Some mornings negative talk and anxiety can strike early and be very persistent. Even though one may be tuned into the “idea” being aware of negative mental chatter and its true meaning (nothing) the deep rut of habit takes over. We all know about the mental chatter. The thoughts of “I’m not this… I’m not that… They think this about me…” etc. These thoughts can breed more of their kind and can create buckets of anxiety for some of us.
One falls into this mental rut of habit and gets stuck there affecting not only oneself, but anyone he or she may come into contact with during the morning routine. To compound this I sometimes will “beat myself up” for letting myself be that way with others. But that is a another post, being kind to oneself.
This morning I found myself in one of these negative thinking and anxiety funks and did not shake it until I got into the office. The distraction of work is what got my mind away from the fruitless thoughts.
This pattern of habit, or pattern of thought, tends to come in the morning, it is always pessimistic and negative and typically results is creating a good deal of anxiety. So how do I take this on. Pretty simple really I have a list here.
So what can you do to stop the mental machinations?
- Stop what you are doing, get to a quiet place
- Sit and close your eyes
- Take 3 slow deep breaths all the while focusing on the inhalation then the exhalation
- After those initial deep breaths bring your breathing to a more normal rate but keep focus on your breathing
- If you have any ‘thoughts’ gently label them as thoughts and get back to focusing on your breathing
- Do this for a few minutes
This will initially crack the spinning wheel of negative thought that is going on in your mind. Much like a hamster in a wheel, the habit of thinking can wear you down.
You may find it challenging to get your mind to focus on your breathing and let go of the incessant chatter. Stick with it! It does get easier and speak from experience
How do you handle the mental chatter and negative thoughts?
Do you have any strategies or techniques to share?
{ 0 comments… add one now }