Three Proven Techniques to Banish Anxious Thoughts

Everyone experiences anxious thoughts during their lifetime on one occasion or another. Sometimes they are brief, insignificant and disappear quickly. Other times they intrude, build up and create whole negative scenarios in the mind.

Anxious thoughts can be harmless if we don't give them time and importance, but they can also cause stress, depression, anxiety and other unpleasant conditions. If you feel that you cannot cope with them, it is best to consult a specialist - a psychologist - to help you overcome them.

Today we have for you three tried and tested techniques to banish anxious thoughts in the moment:

Consciously block them and replace them with positive thoughts

One of the most tested techniques is this one. It is possible thanks to a fact that many do not know - a person cannot think about two things at the same time. Just consciously expel the bad thoughts and conjure up positive ones in their place. Here's an example: you think you're going to fail the upcoming exam or job interview, you even imagine the failure in detail - what it is, where you went wrong and how it makes you feel. Instead, start thinking that you will do great on the upcoming exam or job interview. Imagine success - what it is, where your strengths are and how you feel about it. You get the idea, right?

Postpone them to a specific day and time

More and more experts are recommending this very practice of "deferred worry." We'll use the example of the upcoming exam or job interview again. As you drink your coffee, the bad thoughts invade and you start imagining failure again. The moment you feel yourself doing it, stop and promise yourself to worry about it later today - say from 5:00 to 5:30 pm. That way you'll give yourself a break and drink your coffee in peace. And when the appointed hour comes, you'll reflect on your worries.

Analyze them

If you feel that your anxious thoughts keep intruding, coming back again and again and sticking to you like gum, then stop and give them the time they need. Try to look at them objectively and ask yourself a few rational questions. Again we come back to the example of the upcoming exam or job interview. Ask yourself - what is the worst thing that could happen; how bad is it exactly; how much would it affect your life; how much would this incident matter in a week, or a month, or a year, or five; what would you do if you failed; what are the chances of not failing but succeeding?

❗ Remember - bad thoughts will stay with you as long as you let them. Try different techniques to deal with them, and if you feel you need help - seek it from a specialist.