Often when we are feeling anxious, one of two things happens:
- You are very focused on worrying about ONE thing. One thought or worry goes round and round in your mind and it’s all you can think about
- You are worried about LOTS of things all at once. Just when you think you have a solution for one thing, or have got your worry under control…something else pops up!
To make things feel even worse, we then often start to worry about what others will think about us feeling anxious or behaving differently.
You may find yourself having some “bad” thoughts. For example, you might secretly hope that your friend gets a cold so you don’t have to meet them and face the anxiety you are feeling about going out in public.
If this is happening for you at the moment, I want you to remember, that
YOU ARE NOT YOUR THOUGHTS
We ALL have negative, or even scary thoughts sometimes, but it’s not you talking, it’s your anxiety talking.
Your anxiety wants you to feel safe and so these negative thoughts come up to try and get you to protect yourself (by not leaving the house so you don’t feel anxious, for example). It says nothing about who you are as a person and is nothing to feel bad for.
Who you are as a person is reflected in your values, your beliefs, the way you treat others when you aren’t feeling anxious, your passions and the things and people that you love…not your thoughts.
