Our brains are wired to worry and create stories, to protect from harm and this can be useful and bothersome.

Memory is designed to recall unpleasant feelings and experiences to prevent them however it can be self defeating. The attempt to prevent unpleasantness is useful if managed in a balanced and healthy way / bothersome if it prevents or hinders daily activities and wellbeing.

Here are some strategies that you might find useful in coping with anxious thoughts that are bothersome:

1. Remind yourself (write it down or say it out loud if possible) that you are in the current moment – worries and anxiety often create future stories that are unfounded in fact;
2. Think about where your feet are to ground yourself in the current moment; this can help stop the negative thought loop;
3. Ask yourself if this is something you can change. If yes, take the next step to action a change and if no, imagine the “thought train” stopping on its tracks or diverting to an alternate direction
4. Naming the fear behind the worry can help alleviate it, by allowing the feeling and naming it there is a sense of control and this can help bring clarity
5. Talk, journal or draw it out – for 5 or 10 minutes consider every possible thing about this worry including imagining all the possibilities of outcome (try to think creatively and balance positive with negative outcomes). Then allow yourself put the worrying away for a while.
6. Put the worrying away for a while by distraction – move yourself, even just to a different room or move to a different chair, call a friend, watch a video, play a game or do some chores, anything busy might be useful for now.
7. Use a temperature change, running cold water or holding a covered ice pack on your wrists can be helpful in grounding. Change your clothes into something cooler or cosier – this brings movement, distraction and temperature change.

These suggestions are intended as helpful advice and tips and not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

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If you’d like to find out more and talk about your experiences with a qualified professional counsellor, please feel free to contact me at info