Panic Arsenal — “I Think” Language
Sometimes a change in our words is exactly what we need to combat anxiety.
I’ve been suffering from health anxiety and panic attacks for a few years. I know first-hand what it feels like, and I wouldn’t wish it on anybody. This article series is my effort to share techniques that I use to successfully get through anxiety and attacks. If it helps even one person, then it’s worth it.
Today’s addition to the Panic Arsenal is a habit that will take time to build, but I can assure you that it’s quite effective. Let’s learn the power of
This tool has very simple instructions:
- Whenever you describe out loud the things that are making you anxious, ALWAYS use the words “I Think”.
Reality to the Rescue
In the Panic Arsenal article on Demystify, the core message was that anxiety can’t survive in reality. With this tool, we use reality to expose the faulty logic that anxiety relies on.
Our minds are powerful, and we experience that power when anxiety rears its ugly head. We think constantly, cycling through dozens of thoughts every minute. But when anxiety hits, the mind can take off! It feels like it’s impossible to hold on to any one thought as anxiety twists and distorts our emotions. The shift from an objectively innocent stimulus in the real world to a life-threatening internal alarm happens so fast that it can’t be tracked. The steps aren’t logical, and that’s the weakness that this tool exploits.
When anxiety takes control, it takes our scary thoughts and elevates them as real things that must be dealt with. But if we remain objective, the faulty logic starts to crumble. By describing our emotions using the words “I Think”, anxiety is exposed for what it really is: thought, assumptions. In other words, we reveal anxiety as something that can be doubted and questioned.
Make a Habit
During an anxiety attack, it felt like I just knew that I was in danger. I knew there was an internal injury that was slowly killing me, or I knew that my heart was on the verge of going haywire. But those thoughts remained in my head, and that’s where anxiety is most powerful.
So I started a habit. Whenever I felt like I was in trouble, I would say out loud things like:
- I Think I feel a suspicious tingle in my face.
- I Think that the soreness in my leg could be something serious.
That simple shift in language may not seem like much, but it’s doing a lot of work! Using “I Think” reminded me that my anxious thoughts were not sure things, and that’s a big step for conquering anxiety.
Of course, these instructions are easier said than done. I know that it’s hard to think clearly when you’re anxious, especially if it’s devolved into a full-blown panic attack. But with practice, it’ll get easier and easier to shift into using “I Think” language.
Good Luck
It’s a simple tool, but I often benefit from the power of “I Think”. It helps us remember that anxious thoughts are still only thoughts, not objective truths. I hope that it becomes a useful tool for you too, let me know if you get results!
