LISA BROOKES KIFT, MFT

Helping people resolve personal issues and experience satisfying relationships.

The Toolbox at LisaKiftTherapy.com

Mental Health, Relationship, Counseling and Therapy Related Resources

People who suffer with the distressing symptoms of anxiety often experience rumination, or recurrent worry and thought spinning. This can greatly impact sleep and daily living. The negative cyclical thinking tends to have a spiraling effect - where the person ends up at the worst possible scenario - "Something bad will happen to me," or "She's going to leave me...," etc. There is often absolutely no evidence to support the beliefs yet the emotional reactivity they stir up makes them feel very real to the person thinking them!

If you feel invaded by fear based thinking, here are some anxiety reduction tips to get the thoughts out of your head right now:

1) Anchor your awareness in the present by taking slow deep breaths, keeping focused on your breathing. Do so for several minutes.
2) Notice your feelings and label them. Think of the "big four," mad, sad, glad and afraid.
3) Acknowledge the feelings rather than try to push them away as you continue to breathe deeply.
4) Give yourself a break. Imagine how you might be with a friend who was struggling in the same way you are. Would you be compassionate? Empathetic? Be the same way with yourself.
5) Breathe slowly for another minute or so as you refocus your attention to the day.

These steps will provide the framework for a good start in decreasing thought spinning. There are a lot of other great tools that can be learned to use on your own. In my work with people struggling with anxiety, a combination of family of origin exploration and cognitive behavioral therapy has been highly effective in diminishing the effects of many types of anxiety.

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The Toolbox Relationship Library: Articles, Tips and Tools

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• Are You in an Emotionally Abusive Relationship?
• 5 Tips for a Healthy Relationship
• How to Heal from Infidelity
• 6 Great Reasons to Get Premarital Counseling
• How Strong is Your Relationship Foundation?
• 3 Mistakes Couples Make in Relationship Counseling
• Healthy Relationships: Assessing the Emotional Safety
• 10 Characteristics of Successful Relationships
• Setting Boundaries for Yourself by Saying "No"
• Tips to Survive a Partner's Difficult Family
• Is Your Relationship Out of Balance?
• Practicing Empathy With Your Partner in an Argument
• How to Stop Being a "Fixer"

The Toolbox Mental Health Library: Articles, Tips and Tools

• Childhood Experience and Adult Anxiety
• Ways to Stay Relaxed Throughout Your Day
• Identifying Clinical Depression and Steps to Manage Depression Symptoms
• 3 Tools for Effective Anger Management
• The First Individual Therapy Session: What to Expect
• Understanding Anxiety Disorders
• Stress Management for Professionals
• Calming the Spinning Thoughts of Anxiety
• Has Your Therapist Had Their Own Therapy?
• 6 Secret Qualities of Happy People
• 5 Stress Management Strategies for Highly Driven Professionals
• 3 Tools to Manage Depression
• What is Family of Origin Work?

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