Getting out of the anxiety patterns in our head

Our brains are both complex and simple at the same time - they keep coming back to the same patterns of thinking, and often these patterns are creating anxiety or struggle within us. By understanding them and knowing how to practice another line of thinking, you can start to ENJOY your life more.

This is One of the Ways our Brains Create Anxiety

Although it feels like I've been studying the brain for years (I remember finding psychology fascinating as early as high school), I continue to learn more and more, and it keeps getting clearer and simpler.

And although our brains are wildly complex, the patterns of thinking, in my opinion, are not.

One of the things our good 'ol brains can do is try to make relations and connections with things. So for example:

• Better / worse

• Present vs. past

• Comparison in general (and all the many ways it shows up)

• And on that note, judgements… our brains LOVE to judge

I had this aha moment on vacation recently, and it was so freeing. I realized my brain was trying to compare vacation in the past (when I was either single or it was me and my husband) to the present (with a baby, and this trip, with my husband's parents as well). 

I was getting all sad feeling like I couldn't hop in the water whenever I wanted, or sleep in every day, the way it used to be. And my brain was trying to figure out which is better - vacation before or now. 😂🤣

I'm laughing now because they're SO different!! The equation in my head didn't make sense because there was no equation to be had.

But instead of letting x = x and y = y, my brain wanted to know if x is over y, carry the 2, and subtract z and then what does that equal and what does that mean.

Again, 😂.

Overthinking versus Presence and Embracing What Is

Our brains love to think and do things like this. Can you relate? So much overthinking. It really takes you out of the present and makes it harder to give enjoyment to what you're doing, and notice how well things are going.

What if things can just be different? What if they can just be as they are? Without needing to compare and contrast and better-or-worse-than. There's a lot of peace and enjoyment to be had in that.

It’s a simple choice and a practice that we get to try out each day as we go about living our life.

And, you don’t have to practice alone :) If you struggle with overthinking and other lovely ways the brain likes to complicate, and you'd like some support finding more enjoyment in life, let's chat!

And if this isn't you but you know someone who wants to experience more ease in this way, please send my info along to them. I love connecting with other deep feelers and supporting them in experiencing more freedom, whether or not we work together. It's a no pressure, my pleasure kinda thing 🤗

p.s. The moment I realized what my brain was doing, and decided to accept that things are different, I started having so much FUN! It was such an amazing vacation, and I got to thoroughly enjoy. That's what's possible when we learn how to let the brain work for us, not against us, and it's one of the six key areas I focus with my coaching clients.

Here's what Katie had to say about her results from coaching together:

“I'm so much more confident and self assured. I speak my mind (kindly). I don't do things I don't want to. I've stopped apologizing all the time (that was a trauma response). I look at my life differently - I'm GRATEFUL (not sad/victimized) that I can and do take care of myself, that I'm not reliant on unreliable people anymore, that I have the power to do anything I put my mind to. I continue to shed layers of my eating disorder and perfectionism complex. And I truly feel better, healthier, more able than I ever have in my life.”

Those results are available to you too. Book a time to talk here. You won't regret it 🤗

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