Show Notes
Negative thought patterns often come hand in hand with anxiety, stress, panic and worry.
It feels endless and exhausting but they're are many ways to overcome it.
One of the most effective ways to deal with negative thought patterns is to become more aware. To learn how to pause for a second, recognise and redirect your thoughts in to a more positive pathway.
Mindfulness practices such as paying attention to your senses, breathing, body and surroundings can be extremely helpful.
Being mindful helps you focus on the present moment and become more aware of both your thoughts and feelings. By doing this, you can discover ways to recognise when negative thoughts are taking over and you can learn shift your focus to something more positive or back to the present moment.
An absolute crucial component to managing or even living with anxiety is learning coping mechanisms for when everything just feels too much.
You build up your mental health tool box with reliable skills and strategies that work for you. They don't need to make sense to anyone else.
I'm sure many people will judge me for the coping mechanisms I've described in this podcast but there should be no shame. We all have things that make us feel better or worse and having that awareness is your super power
Some helpful coping mechanisms include:
💜Mindfulness What Skills ✨Observe ✨Describe ✨Participate
💜Mindfulness How Skills ✨Non-Judgementally ✨One-Mindfully ✨Effectively
💜Breathing techniques 💜Coping Skills (Distress Tolerance) 💜Healing Skills (Emotion Regulation)
This content is a mix of techniques I've learned in my Mindfulness Practitioner course, mindfulness practices but also through DBT. They teach these skills in hospitals to treat mood disorders, depression, anxiety amongst other mental health problems. A lot of these services are outdated and exceptionally hard to get access to so I'm trying to share them to hopefully help those who need ot but also to improve the wellbeing of anyone wanting to get that 1% better each and every day 💪🏻
To conclude, mindfulness and positive coping mechanisms are a key component to regaining control of anxiety and our thoughts in general.
By being aware of your thoughts and feelings as well as learning how to focus on the present moment, you can reduce feelings of low mood, stress, anxiety and improve your overall well-being.
With the right support, knowledge and skills it is possible to live a happier and more fulfilling life, even in the face of all the stressors life throws at us. I hope these skills help and thanks so much for listening in again.
Wishing hope, happiness and healing until next time,
Aoif 💜✨x
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