Blog Post 4: How To Stop Thinking Anxious Thoughts
Where does your mind go when you let it run wild?
For me (or at least the old me) it went to negative, anxious thoughts.
When I was studying to get a certification to become a qualified Coach, I started doing a lot of coaching, and self-coaching, and began thinking about what I thought about, and how I thought about it.
I was surprised to realise (although, probably not that surprised), that I often had negative, or at least anxious thoughts about most things.
Can anyone else relate?
When my daughter Chloe started telling me her thoughts about innocuous things, but often with a hint of concern or anxiety, I started delving deeper into why my mind seemed to gravitate towards anxious thoughts, and what I could do to try to get out of that pattern.
For me, and for my daughter Chloe.
“The best use of our imagination is creativity. The worst use of our imagination is anxiety.”
That is a quote by Deepak Chopra.
Taking it one step further, I believe we actually have two modes of thinking. Either we think in ‘anxiety-mode’ or in ‘creativity-mode’.
We can’t think in both modes simultaneously.
If you’re anything like me, I was pretty much NAILING anxiety-mode thinking 99% of the time.
So when I discovered this concept I started working on a few strategies and hacks to get me out of anxiety-mode and into creativity-mode of thinking.
Before I jump into the hacks to help you when your mind is veering off the garden path, I want to explain why it is so important for us to step out of anxiety-mode and into creativity-mode thinking.
When you’re in anxiety-mode, you are not producing anything. You are worrying.
You are living either in the past worries of something that you have perceived has gone wrong, or you are living in the future, worrying about something that hasn’t even happened yet (and most likely will NOT happen).
Anxiety-mode thinking is a waste of time.
It is very sneaky because it may seem productive, but if it’s not producing any results, it is not productive. It is a form of procrastination.
“Anxiety is like sitting in a rocking chair. It gives you something to do and gets you nowhere.”
Anxiety-mode thinking almost feels indulgent.
“I’ll just sit in here, in my warm comfy rocking chair and marinade in my own indulgent thoughts.” (That is anxiety talking, by the way.)
Creativity-mode thinking on the other hand is moving forward, taking action, creating something new, not stewing in worry and negative thoughts that don’t serve you.
I have developed a few strategies over time to help my mind (that LOVES some anxiety-mode thinking indulgence) to switch back to creativity-mode of thinking.
The BEST thing to do whenever you’re in anxiety-mode is to ask your brain some questions.
Your brain cannot help but try to figure out the answers for you. That’s what brains love to do. Find answers.
BUT, for this strategy to work for you rather than against you, you have to ask your brain GREAT questions, powerful questions.
Questions that spark some life in you, that get your creative juices flowing.
Questions that help unlock the infinite and knowing wisdom that is inside of you.
Do NOT ask your brain questions that are negative, lazy, self-deprecating, that are like a metaphorical full-stop.
Do NOT ask your brain questions such as, “Why am I so tired?” “Why is life so hard?”
Because your brain WILL come up with answers, and crap ones at that. Certainly not ones that help you long-term (or even short-term).
So here are some of the strong, powerful questions that I ask my brain when I am in anxiety-mode thinking to move me into creativity-mode thinking:
What would it look like if it were easy?
When I start feeling unsure about the next step to take in my business, and the words “I don’t know” start to rear their ugly head, I ask myself “What would _____ look like if it were easy?”
Tim Ferriss taught me this one, and asking myself this always helps me switch from anxiety-mode thinking to creativity-mode thinking as it helps me to stop overthinking and overanalysing.
2. What is the solution (NOT ‘what is the problem’)?
When I am in anxiety-mode thinking, it is often because I am thinking of the problem and not the solution. Perhaps I’m talking about the problem over and over again to friends or family members, and it’s just recycling negative thoughts and what’s happened in the past or what I’m worrying may happen in the future.
When I catch myself doing this, I realise I’m spending time mulling over the problem instead of thinking about the solution.
Anxiety-mode is problem-focused. Creativity-mode is solution-focused.
Being solution-focused gets you into problem-solving mode and out of problem-stewing mode.
3. What would I do next if I secretly knew the answer?
I often find myself doing the good ol’ ‘compare and despair’ when I am in anxiety-mode thinking.
I start thinking of what others are doing, how much further along they must be, looking at their ‘air-brushed’ life and then comparing it to my own reality.
When this happens I’m often going down the comparison rabbit-hole, and let me tell you, there is absolutely nothing good down that rabbit-hole.
So one question I ask my brain to help me switch into creativity-mode thinking is “what would I do next if I secretly knew the answer?”
Perhaps the word “secretly” excites me, but all of a sudden a world of possibilities opens up. “I do know the answer! The answer is…”
So in summary:
You are either in anxiety-mode thinking or creativity-mode thinking at any one time.
To get out of anxiety-mode thinking, ask yourself some powerful questions like the ones I suggested above.
I hope this helps you think less anxious thoughts and start thinking more expansive, creative thoughts.
Because believe me, creativity-mode thinking is THE place to be!
Love Loren x
