Thoughts that Increase Anxiety

Sometimes thoughts start going around in circles, repeating themselves. For most people these repetitious thoughts are negative and unpleasant. I call them "gerbil thoughts" because they go round and round in your head like a gerbil on an exercise wheel. Here are some ways to stop them:

Interrupt them These thoughts need to be interrupted. When you catch yourself plagued with them (and this is often the hard part because they are so automatic), or squeeze your eyes tightly shut; mentally imagine a red stop sign; or, squeeze your eyes tight and whisper "stop" to your self; and if this does not work, squeeze your eyes shut and scream "stop" inside your head. (When you do this scream, you may feel a little dizzy spot someplace inside your brain from the activation of neurons that happen.) or put a rubber band on your wrist. Whenever you catch these thoughts, pop your wrist with the rubber band. This is not to hurt you but to get your body's attention.

Shift your thoughts Change your thoughts to something more positive and relaxing, such as a vacation you're planning, the next chapter in the book you are writing, or a time when you felt very confident.   ^Top

These methods are called thought stoppage and thought substitution. They are a discipline. The more you practice them work, the better they work. Sometimes in the beginning, you can only shift your thoughts for a few seconds and then you have to start over again. Find more ideas in the book, The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook by Davis, Eshelman and McKay.

Think competitive thoughts After you stop the gerbil thoughts, you need to find something else for your brain to think about or it will go right back to the well worn path that the anxiety thoughts have created. These competitive thoughts need to be complex so that it occupies your mind. One idea would be counting sheep and wishing something good to someone with each sheep. Or try going through the alphabet and naming birds whose names start with A, then birds starting with B. Or think about your favorite songs each year of your life that you can remember. Or write a mystery book in your mind, sketching out characters, plot, etc. I like to use a mantra when I am feeling anxious, especially at night. I breathe in and say "Peace within me." I imagine cool clear air moving into my lungs and spreading through my body, carrying peacefulness. I breathe out and say, "Peace about me." I imagine the peaceful clear air surrounding my body in a whirlpool of safety. "Peace all around me." Now I imagine the peacefulness radiating from me to people and places I love. I breathe in and out, in the same rhythm, and ask for what I need. "Let me be healthy, let me be happy, let me be peace." Then I repeat the process until I fall asleep. This idea came from a book A Path with Heart by Buddhist priest/psychologist Jack Kornfield.   ^Top

Counteract these negative thoughts Argue with the negative thoughts. If your mind is calling you stupid, say back to yourself something like: "I am not stupid. I make mistakes before I learn something I need to know. That is not stupid, it is just the way humans learn." If your mind is saying that something terrible is going to happen, counter with self talk like "You are always predicting bad things. 99 times out of a hundred, nothing bad happens but you never pay attention to those 99 times. I am not going to listen to your fear mongering." Good books on Cognitive therapy for depression discuss "distorted thought patterns" like these and make suggestions about how to avoid them.   ^Top

If You are Having Problems Sleeping

Ten ideas that might help:

1. Establish a regular sleep schedule. Stop studying or working by a certain time each night. Go to bed at a specified time. Set an alarm clock and get up when it goes off. Follow the same schedule on the weekends. The body needs sleep to replenish biochemical resources and to renew itself. It is most efficient in doing this if the sleep happens during a regular pattern.

2. Raise your internal body temperature by about two degrees, at least two hours before bedtime. This can be done with exercise, a hot tub, or a sauna. Our bodies naturally cool off at some time during our sleep and this is the best and most efficient time to sleep.

3. Avoid alcohol before bedtime. While it may help you get to sleep initially, it will wake you up 4-6 hours after drinking it. It also interferes with REM sleep.

4. Avoid relying on over-the-counter sleeping pills. They may work for a couple of nights but then, paradoxically, they make it harder to sleep. Talk to your doctor about this--I am not a medical doctor and I don't prescribe medications but several doctors have told me that benedril is a good medication to help you sleep because it does not have the same negative effects as sleeping pills.

5. Allow yourself to relax, if you are unable to sleep. Take a bath, watch t.v., read, write a letter, journal. This is not wasted time. While it is not as good as sleep time, it is better than continuing to work or to worry about not sleeping. Think about times when you have felt relaxed and peaceful. Remember these times in as much detail as possible: who was there, what you were wearing, what were the sounds and smells?

6. Judith Wurtman, an MIT researcher suggests that certain foods related to sleep. She suggests low fat, no protein carbohydrates help people sleep well by stimulating serotonin, a brain chemical (which leaves out milk, chocolate, candy bars). Here are some "sleep inducing bedtime snacks" she suggests: A blueberry toastee, 1 1/2 cups breakfast cereal, caramel coated popcorn, 3 figbars or 6 ginger snaps, a cinnamon raisin English muffin, sweetened instant oatmeal, or a toaster waffle with 1 T. maple syrup.

7. Avoid watching the news just before bed. Many of the images are upsetting and may interfere with sleep. Try working on a crossword puzzle, reading a book, or embroidering instead.

8. If you have frightening nightmares, a therapist may be able to help you. This involves planning how to act during the nightmare, rehearsing it before going to sleep, and then trying to use this to transform the nightmare into something less frightening.

9. If your sleep problems are serious, Oregon Health Sciences University has one of the nation's top sleep research programs.

10. Many people who have serious sleep problems and nightmares have gotten help from a prescription medication called Trazedone or Ambian. A newer sleep medication is Sonata.

“Work like you don't need the money. Love like you have never been hurt. Dance like nobody's watching.” (Source unknown)

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