I read this quote the other day:
“What consumes your mind, controls your life.”
I stopped for a moment, and thought to myself: “What is consuming my thoughts lately, and how is it affecting the way I live in the day to day?” I know at the moment I am feeling slightly anxious as I have a few productions coming up. When I feel anxious, I know I need to go back to the root of why it is making me feel anxious. This often stems from my thoughts and perceptions of what’s to come. Sometimes, without realising it, I subconsciously feed into my fearful thoughts, which in turn sets off my anxiety, and affects my health and emotional wellbeing.
REFRAME THE WAY YOU THINK
When I feel anxious, I stop and I ask myself the following practical questions:
1. WHAT AM I CURRENTLY FEELING, AND WHY?
Emotions and actions are a by-product of our thoughts. Start off by acknowledging what you are feeling, and why you may be feeling that way. Is something making you feel insecure, overwhelmed, hurt, or anxious, and if so, what triggered those emotional responses?
2. WHERE DO THESE THOUGHTS STEM FROM?
Sometimes we need to take a moment to really dissect how our mind works. This may mean understanding how you perceive things due to your upbringing and personal life experiences. These factors shape the way you think and the way you behave. We tend to respond to things based on our fears and insecurities. We need to understand why we automatically gravitate towards those thoughts.
3. HOW CAN I CHANGE THE WAY I THINK?
Once we have identified the root cause of our negative ways of thinking, we need to replace it with some faith-filled truths. If circumstances feel overwhelming, we need to lean on God for help. He is so gracious in the way He lovingly carries us through enduring seasons. When we replace our negative thoughts with thoughts of God’s promises and profound truths that are found in the Bible, we start to reframe the way we think, which in turn breathes fresh life and courage over our lives.
God can replace every lie, every fear, and every negative thought, and turn these into thoughts that are filled with hope, love, and courage.