"Right Now?" - A Mindfulness Technique

One of the most difficult features of anxiety is rumination. This is when your mind becomes so hyper-focused on something that it runs out of control, running over the same subject over and over again. The subject is so distressing that your mind can’t let go, trying and trying to come up with a solution. The problem is that the mind runs in circles, repeats itself, and refuses to settle.

This can, of course, be very distracting, especially when you’re trying to focus on a task or activity but your mind is elsewhere. You try to focus on what you’re doing, but your mind keeps slipping back to that other concern. It’s easy to become frustrated with yourself, even angry. This, of course, only makes the rumination worse.

Rather than fight with the rumination, it can be helpful to learn ways of listening to your anxiety and engaging other parts of your brain.

A few nights ago, I was struggling to fall asleep. I have a handful of breathing exercises that I use to relax my body and mind so I can fall asleep, but on this night they weren’t helping. I was stressed about something, and my mind kept coming back to it. Every few minutes I would realize I was ruminating again, that I’d been imagining causes and consequences of the problem, that I’d been stressing about what I needed to do to address the problem. My mind was running in circles, and I wasn’t falling asleep

So I practiced a mindfulness technique, one that I call “Right Now?”

First, ask yourself, “Can I do something about this right now?”

Second, ask yourself, “Do I want to do something about this right now?”

If the answer is yes to both questions, get up immediately and go do it right now. 

Unload the dishwasher. Write that email. Run that errand. If you are capable of addressing an issue and willing to do so, it’s good to get out of your own way and just get it done. 

It’s important to follow the “get up immediately” part. The physical act of movement is important here. Once you’re up, you have some momentum that can carry you toward the thing you want to do. You might find that all the anxiety you feel during rumination isn’t quite so disabling once you begin to act.

If the answer is no to either question, then it’s time to find a way to let go of the concern. There are good reasons for this:

If you’re not capable of doing something about a problem, then rumination about it is robbing you of this moment for no good reason. Lying in bed for hours stressing doesn’t do anything to address the problem, but it certainly means you’re more exhausted the next day. You’ll likely be even more stressed tomorrow, and less effective when you actually do try to address the problem. Rumination is a thief of our time, our energy, and our peace.

Just because you’re capable of addressing the problem doesn’t mean you have to. If you’re unwilling to stop what you’re doing to address the problem, that’s ok. Trying to force yourself to do something you sincerely do not want to do will only make you feel bad, and you might make the problem worse.

There are many exercises meant to help let go of thoughts and feelings, but one of my favorites is “Clouds in the Sky”

Imagine yourself sitting somewhere outside, somewhere peaceful. It can be a field, or a park, or your backyard. Anywhere you can see the sky. 

Imagine yourself looking up at the sky, and watching the big fluffy clouds drift by slowly.

As you breathe, you will likely experience thoughts and feelings. The problem you’ve been ruminating about will appear in your mind.

When this happens, imagine the problem is inside one of those big, fluffy, white clouds. Whatever images you see, whatever feelings you feel, imagine them all contained within a single cloud floating over your head.

Now watch the cloud drift away. You don’t have to do anything special to make it go away. The clouds are moving all by themselves. You just have to watch and each one will eventually fade into the distance.

As you watch, the rumination will likely try to start again. More thoughts and feelings will pop into your mind. When they do, simply repeat the exercise. Imagine those thoughts and feelings in another cloud, and watch it drift away.

You might have to repeat this exercise for a while, and it might not work every time, but with enough patience, you might find that your body relaxes and your mind calms down. 

The rumination quiets, and you’re able to get back to what you were doing.

Laziness and Self-Care

I know I’m not alone when I say that sometimes taking good care of yourself is really hard. Most people I meet have some variety of reasons why self-care is so hard, but for me it’s the idea (and fear) of laziness.

Laziness May Actually be Stress

Most of us adopt at least a few unhealthy coping skills growing up. Avoiding the problem was always my top choice for dealing with stressors or conflict. If I felt stressed or overwhelmed, I would simply disengage.

It’s pretty tough to do much when you avoid stress and conflict, so I got called lazy on a regular basis. I was told I didn’t care as much as I should, and I often felt like I wasn’t doing nearly enough.

Is it Productivity or Anxiety?

In my early 20’s this manifested as a back-and-forth pattern. I was swinging like a pendulum from over-committing and pushing too hard, all the way back to skipping most basic responsibilities and isolating myself. One extreme was trying to prove to everyone (including myself) that I was hard-working and therefore worthwhile. On the other extreme was a total emotional shut-down. Fortunately by my late 20’s I was able to manage the self-destructive end of that spectrum. However I still bordered on being a bit of a workaholic. Needless to say, my already-existing anxiety only got worse.

Anxiety Counseling through Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Through my therapist training (along with some good ol’ life experience) I’ve come to greatly appreciate the importance of giving yourself a break. It is important to take time to recharge, and generally just not expecting your life to be so damn orderly and figured out.

There’s a subtle wisdom in learning to be quiet and still, letting things be imperfect, and in giving yourself permission to have a little fun.

But holy crap is it hard.

You’re not Lazy. You’re Overwhelmed

The old specter of Laziness hangs around. If I sit too long I can feel it gnawing at me, picking at me, accusing me of not doing enough. Not being enough.

“Keep going.”

“You missed a spot.”

“Just one more.”

Some days I listen. I’m back on my feet, ignoring aches and weariness, washing one more dish, checking off one more checkbox on the to-do list.

The problem is that it’s never enough. The specter of Laziness doesn’t care how much I’ve done. It only cares about what else I could do. And let’s face it, there’s always something else I could do.

Give up the Ghost: Mindfulness Counseling

If you’ve read this far, I have little doubt that you have your own specter that haunts you. It talks you into making choices that aren’t good for you in the long run. I think we all do.

I think the only way to deal with ghosts like that is to let them go. I’ve clung to the idea that my worth is directly proportionate to my productivity. It’s an idea that’s pervasive throughout our culture, and it’s incredibly toxic. I’m learning to let go of those ideas and to embrace myself and my needs instead.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Helps with Overwhelm

Learning Acceptance and Commitment Therapy has taught me to make a little space for the worries, thoughts, and fears that lead me to making unhealthy choices, and not fight them so much. Instead, I let them hang around, but they don’t get to be in the driver’s seat. They don’t get to make choices for me. I get to choose based on my values, one of which is that I deserve to be taken care of. I deserve to do something other than work hard.

It’s going to take a great deal of patience and persistence, but it feels like a worthy journey so far.

I hope you’ll join me.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Anxiety

If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed and putting too much pressure on yourself, ACT might be a good fit for you. You can find balance and get off the ups and downs of pushing too hard and then falling apart. You don’t have to keep struggling with the same things. If you’re ready to begin anxiety counseling in the Tulsa, OK area, I’m ready to help.

To begin therapy at Gray Matters:

1. Email me or call/text me at 918-552-0657

2. Schedule an intake call to discuss the benefits of ACT counseling for anxiety.

3. Learn to confidently make decisions that are in line with your personal values.

Other Mental Health Services at Gray Matters in Tulsa, Oklahoma

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is tremendously helpful for a variety of mental health concerns, including anxiety treatment and counseling for depression. Gray Matters in Tulsa, Oklahoma also serves a variety of communities including counseling for the LGBTQ community, young adults and therapy for men.

Email me today to learn more about how mindfulness based therapy can help you find balance in a fast paced society.

Black-and-White Thinking: Creator of Indecision and Overwhelm

Often we get ourselves into trouble by approaching decision making using black-and-white thinking. This is an approach our brain prefers because it’s simple--things are either right or wrong, good or bad, working or not working. While this type of approach is appealing (we like fast and easy--just as the fast food industry) it fails to take into account the complexity of our lives. This can lead to some very real problems from a mental health perspective.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy & Decision Making

In ACT, we don’t try to make the “right” choice or get rid of “bad” habits. Instead, in ACT counseling sessions, we try to decide whether our habits and choices are helping us live in a way that is consistent with our values. If they aren’t, as a therapist, I will use mindfulness counseling techniques to help you learn different habits that are more effective in moving towards the life you want for yourself. This also helps to make choices that reinforce your sense of self and make healthy progress towards your goals.

The significance of approaching our habits and choices as “effective” or “skillful” rather than “right” or “good” is a matter of changing the way we talk and think about ourselves. It has the effect of helping us to be more patient and gentle with ourselves and others. It helps us be more flexible and adaptive when things don’t go the way we hope.

When we insist on black-and-white thinking, we put an enormous amount of pressure on ourselves to be perfect. You might try to find the exact best way to approach a situation. We fail to realize that there’s almost always more than one way to achieve a goal or perform an action. There’s no such thing as the “right way” or even the “best way.”

As a Tulsa counselor, it’s my job to help you take a closer look at these thoughts. Together, we will look at which of your thoughts are effective at helping you move forward in the areas that matter most to you. Similarly, we’ll look at how some of your thoughts, include thoughts that label things as “good” or “bad,” might be holding you back, keeping you from making important decisions or even contributing to depression and anxiety.

Making the “Right” Choice leads to Overwhelm

Insisting on the “right” choice can often be a recipe for anxiety.

Have you ever found yourself overwhelmed with a choice? You have two, or three, or a hundred options, and you can’t seem to figure out which is best. You try to weigh the pros and cons, or make lists, or ask for advice from others, but you can’t seem to decide. Many people get paralyzed by this approach. I know that, personally, I’ve missed out on plenty of opportunities because I took so long to decide that the moment passed me by.

The idea that your choices are either “right” or “wrong” can mean you put a lot of pressure on yourself. The constant thinking and rethinking something through can not only be exhausting, but can leave you showing symptoms of anxiety (racing thoughts, self doubt, excessive worry).

Decision Making and Regret

Insisting on the “right” choice can also lead to regret, guilt, and self-criticism. These can, in turn, lead to signs of depression or anxious thoughts. It’s easy to think negatively about yourself (which contributes to both anxiety & depression)

Imagine you’re offered two boxes, but you can only choose one. You choose the first box and find out that it contained $1000. Amazing! You’re really excited about this choice (obviously).

But then you find out that the other box contained one million dollars. Now you’re likely feeling remorseful, frustrated, and even angry. You regret your choice. You might even berate yourself for being so stupid. You had a feeling the second box was the better box. Stupid! If only you’d listened to that feeling…

Of course you couldn’t have known. You had very limited information when you made your choice, and had no way of making a better decision than you did. It’s reasonable to feel let down--after all, you missed out on a million dollars! But the more you focus on what you missed out on, the less you’re able to enjoy what you did get. A thousand dollars is still a pretty great surprise, after all.

The answer is pretty obvious in this example, but it applies to bigger choices we make in our lives.

Making the Best Choice Possible

Think of the things you regret. Choices you made that turned out to be “bad” choices. Opportunities you may have missed or turned down. Try to remember your life at the time you made the decision. Try to remember why you chose what you did.

You’ll find that, in most cases, you made the best choice you could have. You looked at your options and you picked the one that seemed best at the time. See if you can remember what it was about your choice that seemed best at the time. Remember that these were and are valid reasons. You can’t make a decision based on information you don’t have, after all.

But what if you made a mistake? What if you forgot something important? What if you overslept that day?

Accepting Your Whole Self: Mistakes Included

It’s easy to berate ourselves for a “bad” choice when we have something to blame ourselves for. When there’s some obvious character defects that we can point to as the reason for all our “wrong” choices.

But of course this is harmful self-talk, and it hurts us far more than it helps. Rather than helping us learn from our mistakes, it deepens emotional wounds and makes us feel more guilty and ashamed.

Acceptance: An Antidote to Anxiety & Depression

Instead, try to practice acceptance of yourself including your mistakes and your “flaws.”

It often helps to picture a friend or loved one in your shoes. If your best friend missed an incredible job opportunity because they overslept, you wouldn’t berate them for it. You would be encouraging and empathetic.

“That sucks, that was a great opportunity. I’m sorry. It’s OK--I oversleep sometimes too, it happens.”

There’s no judgement or blame, simply acceptance and love. This self acceptance can be an antidote to anxiety and depression. Through letting go of that desire to make the “right” choice and giving yourself permission to make mistakes, it can be like lifting a huge weight off your shoulders.

Tips from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Decision Making

So today I encourage you to examine something for which you feel guilty.

Offer yourself sympathy for what happened--it sucks, after all, to lose something important or miss out on an opportunity.

Offer yourself acceptance--it happens sometimes. It’s OK that you make mistakes. It’s OK that you’re not perfect.

Offer yourself love--even though that happened, you are still worthy and valid. You matter. You are enough.

And the next time you find yourself presented with a choice, approach it differently. Remind yourself that there’s no such thing as “right.” Remind yourself that you can’t make a “perfect choice.” Remind yourself that you only know so much, and you can’t be responsible for knowing what you don't.

Look at your options. Consider the pros and cons. Ask yourself which choice moves you towards your values and goals most effectively and skillfully. Consult a friend or two, if it helps. Or consult an anxiety therapist like myself.

Then choose.

Begin Mental Health Counseling in Tulsa, OK

Making decisions can be difficult. Especially when we find ourselves caught up in black and white thinking. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy give you tools to cope with the overwhelm of indecision. Learn to make values based decisions that will help you make meaningful change in your life. You don’t have to stay stuck feeling plagued by indecision or with symptoms of anxiety and depression. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy can help you on your journey to self acceptance and confidence.

To begin ACT in Tulsa, OK follow these three simple steps:

1. Email me or call/text me at 918-552-0657

2. Schedule an intake call to discuss how anxiety counseling might help you.

3. Learn to confidently make decisions that are in line with your personal values.

Other Mental Health Services at Gray Matters in Tulsa, Oklahoma

At Gray Matters Counseling in Tulsa, OK I practice Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. I help people in the Tulsa area with a variety of mental health concerns, including counseling for depression and anxiety counseling. I enjoy working with a variety of communities including counseling for the LGBTQ community, young adults and therapy for men. You don’t have to stay stuck or keep feeling overwhelmed. Through learning a few new skills, practicing mindfulness and talking things through with a an ACT therapist, you can make meaningful change in your life. Email me today to learn more about how mindfulness based therapy can help you move forward, be more decisive and feel less overwhelmed.