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Anxiety habits can be extremely difficult to shake off, but this three-step guide can help you snap out of them.
Have you ever experienced having a worrisome thought over and over? One moment you’re out to dinner and the next thing you know you’re thinking about an awkward interaction and you can’t seem to shake it off no matter how irrational or unhelpful it may be. When you get home, you put on a movie and attempt to let your mind wander but peace eludes you as your mind regurgitates the troubling thoughts.
That’s called an Anxiety Habit Loop and it can happen to anyone. Unlike anxiety attacks, anxiety habits are less noticeable because they can simply become worrisome background noise in your thoughts. They come back over and over and your mind gets used to it. Over time, it becomes a habit.
But you don’t have to stay trapped in the loop forever. There are three steps you can take to regain control of your thoughts.
STEP ONE: Use the Signal Breath Technique
Developed by Dr. Bresler at UCLA, the Signal Breath technique is a way to let your body know that release and relaxation are coming. When done repetitively, it can become a relaxation trigger and induce a de-stressing response.
Here’s how you can do it:
- Take in one deep breath through your nose and hold it in. As you do this, tension is created in your body.
- Count up to 3 to 5 seconds and exhale slowly. At the same time, tell your mind to relax and let go.
- Repeat the same process one more time.
Once you’ve done two sets of the Signal Breath technique, you can go back to breathing naturally. Then, proceed to the second step.
STEP TWO: Hyper-focus on Your Environment
One of the characteristics of anxiety cycles is the fact that it takes you away from the present moment. Hyper-focusing is a great way to counter this.
A 2007 landmark study showed that people who engaged in reflective tasks away from the present moments activated the narrative focus pathway of the brain, the area of the brain where worry takes place. On the other hand, participants who were tasked to do activities that boosted present-moment awareness activated the experiential part of their brain.
The hyper-focus technique works because this study showed that humans can only activate one brain pathway at a time. This essentially means that scientifically speaking, you can’t be worried and be present-in-the-moment at the same time.
By hyper-focusing on your surroundings, you engage present-moment awareness that can effectively pull you out of the anxiety habit loop.
Here’s how you can do it:
- Sounds
You can hyper-focus anywhere you are. The first thing to immerse yourself into is the auditory experience of listening to your surroundings. Focus on all the sounds you hear and identify them one by one. Listen to the rustle of the wind or the words on the television show. At this moment your only job is to listen. Let everything else wait.
- Colors and Physical Textures
Once you’ve identified as many sounds as you can, visually study your environment and look for a visual anchor. Take a good look at its color, pattern, ad texture. If possible, look at its micro qualities and analyze every detail that you can easily describe or draw it vividly.
After one minute, it’s time to shift to a tactile experience and feel the textures physically. Gently touch something close to you and pay attention to the texture of that object. Focus on the temperature and how it feels under your palms.
- Scents
After another minute, take a deep breath through your nose and study the scents around you. You can also grab a tea bag or an object with a pleasing aroma and hyper-focus on that. Consider yourself a detective as you dissect the scent and analyze it for 60 seconds.
STEP THREE: Extend Loving Actions
The last step is redirecting your thoughts to life-giving energy to other people and yourself. The goal is for you to saturate your thoughts with love and positivity so negative thinking won’t have room to take root, while also conditioning your brain that no imminent threat is present so there is no cause for concern or worry. But perhaps the best advantage of loving actions is the fact that it can nurture your relationships which can improve social support from people you trust. This is highly comforting and satisfactory for both of you and you can enjoy the benefit of being able to freely express the best of your character.
Here’s how you can do it:
- To loved ones
Think of one person you can display an act of kindness or send an encouraging message to. This can be a friend or a family member. Send them a simple message or give them a surprise hug. Verbally appreciate them for a kindness they have extended to you or an inherent quality they have that you love.
- To yourself
Loving yourself is just as important as loving others, and this is done by properly taking care of your physical health just as much as your mental well-being. Doing a 10-minute exercise, eating healthy, or getting lost in a great book are great natural remedies to managing anxiety that you should regularly practice.
Another great way to practice self-care is through grateful journaling. Apart from providing you an avenue to release your thoughts freely, grateful journaling will also help you focus on the positives of your day. There are apps like Grateful that are specifically designed to provide a platform for you to practice positive thinking and self-love.
As they say, it’s harder to “unlearn” than to learn. So as you practice this 3-step guide in breaking the Anxiety Habit Loop, remember to be patient and kind with yourself. Most importantly, don’t be afraid to ask for professional help if needed. Seeking treatment is one of the best displays of self-care that you can do for yourself.
