If everything seemed to be going great in my life I genuinely used to worry that, if I didn’t worry - something bad would happen. Put your hands up if you do that! This is 100% an anxious thought and not something that your brain needs to think.
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I’ve now worked on this particular negative thought, so I’m able to quickly reframe my thoughts if ever it starts to creep into my mind. For me personally I know it comes from losing my dad at the age of 7. Before that I never worried about bad things happening and then something bad did happen - so this is why I used to have this anxious thought.
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A great way to reduce the intensity of your negative thoughts is to identify where it may have come from. Become a memory detective and see if you can make any links - gently reflecting back. Don’t worry too much if you can’t make any links, you can still reframe your thoughts.
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Always remember that there's no need to worry if things are going smoothly in life - you deserve to be happy. Life can always throw you curve balls but it has no correlation to whether you worry about it or not so stop the worry and trust the process.
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THE NEGATIVITY BIAS
Have you ever found yourself ruminating on over a past comment or mistake? We tend to dwell over negative memories far longer than positive ones. The reason being - negative events have a greater impact on our brains than positive ones. This is often referred to as our ’negative bias’ - exhausting right!
“Our tendency to pay more attention to bad things and overlook good things is likely a result of evolution. Earlier in human history, paying attention to bad, dangerous, and negative threats in the world was literally a matter of life and death. Those who were more attuned to danger and who paid more attention to the bad things around them were more likely to survive. The evolutionary perspective suggests that this tendency to dwell on the negative more than the positive is simply one way the brain tries to keep us safe” - Kendra Cherry ‘Very Well Mind’
The next time you find yourself ruminating over the past - take a minute to STOP, PAUSE & BREATH. Remember that this is an evolutionary brain process that you no longer need to succumb to there is no perceived danger. Ruminating over the past is a guaranteed way to create anxiety so focus on the present moment to strengthen your neurological pathways and reduce your worries. The body and breath are amazing tools to help anchor you in the moment - use them as often as you can.
To read the full article by Kendra Cherry simply click HERE.
Image from @howmental
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