How to Stop Overthinking: Break the Anxiety Cycle Day 13

Therapy in a Nutshell

Therapy in a Nutshell -Emma McAdam

Mental Health, Education, Health & Fitness:mental Health, Self-improvement, Health & Fitness

4.8 • 658 Ratings

🗓️ 16 November 2023

⏱️ 15 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Break the Anxiety Cycle in 30 Days- Online Course- https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com/anxietyskills Check out Smile Brilliant: https://www.smilebrilliant.com/product/night-guards/?utm_source=YouTube+Influencer&utm_medium=Night+Guards&utm_campaign=Daily&utm_id=Therapy+in+a+Nutshell Discovering how to stop overthinking begins with the realization that trying to force our thoughts to change only amplifies them. This video introduces the ACT technique of cognitive defusion, a pivotal concept for those seeking to learn how to stop overthinking. Instead of wrestling with our thoughts and overthinking potential outcomes, cognitive defusion teaches us to observe our thoughts without attachment. By labeling and noticing thoughts as just thoughts, we learn how to stop overthinking by distancing ourselves from these mental processes, thus reducing their impact. Knowing how to stop overthinking doesn't mean engaging in a struggle with our inner dialogue, but rather, shifting our attention to what truly aligns with our values, freeing us from the tiresome cycle of overthinking. This skill, central to understanding how to stop overthinking, requires practice to master, but can ultimately guide us to a more present and less anxiety-driven existence. Looking for affordable online counseling? My sponsor, BetterHelp, connects you to a licensed professional from the comfort of your own home. Try it now for 10% off your first month: https://betterhelp.com/therapyinanutshell Learn more in one of my in-depth mental health courses: https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com Support my mission on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/therapyinanutshell Sign up for my newsletter: https://www.therapyinanutshell.com Check out my favorite self-help books: https://kit.co/TherapyinaNutshell/best-self-help-books Therapy in a Nutshell and the information provided by Emma McAdam are solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and are not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health. In therapy I use a combination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systems Theory, positive psychology, and a bio-psycho-social approach to treating mental illness and other challenges we all face in life. The ideas from my videos are frequently adapted from multiple sources. Many of them come from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, especially the work of Steven Hayes, Jason Luoma, and Russ Harris. The sections on stress and the mind-body connection derive from the work of Stephen Porges (the Polyvagal theory), Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) Francine Shapiro (EMDR), and Bessel Van Der Kolk. I also rely heavily on the work of the Arbinger Institute for my overall understanding of our ability to choose our life's direction. And deeper than all of that, the Gospel of Jesus Christ orients my personal worldview and sense of security, peace, hope, and love https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/believe If you are in crisis, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org or 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or your local emergency services. Copyright Therapy in a Nutshell, LLC

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, I'm Emma, a licensed marriage and family therapist, and you're listening to the Therapy
0:04.4	in a NHL podcast. It's my mission to create easy to understand educational content about therapeutic
0:10.4	skills and topics that anyone can use in their daily life. I hope these episodes bring you more
0:15.8	insight into how your mind works and what actions you can take to improve your mental health.
0:26.2	Each podcast episode comes from a corresponding video you can find on the Therapy in a Nutshell YouTube channel. Also, these podcasts are educational and don't replace the advice or direction
0:31.9	you may be receiving from a therapist or other health professional. Now let's jump into today's skill.
0:38.5	Hey Emma, why are you pulling that rope?
0:42.2	Have you ever tried pushing one?
0:44.1	Ah!
0:46.2	All right guys, so sorry for the bad joke,
0:49.0	but thank you for letting me reminisce on my days as a camp counselor for a second.
0:53.4	And this rope has something to teach us about our anxiety and our anxious thoughts.
0:59.0	Now, I once had a client who was a ballerina, and she was a really good one too.
1:03.0	She would perform at top levels.
1:06.0	But she struggled with anxiety.
1:08.0	When roles for the next production were about to be announced, she would worry and
1:11.9	worry about what part she would be given. And she would wonder if she would get the lead.
1:18.1	And she would ruminate over any past mistakes that she'd made. And she'd wonder if she'd
1:21.3	messed up so much that they'd give the lead to someone else. And she'd think about everything
1:24.3	she'd said to the production manager. And she'd wonder if there was anything she'd said that had been offensive.
1:29.3	And she also tried to predict which roles every dancer would get.
1:33.3	So she'd think about every single dancer in her troupe, and she'd imagine their strengths.
	...

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