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How many times have you put off doing something because you were nervous about the outcome, only to find, once you've done it, that really you had nothing to worry about in the first place?
Or perhaps when things go wrong you automatically blame yourself, even when you really know it's not your fault?
It isn’t always easy to change our mental attitudes, but it is the key to feeling more in control of our anxieties and our response to stressful situations.
We get very good at thinking about the worst things that could happen to us. These become a habit and, because they tend to be negative, make us anxious and trigger the Fight or Flight response. These are called Negative Automatic Thoughts (NATs). If you learn to spot them early on and challenge them with positive thoughts, you will feel more confident and less anxious.
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How Relaxation for Living can help |
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Try this simple exercise:
- On a piece of paper, write down a situation in which you felt nervous or anxious
- On a scale of 1-10 (10 = very) decide how emotional it made you feel
- Identify what thoughts were going through your head at the time. Are they NATs?
- Think of someone you know/you respect who would cope well in this situation
- Write down what he/she would say to challenge these thoughts.
Now re-score your emotions. Has the score reduced? Can you see the link between what you think, feel and do? Write down what you will do differently next time and keep it with you.
Or, enrol in one of our Relaxation Programmes.
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Changing Mental Attitudes 
