{"id":35138,"date":"2022-07-08T15:24:40","date_gmt":"2022-07-08T11:24:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/?p=35138"},"modified":"2022-07-08T15:24:40","modified_gmt":"2022-07-08T11:24:40","slug":"four-ways-to-stop-thinking-the-worst-will-happen-when-youre-stressed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/four-ways-to-stop-thinking-the-worst-will-happen-when-youre-stressed\/","title":{"rendered":"Four ways to stop thinking the worst will happen when you\u2019re stressed"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/em><\/span><\/h4>\n

<\/h4>\n

People who like to feel in control are more prone to \u2018catastrophising\u2019.<\/em><\/span><\/h4>\n

\"\"Catastrophising can lead to undue stress and anxiety. Pic- Shutterstock<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Imagine you have an interview for a new job tomorrow. Some people might think about what kind of questions they will be asked so that they can prepare, or imagine the interview going well. For others, the thought of an interview will cause them to toss and turn all night thinking of every worst case scenario possible \u2013 no matter how outlandish these may be. If you\u2019re someone who has a tendency to do the latter, you are prone to catastrophising.<\/span><\/p>\n

Catastrophising\u00a0is a tendency to assume the worst will happen when imagining a future situation \u2013 even if you have evidence that this is not the most likely outcome. People who like to feel in control (and are therefore intolerant of uncertainty) are more likely to catastrophise. This has been\u00a0linked to anxiety\u00a0\u2013 suggesting that frequent catastrophising may be a factor in developing certain mental health problems.<\/span><\/p>\n

Catastrophising comes from the belief that by imagining what might go wrong, we\u2019re better able to protect ourselves from harm \u2013 both physical and mental. However, this tendency is only helpful if you\u2019re able to correctly predict what will happen in a certain situation and how it will make you feel.<\/span><\/p>\n

As we imagine future events, we experience an emotional reaction to the story we are creating \u2013 and we use this response to determine how we will feel in the future. But this way of predicting the future is often wrong since we\u2019re not able to imagine everything that might happen. This can lead to us creating the wrong\u00a0emotional response for future situations\u00a0in our heads.<\/span><\/p>\n

But our belief in what will happen in the future can have a big influence on our behaviour. For example, people who are optimistic (or even realistic) about the future are more likely to be\u00a0willing to try new things. They are also likely to notice what has gone well in new situations. On the flip side, people who catastrophise about what might go wrong are less likely to try new things. And, when they do try something new, they are more likely to notice what has gone wrong. This will be stored in their memory and will add to the reasons why they we shouldn\u2019t try new things in the future. As a result, catastrophising can lead to undue stress and anxiety and may stop you from doing the things you might enjoy or learn from.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re someone who tends to catastrophise when stressed or anxious, there are a few things that you can do to help:<\/span><\/p>\n

1.<\/strong> <\/span>Make decisions in the morning<\/strong><\/p>\n

We often worry about the future at night. When we are asleep, activity in the rational part of our brain is reduced and activity in the more\u00a0emotional part\u00a0of our brain is increased. As a result, we tend to use our emotional brain to picture the future when we\u2019re awake at night. Lack of sleep can also make us more sensitive to things we\u00a0see as threatening. This can lead us to focus more on what might go wrong, and makes us\u00a0more prone to catastrophising.<\/span><\/p>\n

It can be helpful to remind yourself that you are not thinking rationally when you\u2019re lying awake worrying about something. It can also be useful to wait until the morning to make decisions when your brain is rested.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Teach your inner critic to be more compassionate<\/strong><\/p>\n

Catastrophising can be driven by our\u00a0inner critic, which may use harsh language that makes us emotional.<\/span><\/p>\n

When this happens, try imagining your inner critic as if you were looking through someone else\u2019s eyes. What language do you use and would you use this language when talking about someone else in a similar situation? Is the language your inner critic uses helpful or justified? Often the answers to these questions will be no. Be conscious of the language your inner critic is using when you\u2019re worried or stressed. If it\u2019s overly harsh, try to switch to a kinder way of speaking to yourself.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Make up a better story<\/strong><\/p>\n

Even if things have gone wrong in the past, this is unlikely to be the case in the future \u2013 despite what we might tell ourselves. If you have a tendency to catastrophise about future events, try to think instead about ways in which this event might go well, which may help you to feel less anxious.<\/span><\/p>\n

Another strategy is to make up, not just one, but a number of plausible stories about what might happen. This may help to remind you that the stories you\u2019re telling yourself are just that \u2013 stories. Choosing to focus on the stories with a positive outcome might also help you to feel less worried or stressed.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Be kind to yourself<\/strong><\/p>\n

Try to be more compassionate with yourself when considering your future. This is more difficult than you might imagine \u2013 even for people who are very compassionate and empathetic to others.<\/span><\/p>\n

Compassion and empathy evolved to help us to\u00a0interact well with others. As such, compassion and empathy aren\u2019t really designed to be used for yourself. But small things \u2013 such as asking what advice you might give a friend in your situation \u2013 can help you to get in touch with your compassionate voice. Practising this often may even help you to see solutions where you might otherwise have only focused on the problem.<\/span><\/p>\n

Planning for ways in which things might go wrong in the future does serve a purpose \u2013 and that is to keep us safe. But if you often find that you castrophise by thinking of all the worst-case scenarios \u2013 especially to the detriment of your own mental health \u2013 it can be important to remind yourself that the things you\u2019re worrying about may never happen, and, if they do, they will probably turn out much better than you think.<\/span><\/p>\n

By Patricia Riddell, University of Reading<\/span> <\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

Mauritius Times ePaper Friday 8 July 2022<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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