Managing Your Thinking.

“The greatest revolution of our generation is the discovery that human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives”. – William James

Many believe that if we change the way we think - then we will change the way we feel. Once we have settled our nervous system by using the strategies for dealing with physical symptoms of stress and anxiety, we should work on managing our thinking.

When we have had an emotional reaction to a negative life event, we are easily re-stimulated or "triggered". Sometimes just thinking about the event that happened causes us to experience the same feelings we had in those early moments.

Our nervous system does not distinguish between us thinking about a threat to ourselves and an actual threat to ourselves and our safety.

“Your thoughts are just thoughts…they are not you or reality” - Jon Kabat-Zinn

It is therefore important to remind yourself that the negative event is over. Reminding yourself that in this moment you are safe is helpful. This section will also discuss negative thinking patterns that commonly develop when we are experiencing stress and anxiety. These negative thinking patterns sabotage our sense of self and our sense of self-competence.