Controlling the Stress of a Health Crisis Simply by the Way We Interpret Things

Anxiety is often caused by the way you interpret what is happening to you or what is about to happen. There are very simple adjustments we can make that can transform the way we deal with our life's challenges.
We direct our thoughts to our self-image and whichever self-image we focus on responds to that in-put. Think to a negative, anxious self-image and you get negative anxious responses or interpretations. Direct your thoughts to a positive, conscious in the moment self-image and you get conscious in the moment responses or interpretations.
Now think about that for a moment. How many self-images have you had over the past week? When you were intimate with the person you love, when you were deep in prayer or when you did something excellent...at those times you had a positive self-image. If you used those self-images to interpret your anxious times, you would get a different response than if you were anxious and interpreted that event.
We have the ability to consciously condition a positive self-image. By focusing on your positive experiences in your life, you can create a positive self-image. Your conditioning may have created a more dominant negative self-image, but you can recondition your mind. For instance, Bob, a Vietnam vet, had PTSD and his wife had cancer. To support his wife, he had to change from his habitual character dealing with PTSD to a compassionate partner. Bob named his positive self ‘lover’ and his negative self ‘anger.’ It is easy to see what self-image Bob needed to identify with to support his wife. Using this technique, Bob was able to instantly switch from ‘anger’ to ‘lover’ with a simple trigger.
It is often easier to control who you think to (your self-image) than it is to control the world around you. Knowing what you can control and what you can't control is the beginning of mastering your anxiety and the best frame of mind for personal growth.
The good news is that it is easy to control your self-image by creating conscious habits. Now if you could change the way you interpreted your world, you might have a different attitude as to how you approached your challenges. That simple correction has the power to dramatically change your life. Are you ready for that?
© 2012 Marc Lerner and Life Skills Institute