Nervousness, difficulty concentrating, heart palpitations, muscle tension, sweating, or even insomnia, anxiety can cause many health consequences which prove to be disabling on a daily basis. Generalized anxiety affects one in ten women over 40, according to the Vidal website. Anxiety is a common and natural reaction to danger or stress. This term brings together 6 anxiety disorders according to Inserm: generalized anxiety, panic disorder, specific phobias, agoraphobia, social anxiety disorder and separation anxiety disorder.
While stress and anxiety are fairly common, these thoughts can be very uncomfortable in the long term. It is therefore essential to learn to manage your anxiety so as not to let this feeling ruin your life. Psychologist and anxiety specialist Bérénice Lefebvre, aka @berenicelefebvrepsy on her social networks, shared 4 tips to combat anxious thoughts on a daily basis.
Anxiety: here are 4 tips from a psychologist to learn to overcome it
It’s not easy to live with recurring anxious thoughts! Anxiety can sometimes disrupt daily tasks or even slow down new desires. In her Instagram post, psychologist Bérénice Lefebvre detailed tips for not letting yourself be paralyzed by your anxiety.
Recognize your anxious thoughts
The expert first explains that it is essential to recognize and accept his anxious thoughtsin order to be able to subsequently analyze them: “identifying and naming your thought will help you quickly distance yourself from this thought”. According to her, learning to identify your anxiety allows you to not interpret your negative thoughts as true. “Naming the thought helps us remember to question the thought rather than directly believing it as fact”, she explains.
Question your thoughts
Once you have recognized your anxious thinking, the psychologist advises you to question yourself about it. For example, she invites ask yourself questions about this thought as “is it based on facts, emotionsor impressions?“, Or “could there be another perspective?”, in order to better understand and apprehend it.
Replace your thoughts
To get rid of anxious thoughts, Bérénice Lefebvre recommendstry replacing it with more positive affirmations : “once you have questioned your anxious thought, replace it with a new thought that is more helpful, less extreme or more realistic”. According to her, this allows us to focus on the more real side of the situation. She advises repeating these affirmations to yourself whenever old anxious thoughts try to take over.
Stop acting on this thought
Many people can find themselves stuck in their anxious thoughts on a daily basis. For the psychologist, it is important to be able to overcome them while using the previous tips, in order to be happier. “What will really change your life is continuing to do what you’re doing despite thinking or not to stop yourself from doing what you want to do because of this thought”, she explains.
Getting rid of anxious thoughts: repetition is the key according to psychologist
However, the expert insists that these tips may not work the first time. Indeed, she recalls thatit is sometimes necessary to apply them several times before seeing real effects on his mental health. “Your brain needs time and repetition to be able to change a pattern of thoughts, it doesn’t happen with the snap of a finger.”, she concludes.
But if these anxious feelings prove to be recurring and do not disappear over time, you should not hesitate to consult a professional for help.
Sources:
- Anxiety disorders – Inserm
- Anxiety – Vidal.fr