Exercises To Calm Your Anxious Thoughts

Thoughts from your Therapist Palm Desert

Therapist Palm Desert. Lauren Fox, LCSW is a Maternal Mental Health specialist in the Coachella Valley.

Thoughts are Thoughts. Nothing More or Less.

Especially in the perinatal period, thoughts can appear to be much more than what they are: thoughts. Humans have as many as 60,000 thoughts per day and these can range from positive to negative, thoughtful and curious to repetitive and intrusive. One of the most common symptoms of a Postpartum Mood and Anxiety Disorder is intrusive thoughts or scary thoughts as described by many perinatal researchers. These thoughts can occur seemingly out of the blue and often involve harm coming to you, your partner or your baby. Naturally, these thoughts can be unnerving and you may feel so uncomfortable that all you want is for them to stop. It’s very important to keep in mind that as rattling as they can be, these are still just thoughts. They are not a sign that you are doing something wrong or that you aren’t a good enough parent. Learning how to notice these thoughts and work through them will bring relief and ultimately a feeling of more calm when these thoughts present themselves.

Grounding exercises to bring you back into the present moment are often times very effective in managing unwanted, anxious thoughts. One example of many available options includes looking out into the world around you, whether that happens to be inside the room you’re in or outside of your car or as you are walking down the street. Pay attention to what you can see, what you can hear, what you can touch or feel, what you smell and what you taste. Doing this small, seemingly simple exercise can help bring you back into your body and away from the anxious thoughts in your mind. Another exercise to try is counting your breath slowly as you inhale and exhale. I like to imagine I am zipping up a zipper from my feet to my forehead on each inhale and exhaling that same zipper from my forehead to my feet. Doing this breathing exercise 5-6 rounds will often bring you back into your body and into a place of calm and composure, away from anxious thoughts that are thoughts, nothing more, nothing less. Daily practice will help you little by little to feel calmer in your body and more aware of thoughts as information to help bring you back to calm.

How did it go for you?

A Free Consultation with your Therapist Palm Desert

I hope this helps you find the right therapist in Palm Desert. If you are still feeling stuck, reach out to me! You can also feel free to call me at 805-930-9355 for a free 15 minute phone consultation. I’d be happy to hear about what is happening and help connect you with the right provider. If you are looking for help with pregnancy, postpartum, pregnancy loss, infertility, birth trauma or hypnotherapy, you can read more about how I can help within this website.

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