Fear is a strong emotion. The emotion of fear is designed to ensure our survival by incorporating tactics such as fight, flight, freeze and shutting down part of the brain to focus on the threat. That is why when you go into a test and fear sets in and you can’t retrieve the answer, it is because your brain is in fear mode and wants to run fast, fight hard or freeze to be invisible.
So, what happens if your fear is running overtime, the “what if” ruminating through your mind will not let go. This excessive manifesting of negative outcomes, excessive worry and anxiety can be overwhelming and interfere with daily life. Often it gets hard to determine if there is a safety issue or this an imagined fear that gets produced with this worry.
How do you determine what is normal fear or worry and how do we identify when it is problematic? It can be difficult to separate out thoughts as real or imagined, but here are some simple tips; if you are constantly worried nervous, difficulty relaxing, sleeping, gastrointestinal issues, distracted, impatient, avoidant and isolate yourself then the worry is becoming problematic.
The strategies to challenge the “what if” thoughts and their validity, focus on the present, use mindfulness techniques such as doodling or music. Try acceptance, acknowledging intrusive thoughts without judging yourself or engaging with them, just let them come in and got out.
Learn some calming techniques make an appointment, info@mindhealthconnect.ca