Techniques to help break the cycle of negative thinking by focusing on the present

This is the fourth post in a series on MINDFULENESS by Laurie Moffitt.

Mindfulness requires living in the present moment and only the present moment. When feeling anxious, we are often thinking about the future, the past or the what if. What if I fail? What if I get sick? What if something bad happens or someone gets hurt?  This way of thinking keeps the focus on a problem. Mindfulness can help move us calmly forward. Today I will share several techniques to help break the cycle of negative thinking by focusing on the present.

Anxiety creates continuing and repeating thought patterns. Breaking these thought patterns could reduce anxiety. One way to change your thinking is to become aware of your current surroundings. Take inventory of the things around you. Simply create a mental list of everything you see. Focus on each item without judgment. This means that you will not be using any descriptive words like pretty, blue, comfortable and so on. A chair is just a chair. It may be a desk chair, an upholstered chair or a wooden chair. The focus is to create an inventory, not a description. Observe and list every item you see. If there is a picture on the wall, observe what is in the picture. Continue with the inventory until the repetitive thoughts have stopped.

Anxiety can also cause changes in breathing. People who feel nervous often breathe fast and shallow causing anxious feelings to increase. Practice breathing deep into the lower portion of your lungs. This should cause your abdomen to feel like it is pushing out before the upper part of your chest fills. Exhale slowly imagining stress leaving your body. As you inhale, think about breathing in pure calming oxygen. Deep breathing needs to be slow. You may be taking in more oxygen then you are accustomed to and breathing too fast could cause you to feel dizzy.

It can be very hard to keep thoughts focused on the present moment. Don’t be concerned if you find your thinking returning to the past, future or self-criticism. Imagine your thoughts floating in and out of your mind. Do not stop and think more about a thought passing through. Imagine a stream and allow your thoughts to fall in the water to float away. If that doesn’t work, imagine clouds in the sky and let your thoughts float way with the clouds. This may sound difficult and silly. Practice observing your thoughts without judgment and you may find that your anxiety will reduce and your head will clear allowing you to attend to business.