Specifically when you have a scary situation or potentially bad news looming, you can spend the entire day or week anguishing over what is to come. However, one simple trick can help overcome these bouts of angst.
We know that most of the time, these situations turn out much better than we expected. However, we are so concerned about the next stressful issue on our minds, we overlook the blessing we just received.
Next time something goes better than you anticipated, make sure you take time to reflect on the outcome. Acknowledge and be grateful for the fact that everything turned out OK. This will allow you to focus on the positive and retrain your brain to understand that things will often work out for the best.
Next time you are anxious about a difficult conversation or intimidating event, remind yourself of all the times everything turned out to be just fine.
Studies have proven this strategy to work. By stopping to consider the positive outcomes we experience, it bolsters the concept that we will continue to encounter similar results in the future.
You can take this exercise a step further and keep a tally in a journal of the times the issues you worried about turned out OK versus not. This way you have a running tracker and evidence of your positive outcomes.
Not only will you shocked to see that the majority of your worries were unfounded, but it could provide the relief you need from unnecessary anxiety about the future.
