Use Reframing to Ease Anxiety
Positive reframing
Many of us are feeling like we don’t have a lot of control right now over what’s going on in our nation and our world. When we start to feel this way, it can bring on feelings of depression and anxiety. To feel this way is normal and OK. We first want to validate your feelings and let you know that it’s OK to feel however you’re feeling.
We don’t want to leave you there though. Staying in the place where you feel like you don’t have any control, can lead to a deeper depression and even lead to dark thoughts of not wanting to be here anymore. At Two Roads Wellness Clinic, we understand and wrote here about suicide prevention. We want you to know that you’re not alone.
How to reframe your thinking
Once you’ve acknowledged your feelings, practice reframing your thinking. Ask yourself-
“How else can I look at this situation?“
“What advice would I give to someone else feeling the way I’m feeling today?”
“Will I feel this way a week from now, a month from now, or a year from now? How might I feel differently?”
The goal of asking yourself these questions is not to minimize your feelings, but to help move you forward and create new pathways and possibilities in your thinking. It’s important to remember that not everything we think is true, but thoughts, whether they are true or not, do lead us to feeling a certain way. Your thoughts very well may be true as well, but an unexamined thought can cause havoc and pain in your life and relationships. Thankfully, what we can control is our thinking, even when we have no other control in our life.
Tapping exercise with reframing
To deepen the impact of reframing, try a tapping exercise along with it. Hold your left hand over your heart and your right hand on top of the left. Tap your hand three times saying how you’re feeling, “I feel sad.” Do this three times. Then switch your hands, and let yourself know that you’ll be OK. Say out loud, “I’m ok”. Do this three times. Continue with positive affirmations until you feel more relaxed. You will notice a change and a shift in your body. I hope these tips and tools were helpful in your journey towards the healthiest you!
About Two Roads Wellness Clinic
At Two Roads Wellness Clinic, we want to help you find the path that makes a difference in your life. We’re an integrative health clinic offering a vast array of services including, mental health treatments such as EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing), expressive arts therapy, family therapy, medication management, primary care, integrative nutritional support including genetic nutritional counseling, life coaching, massage therapy, physical therapy, infrared sauna services, community education and outreach, and more.
The Two Roads Wellness Clinic team of therapists, medical and nutrition staff, massage therapists, life coaches, physical therapists, and emotional support animals are ready to help you find an integrated approach to your wellness. To schedule an appointment, visit our contact page, to get started at one of our convenient locations in Champaign, Danville, or Mahomet.
