The Number One Reason Why Ignoring Your Worries Doesn’t Work
Sometimes it can feel easier to ignore our worries, rather than to acknowledge them, as this means we can avoid facing a thought which is making us uncomfortable.
However, the problem with this is that when we try to ignore something our brain really wants us to process, it will work even harder to try and get our attention - and the best time is of course, in the middle of night - leading to us lying awake in bed night after night.
So, if you’ve got something on your mind, even if you think it’s silly or know there’s no point worrying about it, it’s important not to simply try and distract yourself or ignore it, hoping it will go away. Instead, you should change your tactic, sit down and spend a solid 15 minutes thinking about this problem.
This can feel really alien, because we worry that if we face a fear we won’t be able to cope, however the opposite is usually true. When we really allow ourselves to think about a fear we tend to gain a different perspective.
So, allow your brain time to process your thoughts, and whatever feelings come up for you allow them to be there - no judgement. Remember that your thoughts are NOT facts - they are simply created by your beliefs and background, therefore they are open to change. You can also feel free to make a choice to acknowledge you are worried about something happening (usually a what-if worry) and then make decision to simply let it go.
Learning to become ok with uncertainty is key to reducing anxiety.
See how this differs to ignoring your worries. This way your brain is no longer having to fight to keep something at bay. When you allow it to be there and allow yourself to feel the feelings, you don’t have to do anything differently, or come to a conclusion, but it gives your brain time to do what it needs to do, meaning it’s less likely to come up at nighttime.
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