3 Simple practices to stop cycles of anxiety

I have a consistent dream that I’m running late to the airport, and unexpected things keep happening that prevent me from getting to my flight on time. As dreams go, the problems that crop up and prevent me from timeliness are a mixture of wildly fantastic once-in-a-lifetime coincidences alongside ordinary mundane experiences. (I’m looking at you clown car robbery, and at you, meeting that goes on for way too long). Regardless, the cycle repeats, and I am stuck worrying endlessly throughout the dream about missing my flight.

A similar pattern happens when I’m awake sometimes. I get stuck in a rut of worry and anxiety that I can’t seem to break free from. The thoughts, the what-ifs, just keep popping up and I worry and worry some more. There are two ways I try to break out of this cycle when I recognize what is happening.

First, I try to take the thought I’m anxious about to its negative extreme. I imagine what would happen in a worst-case scenario.  What would be the hardest things that will happen if I’m late to my flight, for example? If I miss that flight, then I could possibly miss the wedding I’m attending, and that would be a big disappointment. I could lose money, time, and I will probably inconvenience the friends who were going to pick me up. Once I’ve listed out every bad thing that could happen, I ask myself how I could handle that. It would not be fun, but I would manage and make it through. Sometimes, imagining the negative consequences in full that I am worrying about is enough to reframe the situation and allows me to move away from that cycle of worry.

Second, I know I can choose to change the cycle. I acknowledge the concern out loud to myself. “I’m afraid I won’t be ready in time when I need to leave for my flight, and thus I won’t make it to the airport when I need to be there.” Then, I decide on a different thought to focus on, and say that out loud. “I’m going to spend my break for lunch making a list of what I need to do tonight to be ready for my flight.” Then, I put my energy on that thought instead. Whenever, the “you’ll be late” mantras start badgering my brain I push them towards “lunch break prep” instead.

A third way to help nip worry in the bud is the surrender novena. And this way is usually the one I start with and then end on. More accurately, the third way is the short, cheater version of the surrender novena that I often start the day with. Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything. When I ask for the grace to give all of today’s inconveniences and worry to the Lord, it helps reorient my day. It also helps in moments of worry to pray that phrase on repeat.