How To Reframe Unhelpful Anxious Thoughts

How to Reframe Unhelpful Anxious Thoughts

Anxiety is something that we almost all deal with in one way or another at some point in our lives. By increasing awareness and showing compassion and patience towards ourselves, we can identify unhelpful thoughts and reframe them into more balanced and helpful ones. Anxiety is a natural stress response, which can make the difference between helpful and unhelpful thoughts challenging to distinguish at times. There are several ways that you can navigate anxious thoughts, but today I will be sharing a therapeutic approach that involves taking distorted thoughts and reframing them.

Is Anxiety Always Bad?

No, anxiety is not inherently bad. Biologically, anxiety serves a helpful purpose. It is a protective factor that can alert us to potential risks. Anxiety becomes dysfunctional when the thoughts are unhelpful, overwhelming, constant, or difficult to control.

What Is Unhelpful Anxiety?

Unhelpful anxious thoughts often speak in absolutes. They can present as the assumption that the worst-case scenario will happen or intense worry when there is no immediate danger. Unhelpful anxiety can manifest as physical symptoms such as nausea, a pit in one's stomach, or a tight chest. Mentally, anxiety can show up as overthinking, catastrophizing, difficulty concentrating, or jumping to conclusions. Understanding anxiety and how it can become problematic is the first step in navigating the unhelpful thoughts.

How To Reframe Anxious Thoughts.

1. Identify the thought

The first step in reframing unhelpful anxiety is identifying the thought. Some ways to do this include asking yourself certain questions, such as:
What am I telling myself right now?
What am I afraid of?
What am I assuming will happen?

2. What is the evidence that supports this thought, and evidence against this thought?

Once the thought has been identified, you can assess evidence for and against the thought. For example:
Unhelpful thought: I don’t think my partner likes me because they have not returned my text.
Evidence for: They usually respond fairly quickly to my texts.
Evidence against: They could be busy at work, spending time with family and friends, or taking a nap.

3. Create a more balanced thought

From here, you can use this evidence to create a more balanced thought, such as:

I am feeling anxious because they have not returned my text yet. I don’t know why they haven't responded. While my mind is telling me that they are intentionally doing it because they are no longer interested in me, there are many possible explanations for the delayed response.

4. Pause

Before reacting, taking a moment to pause and emotionally regulating can prevent saying or doing things that we later regret. Anxiety can make things feel urgent, and thoughts feel convincing, but sometimes, pausing can clear our minds and decrease intensity.

Some helpful ways to pause include:
- Taking some deep breaths
- Going for a walk
- Meditating

The goal is not to make the anxiety disappear, but to have a clear mind when deciding what to do with the thoughts. Reframing is an attempt to build awareness around your thoughts, respond with curiosity rather than judgment and thoughtfully rather than impulsively.

A Reminder

Although anxious thoughts are your nervous system’s attempt at protecting you, they are not always correct in assessing danger. You do not need to believe every thought that you have. Instead, take some time to process a thought to determine whether it is helpful. If it is not, you can use the exercise above to create a more balanced and helpful thought.

Remember to be patient with yourself. If anxiety is something that you are dealing with, you are likely used to automatically assuming the worst. Learning to identify the unhelpful thought is a first step, and progress worth feeling proud of in your health and mental well-being journey. Like most skills, reframing unhelpful anxious thoughts takes time, and the more you do it, the easier it will become.