I am Iori Arakawa, a sign language interpreter. I share a wide range of information related to sign language.
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Replaying unpleasant events over and over, or constantly worrying about things that haven’t happened yet—.
The more you try to ‘stop thinking about it,’ the more it seems to stay on your mind. When that happens, what helps is not trying to force those feelings away, but practicing self-care that provides a sense of security to your brain.
In an article by science journalist Yu Suzuki published on PHP Online, methods used in psychotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy that are easy to incorporate into daily life are introduced.
In this article, let’s look at 5 of those methods that you can try starting today.
1. Create a ‘safe place’ in your mind
The first method introduced is ‘safe place work,’ where you visualize a place in your mind where you can feel truly at ease.
Close your eyes in a quiet place and wait for a scene that feels safe to you to naturally come to mind. It doesn’t have to be a place you’ve actually visited; it can be a land you want to go to or a scene from a story.
If you carefully focus on the colors, sounds, temperature, and the feel of the ground in the scenery, the image will become more vivid.
This is a method of preparing a ‘mental sanctuary’ in advance that you can return to when your anxiety or anger intensifies.
2. Write down the people who support you
When you are feeling down, it is easy to feel like you are all alone.
So, try writing down on paper the people you are connected to, such as family, friends, colleagues, acquaintances, people you respect, or professional organizations you can consult. It is said that you can include not just people you know personally, but also characters from your favorite works.
While looking at the list, think about ‘who you want to talk to more’ or ‘who you can rely on when you are in trouble.’
Even if you don’t actually contact them, visually confirming the connections that support you can be the first step toward regaining a sense of security.
3. Give a play-by-play of your current self
If your head becomes filled with past failures or future anxieties, try describing your current situation in a calm, objective manner.
This is a method of giving a play-by-play of the facts right in front of you, such as ‘I am in my room now,’ ‘I am sitting in a chair,’ or ‘I am going to have a warm drink after this.’
There is no need to judge your feelings or force yourself to change them into positive words. By simply confirming your current self, it becomes easier to bring your consciousness, which was drifting toward the past or future, back to the ‘now.’
4. The ‘54321 method’ using the five senses
When you feel a sudden surge of anxiety, a method that is easy to try is to focus your attention on your five senses one by one.
Look for things around you in the following order:
Check things you usually overlook, such as the pattern on the wall, the texture of your clothes, or sounds coming from afar, one by one.
The point is not to try hard to stop your thoughts, but to use your senses to shift the direction of your awareness.
5. Switching your thoughts with simple mental arithmetic
When the same thoughts keep spinning around in your head, a method of focusing on mental arithmetic is also recommended.
For example, subtract 7 from 100 in sequence. By focusing your attention on the calculation, it becomes easier to divert your attention away from past regrets or future worries.
The goal is not to calculate accurately. The meaning lies in switching your brain to a different task that requires a little concentration.
There is no need to rush to ‘change your mood’
The more you try to force negative emotions away, the more strongly you may become aware of them.
What the methods introduced here have in common is not fighting emotions by force, but shifting your awareness to a ‘safe place,’ ‘connections with others,’ ‘the five senses,’ and ‘the current situation.’
You do not need to practice all of them. It is enough to choose one method that seems to suit you and remember it as a ‘small tool’ for when your feelings are shaken.
Furthermore, if strong anxiety or depression persists even after trying self-care, or if it is interfering with your daily life, it is important not to carry it alone but to rely on professionals such as medical institutions or consultation services.
Reference article: PHP Online ‘5 Self-Care Tips Starting Today to Stop Prolonging Negative Emotions and Give Your Brain a Sense of Security’
*The source article is a partial excerpt and edit of the content from Yu Suzuki’s book, ‘The Best State: Mu’.
#SelfCare #MentalHealth #StressManagement #NegativeThinking #HowToFaceAnxiety #CalmYourMind #CognitiveBehavioralTherapy #Grounding #Mindfulness #TakeCareOfYourself #LifeTips #Psychology
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