being this way, it is highly possible that you can become better than what you are now, and only you have the power to make it happen.
