Have you ever noticed that the more anxious you feel,
The more you think,
You replay conversations,
You imagine worst case scenarios,
You analyze every possible outcome,
And somehow,
Despite all that thinking,
You don't feel any closer to a solution.
In fact,
You usually feel more overwhelmed.
One of the most helpful strategies I teach my clients is called name it to tame it.
The idea is simple.
When we're anxious,
We often become fused with our thoughts.
We don't realize we're having a thought because we're experiencing it as reality.
For example,
Instead of recognizing I'm having the thought that I'm going to fail,
We tell ourselves,
I'm going to fail.
Those two statements might sound familiar,
But they're actually very different.
The first creates space.
The second creates panic.
Here's how to use this strategy.
The next time you notice yourself spiraling.
Pause and ask.
What story is my mind telling me right now?
Then identify the thought and put the phrase.
I'm noticing the thought that in front of it.
For example.
I'm noticing the thought that something bad is going to happen.
I'm noticing the thought that they are upset with me.
I'm noticing the thought that I'm not good enough.
This small shift helps your brain recognize that a thought is simply a mental event,
Not a fact,
Prediction,
Or certainty.
Now I want to be clear,
The goal isn't to convince yourself that the thought isn't true.
That's actually another form of arguing with your anxiety.
Instead,
The goal is to observe the thought without automatically believing it.
Think about it this way,
If every thought that entered your mind were true,
We'd all be in trouble.
Most of us have had random thoughts,
Irrational fears,
And assumptions that turned out to be completely inaccurate.
Your brain's job is to generate thought.
Your job is to decide which ones deserve your attention.
When you practice name it to tame it,
You're strengthening the part of your brain that can observe rather than react.
You're reminding yourself that you are not your thoughts.
You are the person noticing them.
So the next time anxiety starts pulling you into an overthinking spiral,
Try this simple phrase.
I'm noticing the thought that.
You may be surprised by how much distance it creates.
And often a little distance is all we need to respond thoughtfully instead of reacting automatically.
Thanks for being here today.
If you found this helpful,
Take a moment to practice it this week.
Remember,
The goal isn't to stop thinking.
It's to stop treating every thought as truth.
