THE SECRET TO STAYING CALM IN THIS ECONOMY
By Audrey Sussman PhD, Director Anxiety Control Center
The economy is spinning out of control. People all around are losing their jobs. Trust in banks and brokerage houses has been eroded and savings are in jeopardy. So how is it that millions of people are still smiling?
You might be thinking that they have found the secret to financial security. No, that isn’t the reason they are smiling. They do have a secret and it has nothing to do with the size of their bank account.
Their secret will be revealed in this article. It is one you can learn to use to stay in control of your state of mind, no matter what is happening with the economy. No matter the stressors in your life or the up and downs of the stock market, it is something that no one can take away from you.
This secret is what Viktor Frankl used, that allowed him to survive the holocaust and maintain his mental balance. It is what author Napoleon Hill weaves into his famous advice on achieving financial success in “Think and Grow Rich.” And it is something that you have within yourself right now, like a gift, all wrapped up waiting for you to unwrap and put into immediate use.
Anyone can learn to use this gift. It is so simple that once it is explained, you might think, “I knew that.” But, the really amazing thing about this gift is that, it never gets used up. The more you use it the more powerful it becomes, until you can control your emotional state at will, almost without conscious thought.
What is this powerful gift that you have within you right at this moment?
It is the power of your own mind and your ability to create, and change thoughts. In the next few articles I will be revealing a number of techniques for changing patterns that aren’t working for you.
Today well start the process with the cognitive part of the stress cycle. Begin by asking yourself the following question: “Who is in charge of my feelings?”
If you will consider the possibility that your own thoughts can create stress, worry, anger, sadness or fear, then it follows that you can create thoughts that lead to joy, security, calm, and power.
Stress is created in the cognitive or thought part of the stress cycle in two ways. By remembering hurtful events that have happened in the past or by concentrating on possible negative scenarios that might come about in the future. The thoughts, pictures and memories that move through your mind trigger feelings. Thoughts can even create pain in the body. Sometimes you are aware of the thoughts, and at other times you are completely unaware.
The good news is that you can get relief from even the most painful feelings by learning to change thought patterns that bring them about.
Let’s begin with the 3 steps you will need to start changing patterns of thought that are creating stress in your life.
The next time you find yourself spinning into a worry cycle, start by paying attention to the thoughts and stories that are going through your mind, and then do the following:
Step 1: Write down the facts of the event. What is actually happening right now in the present moment?
Step 2: Make a list of each thought, picture or story that is triggered by this fact. Stay in a curious state, letting all the negative thoughts come to the surface. These may be fears that you have for the future, or past traumatic experiences that this event brings back to you. As you write down these thoughts you will start to realize that no matter how much you might believe the thoughts to be true, they are still just one possible way things might happen.
Once you have a list of the negative thoughts, stories and pictures you are ready for the next step.
Step 3: Cross out the first negative thought you have written down, and write down two possible positive thoughts or possible positive outcomes in its place. Repeat this for each negative thought on the list, until all your negative thoughts are crossed out and replaced by positive ones.
Most of us are far more used to telling ourselves negative stories than positive ones. So it may feel a little strange at first to accept these positive thoughts as readily as you did the negative ones. So at first the “2 for 1” technique may take some conscious effort. With practice, you will find that the positive thoughts start to pop up on their own, just as the negative ones once did. By harnessing the power of the same powerful imagination that created the negative stories, you can create a whole range of positive possibilities, which replace the cycle of worry with one of hope and potential.
These 3 steps are so powerful that many of my clients have experienced immediate lifting of their spirits after using them for the first time. In other cases when feelings are linked to deeply rooted thought patterns or beliefs from childhood, the results may take more time, or require a combination of more advanced techniques to bring about the life changing experience you are seeking.
Even if you are one of the people for whom results take a little longer, make the decision to start and continue doing the 3 steps, and you might surprise yourself with the results.
For information and more tips on getting relief from stress go please view my available courses: CLICK HERE FOR PROGRAMS AND COURSES