Interrupt Anxiety
2 min readI found this quote from Danielle LaPorte that caught my eye – it said “Interrupt anxiety with gratitude.” I just thought that was perfect! I’ve been talking with clients lately about how to handle that “monkey mind” that gets going and creates and perpetuates (and keeps us stuck in) anxiety, depression, fear, anger and other lower vibrational emotions. (All emotion is valid, and you should always feel your feelings, you just don’t want to get stuck in the lower vibrational ones!)
The “monkey mind” is that chatter box inside your head that just goes around and around in circles never taking you anywhere productive. It is that voice that worries and lives in the future in the “what if this happens” world. While I understand the human need to plan for the future, at least to some degree, I do not think there is anything productive in spending all of your time in that “what if this happens” place and “catastrophizing” and playing out worst case scenarios over and over in your imagination.
So, what can you do to quiet that frenzied and all too insistent voice once it gets going? Well, I love the advice of interrupting it with gratitude. When it revs up, stop. Pull out a piece of paper and start writing what you are grateful for. If you do this consistently, you will find that the anxious and worried voice in your head will calm down dramatically, and will surface less and less frequently.
Other ideas to interrupt the voice: find inspirational quotes to share on social media (think about brightening someone else’s day!), write a letter of thanks to someone who has been there for you, recently or in the past, find a special project and invite your kids or someone who is lonely to work on it with you or find a person who needs some help and help them (there are organizations who can match you with people in need). Really anything to get you out of your own head will help! Going into a state of gratitude or into a place of asking “how can I be of value” to someone today, is a PERFECT way to interrupt those lower vibrational feelings and elevate your thoughts and feelings and to move you into a state where you can create positive outcomes in your life, instead of spiraling deeper and deeper into the emotional states and situations that create the outcomes in your life that you don’t want.
‘Monkey mind’ – what an amusing term! However, I can’t help but think that this approach borders on magical thinking. Anxiety and depression are complex mental health issues; let’s not reduce them to mere distractions.
What a refreshing perspective! The notion of ‘interrupting anxiety with gratitude’ is not only profound but also incredibly actionable. It challenges us to shift our mindset and actively engage with our emotions rather than being passive observers.
@SkepticalSandy, while I see your point, isn’t it worth exploring various tools for managing these emotions? Perhaps blending gratitude practices with professional help could yield better results?
The concept of the ‘monkey mind’ resonates deeply with Buddhist teachings on mindfulness. Integrating gratitude as a countermeasure is an intriguing fusion of ideas that could potentially enhance emotional resilience.
‘Interrupting anxiety with gratitude’? Isn’t that a bit cliché? While I appreciate the sentiment, we must recognize that not all emotional experiences can be alleviated so easily. Engaging in deeper therapeutic practices might be more beneficial.
‘How can I be of value?’—what a beautiful mantra! This article serves as an excellent reminder that shifting our focus outward can indeed foster personal growth and alleviate negative feelings.
‘Writing down what you’re grateful for’—I’m just picturing myself trying to list all my favorite snacks! But in all seriousness, it’s important to have fun while tackling serious topics like anxiety!
‘Interrupt anxiety with gratitude’? Sounds like something my grandmother would say while knitting! But on a serious note, it’s amusing how we sometimes overlook the simplest solutions to complex emotional issues.
While the advice is well-intentioned, I find it somewhat naive. Anxiety isn’t simply a switch that can be turned off by writing a gratitude list. This oversimplification could lead to further frustration for those genuinely struggling.