4 great ways to help conquer anxiety – part 4

Treating Negative Thinking

by Paul Howard

In the previous articles, I discussed how we use our internal processes to decide how things will turn out in a given situation; “The Guessing Machine“. I also discussed how you can make a “plan for success”. However, some people find planning for success to be problematic because of their negative thoughts.

In particular, the comment I hear over and over again is “When I’m creating a new positive plan for my future or a situation the old negative thoughts creep in”. This is where I would use “Lions and Teddy Bears”.

Conquer anxiety using Lions and Teddy Bears

If you want to conquer anxiety, intrusive negative thoughts are not very useful especially when you are creating a plan for success. In fact, they can disrupt the whole process, and as such negate any benefits you get from planning for success, turning a plan for success into a plan for failure.

If you were walking down the street minding your own business and a lion were to jump out and run towards you how would you react? The chances are good that you would instantly move into an anxious state. Your subconscious mind would recognize the presence of danger and would instigate a “fight or flight” response, making you want to run away or if you were really foolish, fight. Compare this with a situation where you were walking along and came across a 6-foot teddy bear on the side of the road. The chances are that you would not move into an anxious state and would remain relaxed.

How to conquer anxiety using lions and teddies

Understanding how the anxiety mechanism works is crucial to being able to conquer anxiety effectively. It is very important when creating a plan for success because if you allow metaphorical lions into your plan, the plan becomes useless. So the trick is being able to understand what thought processes are metaphorical lions and reject them. Instead, replace them with metaphorical teddy bears that are always thoughts that are cute and cuddly. What a great way to conquer anxiety simply by filling your thoughts with cute and cuddly ideas.

What causes negative Thinking?

Negative thoughts can be triggered by a variety of factors, and understanding the root cause of your negative thinking can be key to overcoming it. Here are some common causes of negative thoughts:

Past experiences: Past experiences, such as bullying, critical parents or siblings, trauma or abuse, can leave a lasting impact on your thinking patterns. These experiences can create negative beliefs about you and the external factors around you, which can lead to negative thinking.
Stress and anxiety: Stress and anxiety can cause negative thoughts by increasing your fears and phobias. When you’re under stress, it’s common to focus on negative outcomes and potential problems, which can lead to negative thoughts.
Low self-esteem: Low self-esteem can cause negative thinking by leading you to believe negative things about yourself. When you don’t feel good about yourself, it’s easy to focus on your flaws and shortcomings, which can lead to negative thinking.
Negative influences: Negative influences, such as toxic relationships or environments, can also contribute to negative thinking. When you’re surrounded by negative people or situations, it can be difficult to maintain a positive mindset.
Genetics: There is some evidence to suggest that genetics can play a role in negative thinking. Some people may be more prone to negative thinking patterns due to their genetic makeup.

How to deal with negative thoughts

Negative thoughts can be persistent and overwhelming, affecting your mood, behaviour, and overall quality of life. If you’re struggling with negative thoughts, hypnotherapy can be a powerful tool to help you conquer them and achieve emotional well-being.

Here are some ways hypnotherapy can help you in stopping negative thoughts:

Think about and challenge your negative beliefs: Negative thoughts are often driven from your negative beliefs about yourself or the world around you. During a hypnotherapy session, our hypnotherapist can guide you into a state of relaxation, this allows us to make suggestions to your subconscious mind. In this state, we can help you identify those negative beliefs and thought patterns that are driving your negative thoughts. With hypnotherapy, you can learn to challenge and dismiss these negative beliefs as unimportant trifles not worth your energy.
Learn to relax and be spontaneous: Negative thinking can be stressful and exhausting, which can burn a lot of your energy. Hypnotherapy helps you to make a relaxed state the new normal for you. Being relaxed can help you reduce stress and promote feelings of calm and relaxation. By learning to relax your body and mind, you can reduce the impact of negative thoughts on your mood and behaviour.
Create normal behavioural strategies: Hypnotherapy can help you develop normal behavioural strategies so you can predict normal outcomes for future events, making the negative thoughts a thing of the past. This helps you to dismiss negative thoughts the second they arise. Your hypnotherapist will show you how to create memories that promote normal behaviours that you can use to predict better outcomes. By building “normal behaviours” regularly, you can teach your subconscious a new relaxed normal that helps you to feel safe.
Lift self-esteem: Negative thoughts can often be driven by low self-esteem and lead to negative self-talk. We can help you improve your self-esteem by using hypnotherapy to reinforce positive beliefs about yourself and your abilities. With hypnotherapy, you can focus on your strengths and achievements and develop a more positive self-image.

If you’re ready to conquer negative thoughts and achieve emotional well-being, hypnotherapy may be the right choice for you. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you overcome negative thoughts and achieve your goals.