Peeling back the anxious thoughts is the toughest part, but it helps so much, especially when you write them down! Some of my favorite techniques:
1. What is the worse case scenario, and could you live with it?
2. What would you tell a friend going through this?
3. Will you remember this is in 5 years, or will you overcome it like you did with your past challenges?
I’ve been thinking about this little analogy for a bit, and it’s helped me reduce the weight a recent stressor has had on me. A manufacturing issue had been making me anxious this past few week, but when I stripped it down, it was just another blip that I’d deal with. I realized I had been adding all these layers of anxious thoughts onto something that I’d definitely overcome, even if the worst case happened. So I hope picturing your anxiety as an onion with a smaller, baby stressor inside can help you lighten the load of your anxieties!