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I try to focus on the now. I look at the present to quiet my mind... and focus what is going around me. I also write down my negative thinking and reply to it with positive comments. I also tell myself that what I feel may not be true.
I was reading this thread this morning and found it very helpful. I am finding that the more I challenge my anxious and negative thoughts the more positive I become. It is becoming much more automatic for me now. When I am feeling anxious or depressed or doing exposure work and am having a problem with it and don't know why. I try to figure out why and most of the time it is because I forgot to use the 10 question list. I find myself using it more and more without even thinking about it.
I was wondering if anyone else has any tips or strategies that they have found helpful when challenging their anxious and negative thoughts that they would like to share and add to this tread???
It may not be exactly by the program but sometimes I just have to have the inner conversation that although my first instinct is often to give up easily at the first sign that something will be beyond my capability, I remind myself that I always feel this way and have overcome seemingly overwhelming odds before. In fact I have to get past the initial fear to the point that I'm performing the action before it triggers my exit routine, and stay continuingly diligent as I resist the exit message while I try to gain greater confidence in the activity that has me worried that I'm not capable.
I created an audio tape with ocean sounds and my own voice reading positive affirmations that were directly counter to my carefully identified negative belief systems. I listened to it and repeated after the speaker. Each affirmation 3-4 times on the tape so it really stuck in my memory until it became part of my inner dialogue.
Members,
Just thought I'd bump this up for anyone who may be having trouble challenging their anxious thoughts or who may have tips to share!
Danielle - Bilingual Support Specialist
Well these aren't really tips on challenging your thoughts as much as tips related to challenging your thoughts lol.
1- I often carry a thought challenging form in my purse. It's folded and all crumpled but that way if I get into a rut I can just have quick access to something that will help me challenge my thought.
2-I also use all ten questions above, I kind of know them by heart at this point. That helps me when I can't challenge thoughts by writing, at least I can do it in my head now.
3- I still find doing the written challenging to be more effective in my case hence why I carry a thought challenging form with me.
4- Also, I often have a diary with me small enough to fit my purse. If I don't have time to challenge my thoughts I at least jot them down. I find that challenging them later in the day is still helpful.
5- Finally, I find repetition helps with the really stubborn recurring anxious thoughts I have some thoughts that I have challenged more times that I would care to admit but every single time they pop up I challenge them and I find they are slowly loosing their grip on me, so if at first you don't succeed try and try again (Anyway, thats what helps me lol!)
Anyway, that is the extent of my very small wisdom on this. I would love to get tips from all of you :)
-Diva
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