Positive-Thought-Redirection™ is a great way of dealing with intrusive, negative thoughts. As negative thoughts pop up during your daily life, you issue a “stop” command which acts to stop the negative thought in its tracks.

Once the unnecessary, negative or burdensome thought is stopped, you then redirect your mind to a more positive thought about the situation you are confronting.

The process of redirecting your thoughts is an important component of successfully using this process. However, especially at the spur of the moment and under pressure from the potential anxiety you are facing, it is hard to redirect your thoughts to a more positive framework because you can´t think of anything positive.

As a beginner, it is important to create a list of positive thoughts that you can use for redirection. Jot down a list and refer to this list as need be. By doing the thinking before hand, you don´t have to face the pressure in the midst of an anxious moment.

Here are some examples of positive thoughts that you can use for redirection:

1. I have been anxious before and have survived or succeeded (depending on the situation)
2. I am confident I can control my anxiety with the techniques I have learned.
3. I will have a great time at ….. (insert occasion)
4. I am with my (safe person) and they will help me if I have any problems

This is just the beginning of the list that you will create. The important thing is to focus on the positives and not dwell on the negatives. Rather than thinking how crowded and miserable you will be at the theater and how you will probably run screaming from the show hyperventilating, think about the last time you went to see a show and had a good time or the last time you were in a crowded place and smiled.

Now that you are armed with positive thoughts to redirect your mind to, the key is stopping the thought once it pops up in your mind. You don´t need to stop the thought from ever entering your mind; you just need to avoid having it take over your mind.

Once the unwanted thought appears, consciously tell yourself to STOP! Once you have firmly told the thought to stop you then use your handy little list to redirect your mind to a more positive state.

This may sound hokey to some but engaging your mind in actively combating your negative or detrimental thoughts actually works. The key, like many of the techniques described above is practice. Practicing this process will not only improve your ability to engage in positive thought redirection but it will also give you greater self confidence that you can survive anxiety ridden situations. Confidence is half the battle in dealing with anxiety.

Practicing the Positive-Thought-Redirection technique involves thinking about stressful subjects or situations. Envision yourself in a place where you are a stressed, at a time when you are very anxious. Let the feelings overtake you for a couple of minutes and then use your STOP command to stop those thoughts in their tracks.

Let your mind go blank, if the negativity crops up, issue your stop command again. Once your mind is clear, use your positive thoughts to redirect your mind. Start by saying your redirected thoughts aloud. This will help to reinforce them.

As you practice and become better at this technique, you won´t have to be as purposeful about it, you will be able to do it quickly, in your mind, without referring to lists or speaking aloud.

Bertil Hjert

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