Anxiety loves to hand over the most unpleasant thoughts and future predictions (sometimes we call this “automatic negative thoughts” or “cognitive distortions”). But just because anxiety has the imagination to conjure up unpleasant thoughts or predictions does NOT mean that the thoughts or predictions are valuable to you…

Here’s 3 ways to respond to anxiety in a manner that acknowledges your current anxious experience while positioning you in a place of power and choice:

“Is this thought helpful right now?”

–In asking yourself this question, you are not disputing the validity of your anxiety. You are simply questioning how valuable it is to engage with anxiety in this current moment. Perhaps you may return to the anxious thought at another time. But right now, is this thought helpful?

“Is there an alternative to this thought?”

–In asking this question, you gently acknowledge that, perhaps, anxiety’s version of reality is not the only version of reality. Perhaps there is another direction you could go that is less predictive of the future or less threatening.

“When else have I had thoughts like this?”

–This is an example of practicing curiosity towards your anxiety. By exploring other times you have experienced this thought, you can start to learn more about the situations that elicit your anxiety and, more broadly, gain data pertaining to your anxious patterns.