Anxious feelings can be both claustrophobic and paralyzing. But there are tools and strategies for overcoming anxious thoughts and feelings. 

Getting caught under the spell of anxious feelings or thoughts has the power to severely decrease one’s life experiences. Anxious feelings often cause disheartening thought patterns, and fearful thought patterns tend to feed our anxious feelings. We’re usually feeling these anxious feelings or thoughts when we are fixating over the past or future. When we are worrying over something we feel we have no control over. 

So, how do we empower ourselves, and guide ourselves out of those discomforting thoughts and feelings? In this article we’ll explore methods and techniques for overcoming recurring anxious thinking and obsessive worrying. It is important to note that there is a difference between the diagnosis of Anxiety and anxious feelings. In this article we will mostly focus on recurring anxious thoughts and feelings. 

Let’s get healing.

The Positive Sides to Anxiety

Before we jump into the tools and techniques we can apply to our daily lives to get a hold over our anxiety, let’s first understand how anxiety sometimes offers desirable results. Anxiety can kick in when our body is warning us of a harmful situation to our wellbeing or to our lives. Is this person and situation that’s making you feel anxious somehow threatening your wellbeing?

Our anxiety has the ability to deplete our energy levels, or it has the ability to surge us forward into getting whatever it is that we want. Say for instance, you really want to succeed in your professional field, you decide it’s time to move somewhere new, or you want to finish up a project. Anxious feelings might kick in to supply you with the motivation and energy to work harder, to focus on your goals and to achieve what you’re after. 

This anxiety only works for us, and not against us, when we are realistic about those goals and aren’t overworking ourselves into an unhealthy state and abandoning other important aspects of our needs and wellbeing.

Living a fulfilling and healthy life is always about finding the balance between seemingly opposing forces. 

Write it out. Explore all the hidden corners of your triggers and feelings

Writing out your feelings and thoughts will have a seriously powerful effect over your wellbeing. Rather than allowing these anxious thoughts and feelings to ruminate within your heart and mind, write it out. Release the tension out onto the page. Writing gives you distance from repetitive thoughts and challenging feelings. 

As you write out the situation, ask yourself:

1. Why this situation is making you feel this way. 

2. What is it about this situation that’s making you respond in the way that you're responding?

3. Is it the situation at hand, or is it something deeper? Is it triggering an experience from the near or distant past? 

4. What would happen in the ‘worst comes to worst,’ scenario? Is the worst outcome far worse than your worrying thoughts and feelings?

Sometimes we over dramatize the situation in our minds. Writing out and questioning our thoughts and feelings can help us gain some distance and perspective. 

Write it out and release those worrying thoughts or feelings. 

Heal Now. Start Small

It’s important to realize that these anxious thoughts and feelings are in fact irrational. This means that you can’t fight it off with the rational mind. We need to start small and slowly work our way through the feelings and thoughts, detangling the experience like a knot on a delicate necklace chain. This time for yourself is worth it, and will seriously improve your quality of life. 

By slowly working our way away from those recurring thoughts and feelings, we are training our minds how to respond when they appear again, and again, and again and again. Because life will throw you curveballs every now and then, but as long as we know how to confront and manage those challenges, then they won't be as overwhelming and won't leave you feeling helpless. 

When we are patient with ourselves, learn our patterns and understand who we are and why we do the things we do, the more we will be able to handle challenging situations. 

Retrain your thoughts and take breaks

When you're feeling anxious, or worrying about something, try to convert those thoughts or feelings into something positive. Maybe you have thought, ‘they’re not answering my message because they don’t want to see me,’ or, ‘they’re going to reject my project proposal because they’re going to realize I’m in fact not qualified, or not smart enough,’ or something along those lines. 

Rather than thinking in those terms, how about thinking about the ways you are unique and intelligent. If someone doesn’t answer your email or message, why not tell yourself that you hope they are feeling optimistic and healthy, sending compassion to yourself and whoever received your email or message? 

And don’t be afraid to take breaks when you need to. 

Take a break and ground yourself in who you are today and where you are at the moment. Use deep breathing or meditation methods to unravel the anxious feelings and release them from your body. 

Focus on the reality of where you are right now. And choose to do something that makes you feel rejuvenated and optimistic. Listen to music, take a bath, a walk, a run, paint, watch a movie or take a rest. You are smart enough, brave enough and very capable of overcoming the challenges or fears in your life. We’re sure of it! Give yourself the time to heal and grow. You deserve it! 

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