You know that feeling when your brain suddenly decides to become a 24/7 talk show host, constantly bombarding you with thoughts? Welcome to anxietyโwhere every little thing has the potential to spiral into a full-blown existential crisis.
Iโve been there (more times than Iโd like to admit), and let me tell you, itโs exhausting. Anxiety doesnโt care if youโre in the middle of a meeting, hanging out with friends, or just trying to fall asleep. It shows up uninvited, ready to take control of your thoughts and make everything feel like itโs on the verge of disaster. So, how do you cope when your brain wonโt shut up?
Here are some techniques that have helped me, and hopefully, they can help you too.
1. Get Friendly With Your Anxiety (Yes, Really)
First off, letโs acknowledge one thing: Anxiety is trying to protect you. It’s your brainโs way of saying, “Hey, something might go wrong!” But most of the time, itโs like that overprotective friend who worries way too much. You donโt need to fight your anxiety or hate it. Instead, try to recognize when it’s happening and accept it for what it is: a sign that your brain is working overtime to keep you safe, even when thereโs no real danger.
That doesnโt mean you have to love it, but accepting its presence can reduce the power it has over you. You can even give it a nameโsomething ridiculous like “Brenda the Brain Bully”โto separate it from your true thoughts. When Brenda shows up, just say, โOh, itโs you again. Cool, but Iโm busy.โ
2. The Power of the Pause
When anxiety hits, your mind is racing at 100 miles an hour. This is where you need to hit the mental brakes. Pause. Take a deep breath (or ten). Focus on grounding techniques, like the good olโ 5-4-3-2-1 trick:
– 5 things you can see
– 4 things you can touch
– 3 things you can hear
– 2 things you can smell
– 1 thing you can taste
This helps pull you back into the present moment, away from whatever worst-case scenario your brain is cooking up. Sometimes, just taking a few minutes to pause and breathe can calm the chaos enough for you to think more clearly.
3. Journal the Noise Away
If your brain wonโt shut up, give it something to do. Grab a notebook and just start writing. Write down everything thatโs swirling in your headโno matter how silly, irrational, or scary it might seem. This isnโt about creating a masterpiece; itโs about getting those anxious thoughts out of your mind and onto paper.
The cool thing about journaling is that it lets you see your thoughts from a distance. When theyโre spinning around in your brain, they feel massive. But once theyโre on the page, they lose some of that power, and you can start to see them for what they really are: just thoughts, not facts.
4. Challenge Your Thoughts (Kindly)
When anxiety is in full swing, it can feel like every terrible outcome is not only possible but inevitable. Your brain tells you that youโre going to fail, that everyone is judging you, or that something awful is about to happen. But just because you think it doesnโt mean itโs true.
Start by questioning those anxious thoughts:
– Whatโs the evidence for this?
– Is this a fact or just my anxiety talking?
– Whatโs the worst that could happenโand is it really that bad?
– What would I say to a friend who was having these same thoughts?
Approaching your anxiety with curiosity rather than fear can help you see through the fog of irrational thoughts.
5. Move Your Body, Change Your Mind
When youโre stuck in your head, sometimes the best thing you can do is get out of itโliterally. Physical movement can help shake off that mental tension. You donโt have to go run a marathon (unless thatโs your thing), but even a 10-minute walk or some light stretching can make a world of difference.
Exercise releases endorphins, which are like your brainโs natural mood boosters. So, next time
