by Ron Surgeon
Anxiety is a normal part of our lives. Sometimes, a little bit of it can motivate us. When anxiety is too much or lasts too long it can be detrimental, even crippling. A working definition of anxiety is an “overestimation of threat and an underestimation of resources (the ability to cope).” In the cognitive behavioral perspective, situations are interpreted with our thoughts, those thoughts (interpretations) influence our emotions, leading to healthy or unhealthy beliefs and behaviors.
Anxious thoughts swim in the uncontrollable. Anxiety lives in the future. The future is unknown. The unknown can be scary.
Anxious thoughts can make us feel apprehensive and overwhelmed. As a result, sometimes we can find it hard to function. One tool, among several, that can help us cope with anxious thoughts is Socratic Questioning. It is a series of questions which enables us to slow down and evaluate our thinking. You can ask and answer these questions internally or even use them as journal prompts.
Socratic Questions
What’s the evidence that this thought is true? Not true or not completely true?
Is there an alternative explanation or another way of viewing the situation?
If the worst happened, how would I cope? What’s the best that could happen?
What’s the most realistic/likely outcome?
What is the effect of believing the thought?
What could be the effect of changing my thinking?
If [insert friend’s name] was in this situation and had this thought, what would I tell him or her? How does that apply to me?
What could or should I do now?
Another question can be added to question 3: “What can I do to make the best or most realistic outcome more likely?”
Also, instead of asking about the effect of believing the thought, you can ask,
“What are the disadvantages of believing this?” and “What are the advantages of changing my thinking about this?”
Not all these questions are necessary to answer at once, but I wanted to provide several to assist you on your mental health journey. The next resource I plan to share will help us raise awareness of our bodies and the environment for reducing stress and anxiety. More to come!
Cheers!