Over the life of this blog I have talked a lot about how changing your thinking can lead to less anxiety. But what does ‘change your thinking’ even mean? Today I want to talk about a specific thing you can do (or think) to achieve the goal of less anxiety.
Have you ever heard people say that we should all try and live in the present? Of course you have but who cares right? Well not really, because this simple old school saying (like most sayings) is true and effective. It’s just that people hear sayings like this so much that they tend to either disregard them or not really implement them.
To live in the present means that you literally think about only that moment in time. You have to ask yourself what am I doing right now? And only do that.
In other words don’t brush your teeth in the morning, start pulling stuff out of the medicine cabinet and think about when you might become anxious that day.
One of my most loyal readers recently told me that when she gets up in the morning she scans her brain for anxiety like an anti-virus software program scans a computer. But wouldn’t it be better to sit on the edge of your bed and attempt to only think about your feet, the alarm clock you just slammed, or even the wall?
I’ve been trying this lately and I’ve attained mixed results. But I attribute this to the fact that I have been scanning for anxiety in my mind for so long that I have a hard time not ‘looking’ for anxiety. I need to untrain myself from doing this and this will simply take some time.
Living in the moment allows us to live our lives and not think about things that may or may not happen. To not think about things that took place yesterday, last week or even ten years ago. If you’re eating a bowl of ice cream then that’s what should consume your mind.
After all isn’t fear based on what could happen and not what’s actually happening? We all need to think about the future it’s just one of life’s necessities, but we need to keep this tendency in check.
Being fully present in the here and now allows you to reconnect with reality and not just the one you make up for yourself based on anxious thoughts. Making a commitment to living in the present may not rid you of anxiety but it will lower it’s prevalence and make it so that your life doesn’t pass you by while you wait for things to get better. Live now, live good.
"If you spend your whole life waiting for the storm, you’ll never enjoy the sunshine."
– Morris West
Great article. Mindfullness can be a very useful technique for anxiety. ACT therapy utilizes this a lot and has helped me more than traditional CBT. It’s still much easier said than done!
great post. this is exactly the same idea that is expressed in the book “the power of now” by tole. it is amazing how much time we waste thinking about what might happen. we all need to focus on the present and enjoy our lives.
This is a great site with a lot of excellent information. Thank you!
Here’s one thing that works for me that might work for others. One time, I was listening to a Tony Robbin’s casette tape, and he suggested doing something “wacky” (such as squawking like a chicken) to bounce out the needle in a one-track mind filled with worry. So I always remembered that and whenever I start to have a lot of anxiety, I tell myself I am only allowed to worry between 9 and 9:20 every Saturday morning. This has been working pretty well. I seem to always forget the appointment! I don’t have anxiety as bad as others, but it does go in spurts/bouts. Take care everyone!