Is Calling You!

Do You Answer Every Time?

For many of you reading this at some point you may have suffered from anxiety. Many of you reading this may actually be in the very grip of this. If you can answer yes, then this article is for you.

I learnt this technique many years ago when I was in the grip of this crippling condition and it has helped me so very much to control my own mind chatter.

Mind chatter is what your mind does when left to its own devices. Invariably this mind chatter for people who suffer from anxiety is of the negative type, we do it out of habit because it’s all we know.

For most of us, it is taught to think this way from a very young age perhaps your family had thoughts like this and so you have learnt this behaviour from those close to you. For many, our circumstances have given us this negative way of thinking after a series of bad choices, life paths etc. you may now just assume that this is the only way you know how to think!

Imagine that your mind takes thoughts into it like phone calls, most of us have mobile phones in our life today! Often a curse for some, but a modern day need that is at times out of control. Every time a thought comes into your head you pick up the phone and answer it, whether it’s good or bad or indifferent. In real life you would I hope never answer every call on your mobile this way but out of habit you do this automatically.

Imagine the following…
You know who I am or I hope you do and if you looked at your phone right now and saw Paula Obrien calling you, would you be happy to answer it? Perhaps even excited a little. The call however, isn’t going to be what you first expect.
This is how it goes:
Paula: “Hello”
You: “Hi, how you doing?”
Paula: “I don’t like you, wanted you to know”
You: “What?”
Paula: “I hate you and your family, you smell and your hair is a mess”
You: “I can’t believe you’re saying this”
Paula: “Well I am and your nose is too big and your husband, he is plain ugly and he should leave you”
This call continues like this for as long as it can and eventually sobbing with hurt and shock until you hang up.
Two minutes later I call again… oddly you answer.
Paula: “Me again, I want to tell you again I hate you so much”
You: “Not again”
Paula: “Yep again and I’m going to call all day and tell you what a waste of space you are”
Eventually you hang up again
You hopefully after a few hours of this would block my number or at the very least not answer my call? However, in your mind you do this with your phone calls of negativity? Most people don’t. They allow the call to be answered, they sit in a comfy chair and make a cup of tea while they sit and listen to endless mind chatter of Mr negative. You even have him on speed dial!

You do this, You control it, You answer the call.

So if you can make it happen, you can also make it NOT happen yes? Absolutely without doubt, you have the mechanism to control your own Mr Negative and his annoying calling.
It’s hard to do at first as like all repeated things it has become a habit, set about the complex neural pathways of your mind, your brain and it has been working like this for a while.
Next time you hear him call in your brain (When a negative thought appears). Immediately think of something good in your life, a good memory, a feel good moment. This can be anything from the past or indeed from your future. Whatever makes you feel happy and can bring a smile.  
That one action instantly dismisses the phone call from ever getting made! Hanging up the receiver, pressing no answer!  
On a bad day he may try and call 40 times an hour but the more you can recognise this and put in good feeling thoughts, the quicker you make a new pathway that will banish the negative and help your anxiety.
Anxiety is due to this process of negative thoughts. We can’t control the outside world or the people in it BUT we can control our reactions to them! 100% without any doubt!

So NEXT TIME he calls you, what are you going to do? Refuse to answer the call, your worth so much more than he deserves. Take back control of your own mind.  
Here are some feel good photos to help you on your way! Every little helps.

REMEMBER YOU GOT THIS!