16 Jun The Scientific Way To Rewire Your Brain (And Get Rid Of Your Anxiety, At Last)
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, although I frequently encourage people to work to create more happiness, no one is or should expect to be happy all the time.
Happiness is a great, and important part of living a good life, but it’s not everything.
Along the same lines, I’ve spent many years helping many people reduce or better manage unpleasant emotions like depression and anxiety.
But, it’s important to have realistic expectations, and I’m really not sure anyone will ever achieve ZERO anxiety.
Nor should we want to; because some anxiety in some situations is normal and appropriate.
So, although I’m sharing this article today I don’t actually think you can completely “get rid of your anxiety”; but I do think it has some helpful tips nevertheless …
via Your Tango by Cheryl Gerson
If you’re the child of anxious parents, you probably inherited their attitudes, by nature and by nurture. Your brain is full of fearful thoughts. Worry is a daily companion, no matter how many people tell you it’s silly.
No, your worrying won’t keep the plane in the air, but it feels like it does. Warning your kids of all the dangers you can imagine won’t keep them safe, but it feels like it will. Imagining the worst doesn’t really prepare you for it, but you “can’t help it.” It feels self-protective. All this worry is a heavy weight on your shoulders, but you’re stuck with it, right?
If I told you that you don’t have to be stuck with it, you probably wouldn’t believe me. Or that getting rid of anxiety doesn’t necessarily require traditional anxiety treatments, like medication.
It is true — though how to go about it may surprise you. So how can you get rid of your anxiety?
Change your brain, change your life
You can change your life — and overcome your anxiety — by changing your brain.
But how does this work to get rid of anxiety, and more importantly, how can you rewire your brain?
You already know that it doesn’t help if I tell you your fears are ungrounded. If anything, that makes you hold them tighter. Before you could even hear what I’m saying, we would need to agree that it’s a scary world out there, and your fears have some truth in them. Anxiety is, after all, part of our self-defense toolbox.
Then we could share a reality check. That means we walk together, through the story in your mind, and compare it with hard facts. It’s much more dangerous to get into your car and drive than it is to board and fly on a plane. But how different they feel!
Once facts start to filter into your thoughts, you could begin to realize that your worry is more of a problem than the problems you’re trying to manage with worry. That’s an important start, as it’s the first step to realizing where the source of your misery actually lies. It lies in your anxiety-trained brain…
… keep reading the full & original article HERE