Clarity, relaxation, and wise decision-making are just three benefits of a calm mindset. But if you’re like most people, negative self-talk can make you slip into fight or flight mode. You might think it is events that cause damaging self-talk. Happenings, whether falling out with a friend or receiving a huge electricity bill, trigger stress and your thoughts are part of your response to upsetting circumstances. However, the real problem with negative self-talk is how it deepens.
Self-talk that points out the direness of your situation is healthy. However, it becomes unhelpful when it is repetitive and ongoing.
Getting caught in a negative spiral of foreboding and critical thoughts is simple. Just focus on a problem for a while, and you experience panic, otherwise known as fight or flight.
Your palms sweat, your heart races, and your stomach churns while you consider what’s wrong, and herein lies the problem. Focusing on an adverse event is like pushing a switch called “high alert,” which should be kept for emergencies, and not letting go.
You experience stress when you press the switch. Relief comes from releasing pressure, which is where shifting thoughts to your body comes in handy.
When you focus on an aspect of your body, like your breath entering and leaving, you stop pouring mental energy into whatever ails you.
Concentrating on your body provides a mini vacation from stress, letting you re-balance and clear your head so you can cope better with challenges.
Here’s an example of how you can shift thoughts to your body:
First, shut your eyes. Then, pay attention to your body by scanning what’s happening. For example, perhaps your heart’s beating fast, and you’re breathing high in your chest; classic symptoms of fight or flight.
Now you can slow your breathing to a relaxed, comfortable rate. Follow air entering your nose as you inhale, and it travels to your lungs. Repeat the exercise as you exhale, noting air moving up and out of your system.
Slow breathing works twofold; It ignites the relaxation response because it tells your brain everything’s okay and you can be calm. Second, focusing on breathing distracts you from negative self-talk. You can’t think about two subjects simultaneously, so you stop worrying.
Once you recognize you’re relaxing, scan your body again. You’ll find your heart rate slower, and you’ll experience a growing sense of ease and well-being.
When stress arises, you could get caught in the trap of overthinking about problems. Shift your thoughts to your body, and negative thoughts will ease.
