What are repetitive thoughts and why might they be a sign of high-functioning anxiety?
Repetitive thoughts are thoughts that are stuck in your head and play over and over again. Many times repetitive thoughts are intrusive and occur when you are not expecting them to. High level occupations and entrepreneurs often share the quality of high functioning anxiety. It can feel like your mind is going a million miles a minute and you have many lists on lists. People with high functioning anxiety many times out perform their peers and have an internal drive that helps them succeed. Overcome debilitating anxiety is absolutely possible. In fact, anxiety is not the enemy. If harnessed and managed anxiety can be a wonderful motivator to help spur a creative mind and increase motivation. A strong self-care routine is imperative to help keep anxiety in balance.
Become aware of your anxious thoughts and write them down.
Actually, write them down. Our minds can only hold onto so many thoughts before they start repeating again. Many times people become overwhelmed with the amount of content in their head and it feels never ending. Writing the content down can help you realize that perhaps there are only a couple of topics or situations that you are ruminating over. This feels much more manageable.
Attempt to observe your racing thoughts in your mind and don’t judge them.
Try to observe your thoughts as if you are a spectator watching a game in the stands. Just notice each thought and it comes in your mind. The hallmark of anxiety is avoidance. Typically, people are pushing down feelings or ignoring something that is highly worrisome. T
he practice of observing your mind helps you become an expert at thought content that is recurring and is likely a big deal to you.
Compare fact vs fiction
We get caught up in “should” statements (“I should go to dinner with my friends even though I’m tired”) and what ifs of a situation. Write down the facts you know about the situation. Write down your assumptions about the situation. Often times, anxiety convinces us that the worst possible outcome will occur. Comparing these two lists can help ground you in reality. Once you are grounded, you must boss your brain to stay focused on reality and not the assumptions your anxiety is presenting.
Keep problems in proper perspective.
It can be easy to become swept up in our emotions or conflicts. Often times when we are able to view our problems in the scope that it is one small problem, in one life of billions of lives on this small planet, in a big universe; we are able to cope better.
Want more? Check out these articles:
Start Dealing with your Anxiety
Using Guided Imagery to Cope with Anxiety
For some, these tips will be enough. For others, you may need more help. That’s okay too. We have you covered- go ahead schedule an appointment and get started on a better path.
