Escape the Trap of Fear-Based Thinking

March 24, 2022

Full confession, I’ve never been the person that had much control over their thoughts. So if something happens, my mind goes straight to the worst possible outcome-not, a healthy way to live.

I have had to learn how to control my thoughts.

I hear bad news; I immediately think the worst. Car accident on the freeway? It could be one of the kids. A phone call from the bank? Did I forget to pay a bill?

Why do I do this to myself? Why do I trap myself in this loop of fear-based thinking?

We have many choices in life, including the opportunity to choose how to react to life’s curveballs. Unfortunately, I had to learn the hard way to change my reactions and outlook.

I often call it “talking myself off the wall.” Proverbs says, be careful how you think. Your thoughts make you the person that you are.

If that’s true, my thoughts make me a worried, panicked, and slightly scattered person. I had to stand and say NO; I don’t want to be that person anymore.

Learning to control my thoughts happened because of two things:

Understanding the truth in any circumstance.
There’s the truth, and then there are the thoughts that pretend to be the truth. So here’s what I have done throughout this breast cancer season. I keep a journal, and I write THE TRUTH in my journal. Reading the truth has given me more control over my negative thoughts. If you don’t focus on the truth, the negative part of your mind will rise, taking you far from reality.

Breathing.
When the symptoms flare up or life isn’t going my way, I push the pause button and breathe before reacting. Breathing allows me to RESPOND instead of REACT. There’s a huge difference. My favorite breathing technique is called the 4-7-8 breath. Inhale for four, hold for seven and exhale for eight seconds.

When you feel this fear-based thinking creep in, I encourage you to try breathing and reflecting FIRST. First, tune into your emotions and observe them. Then, after you feel recentered, create your action plan.

I hope these simple tips have helped you. I would love to hear your favorite ways to recenter your thoughts, too- send me a DM on Instagram to connect.