1119: Your Mind’s Role in Anxiety: Recognizing and Changing Thought Patterns

In today's episode, Gina covers some powerful tips for changing thought patterns that contribute to our anxiety formation. Through understanding how our mind can so easily gravitate to negative thoughts, thoughts that we are so often absolutely certain are true, we can change them and steer ourselves towards better thinking and feeling. This process is largely one of identification and replacement. Learn how to do this, listen in today.

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Quote:

Our anxiety does not come from thinking about the future, but from wanting to control it.

-Kahlil Gibran

Chapters

0:42 Introduction to Anxiety and Mind

1:44 Common Thinking Patterns in Anxiety

4:04 Catastrophizing and Fearing the Worst

6:40 Mind Reading and Fortune Telling

8:38 Negative Self-Talk and Its Effects

11:31 Understanding Black and White Thinking

13:05 Emotional Reasoning and Its Impact

14:22 The Burden of Should Statements

16:02 Personalization and Blame

16:48 Filtering Negative Thoughts

17:07 Shifting Your Thinking Patterns

21:08 Practicing Mindfulness and Gratitude

Summary

In this episode of the Anxiety Coaches Podcast, I delve into the critical role our minds play in managing anxiety, focusing on recognizing and transforming detrimental thought patterns. I explore the ways in which our habitual thinking can trigger stress and worry, and I emphasize the possibility of shifting these mental frameworks to cultivate greater peace of mind.

We begin by identifying some common anxiety-inducing thought patterns that many listeners can relate to. I kick off with the concept of "catastrophizing"—the tendency to expect the worst without any real evidence backing our fears. Drawing on my own experiences, I share how this all-or-nothing mindset can leave us perpetually on edge, waiting for disaster to strike. From there, I discuss overgeneralizing, where past negative experiences unfairly color our expectations of future situations, thus trapping us in a cycle of anxiety.

The discussion continues with the pitfalls of mind reading, where we erroneously assume we understand what others are thinking about us. This often leads to unnecessary self-doubt, compounded by fortune telling, which involves predicting negative outcomes without basis. I highlight the physical responses these patterns invoke, particularly focusing on how our nervous systems react and create a feedback loop of anxiety.

#anxiety #thoughtpatterns #cognitivedistortions #mentalhealth #selfhelp #mindfulness #stressmanagement #emotionalregulation #CBT #anxietyrelief #worry #fear #negativethinking #selftalk #emotionalreasoning #catastrophizing #overgeneralizing #mindreading #fortunetelling #personalization #filtering #shouldstatements #blackandwhitethinking #selfcompassion #gratitude #visualization #mentalrehearsal

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