How Can I Cope With Racing Thoughts?

Anxiety in adults

Do you struggle with a plethora of upsetting thoughts and wish they would give you a moment of peace?

Do you desperately want to be rid of and learn to cope with racing thoughts?

Do you feel like you are out of options and have no safe place to turn to?

If so, you have come to the right place! Read on to take back control of your happiness!

How can I cope with upsetting racing thoughts?

Often, we have a plethora of automatic thoughts that whiz into our brain that don’t serve us. Anxiety in adults may look like being plagued by feeling as if you aren’t worthy or good enough. And, maybe you tend to think that others don’t like you and may hurt you. 

The first step is to realize that thoughts are just that…thoughts! Thoughts don’t necessarily hold any truth and aren’t always born from reality. 

Thoughts can’t hurt us and aren’t threats. They can be downright scary and disturbing, but they can’t hurt us and only hold as much power as we give them. 

Or you may feel as if our thoughts are true and that we must act on them for protection. But, thoughts aren’t orders. They can’t order us around because we choose how to act! 

Thoughts don’t necessarily serve us. Some thoughts are less helpful than others. You can choose to accept these thoughts and learn to focus on and create thoughts that do serve you.

What is cognitive defusion and how can it help me?

In addition, a technique that can help manage anxiety in adults is cognitive defusion. Cognitive defusion is a technique that helps us monitor our thoughts. 

Through cognitive defusion you can learn to identify the thoughts that don’t serve you from the ones that do. In essence, you walk outside of the scene and watch yourself and your thoughts from a distance. Then, you can reframe and see your reality more clearly from a different perspective. 

A concrete example of this is when you identify an upsetting thought that plays on repeat. Maybe it is telling you that no one likes you and that everyone in the room is judging you. 

You can cope with this upsetting thought by stepping back and reframing. You could mold a thought that says “This is my social anxiety talking. These people are my friends. They probably aren’t judging me.”

So, what techniques can a therapist teach me to cope with my racing thoughts and negative view of myself and the world?

Do you find that your thoughts tend to have a theme? Maybe that theme is a negative view of yourself, others, or the world. 

These thoughts don’t necessarily have truth to them and can hold you back from showing up to life the way you want to. A therapist can help you reframe and challenge the negative beliefs you hold about yourself and the world. 

A therapist can support you in identifying what triggered that thought and restructure it. This allows you to realize what your triggers are and identify ways you can support yourself. Also, you can learn to analyze your moods and how you felt during that situation and thought. Did you feel fear? Anger? Insecurity? Naming the mood allows us to understand ourselves and send compassion towards that part of us. 

We can meet the thought and feeling with compassion and curiosity. A therapist can help you cope with upsetting thoughts and moods by looking at them objectively and curiosity. 

OK, that is great and all, but how can I calm down enough to use these techniques?

Often, anxiety in adults looks like being so overwhelmed by your thoughts that you can’t calm down. So, how on Earth are you expected to reframe and use cognitive defusion techniques?! Fortunately, there are countless stress reduction techniques that a therapist can arm you with!

 For example, meditation and diaphragmatic breathing are a couple of my favorites! They help you calm your body, mind, and nervous system down. Breathing deeply and connecting to ourselves and the present moment helps us find our center in chaos.

Think of a time that you were fully in the moment and connected to yourself, your environment, and the people around you. Were you hyper focused on your thoughts? 

Of course not! Being present and connected to life requires us to be engaged and not tangled up in our thoughts. Learning how to be mindful and present in the moment allows you to take in reality without fixating on your thoughts. 

Also, a lot of our panic comes from tension in our body. When we tense our bodies, it tells our brain and nervous system that we are under attack. 

Releasing tension from our body through tensing then relaxing our muscles can be a big help in calming ourselves down. This technique is called progressive muscle relaxation. 

growgood psychology- we can help!

At growgood psychology our clinicians create a safe holding space for you.  We strive to help you accept your thoughts and feelings while learning to reframe them. We are here to assist you in seeing yourself and the world in a positive way that is supportive to you. 

Our therapists challenge your negative beliefs and hand you the paintbrush as you restructure your thought patterns. You have the ability to change your life. We simply hand you the tools and guide you along the process. 

Reach out and  connect with us now to begin the healing process and stop the war in your mind with our trauma-informed therapists!