Anytime a situation arises that throws me into unknown territory, I go directly to my old, familiar spot: right inside my head. I have many chats with my good friend Fear about all the possible bad things that could come from these uncharted waters.
Together, we pile one negative thought on top of another until we’ve built a towering worst-case scenario—and then we obsess over it.
Sound familiar? I get it. But we’ve got to stop doing this to ourselves.
It’s so easy to spiral whenever anything goes even slightly off course—but I’m telling you, don’t do it.
Instead, here are a few tips and tricks to help you get out of your own head and back on track:
• Observe the negative thought.
Realize that it’s just a thought—not a fact. Simply observing it creates space between you and the negativity. You have thoughts, but you are not your thoughts.
• Bring yourself back to the now.
All that fear? It’s just that—fear. And it lives in the future. But the future doesn’t even exist yet.
Try grounding yourself in the present. Look around. Focus on what’s in front of you. Interact with it. That shift alone pulls you out of your imagination and back into the real world, where life is actually unfolding. Take life as it comes.
• Flip the script.
I talk about this a lot in my blogs because it works. It’s so easy to assume the worst—but what if you assumed the best?
Instead of “what if everything goes wrong?” ask, “what if it all goes right?”
Thinking about each scenario in a positive light helps retrain your brain to expect more good, not just brace for the bad.
• Get back into your body.
Move! Do a happy dance. Sing out loud. Go for a walk. Stretch. Exercise. Whatever helps you reconnect with your physical self—do that.
Everyone’s different, so find your thing and let it bring you back down to earth.
• Challenge the fear.
This one’s a favorite from my daughter. She always hits me with: “But how do yooooooou know?”
It’s a great question. When your thoughts go dark, stop and ask yourself:
How do I know this will happen? Has it actually happened before?
And even if it has—did I survive?
Chances are, yes. We humans are resilient and capable of way more than we think.
• Breathe, and reset.
Sometimes, a few deep breaths are all it takes to pause the panic and get back on track. Don’t underestimate the power of your own breath.
The world can be a scary place—but only if we allow ourselves to think that way. With every thought you shift from negative to positive, you pave the way to getting out of your own head and living like a boss.
Because you deserve it. You just need to believe it.
Miss Fortune Blog 
Leave a comment