Imagining the worst is a widespread tendency among us. In fact, we spend an enormous amount of time creating all kinds of worst-case scenarios for the future. And we’d like it to stop. Because it’s too stressful, too exhausting. And it spoils our lives considerably. So, how can we stop beating ourselves up? Here are 3 exercises to help you stop torturing yourself and regain your serenity.

1 – Put a stop to thinking

Fantasizing means letting our imaginations run wild. In fact, one negative idea leads to another, and rather than saying stop, we listen, or worse, we feed our already agitated thoughts.

That’s why I wholeheartedly invite you to take a piece of writing paper and jot down in just one sentence what’s stressing you, making you feel bad or making you angry.

Once you’ve written down in one sentence what’s torturing you, put a period on it.

Because imagining things is all about taking a specific, current situation and inventing tragic endings.

And if you learn to put an end to the current situation, you’ll no longer give in to the temptation to make up stories.

Example: you’re stressed because you’ve got a job interview tomorrow. So you make a big deal of what if he asks me this, what if I don’t like the hours, what if, once I’m hired, this happens and that happens…

Take some writing paper and write down: “Right now, I’m stressed out, because tomorrow I have a job interview.” FINAL POINT.

You’re stressed because you’ve got a job interview tomorrow, and that’s the end of it.

What’s more, once you’ve stopped kidding yourself, you can instead ask yourself: how can I de-stress right now?

Can you see what this simple exercise can do for you?

2 – Change your perspective to stop imagining things

In the end, imagining things isn’t really the problem. The problem is that our films are anxiety-provoking.

And yet, we could very well be making hyper-positive, enjoyable films.

Indeed, if we take the example of the job interview, we could very well imagine that it goes extremely well, that we find the job of our dreams, that our colleagues will be our future best friends.

But what’s stopping us?

That’s why I wholeheartedly invite you to take some writing implements and list at least 5 things that could go really well, if you decided to make super-positive fantasies.

This little list will do you a world of good. After all, hope is life!

3 – Use distraction to de-stress

Sometimes, it’s just too hard to stop imagining things. It goes round and round in our heads, and we feel sick to our stomachs. So what can you do?

Diversion. In other words, do something else that lets you stop listening to your thoughts.

For example, you can go for a run, which is very effective. You can call someone close to you and talk about something else. You can watch your favorite movie. You can read or play a video game.

Don’t dwell on your thoughts if they’re causing you pain. Do something else and do it fast!

Find out more:

I invite you to read these 2 complementary articles:

Discover Getting started with yoga: tips for a worry-free start
Discover How to stop worrying: my 3 favourite tips

In addition, I recommend this inspiring book on the subject:

Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff, and It’s All Small Stuff by Richard Carlson
It offers different insights into the way we look at things. Overall, don’t worry about the things you would normally do. Maintain peace, control and love for yourself and everyone around you. It will definitely think differently about future situations.
The advice is so helpful and likely to lead to a calmer, happier life. I love that the chapters are short and simple, making each topic easy to skim and absorb.

Thank you very much for reading this article.

If you liked it, let me know in the comments.

Take care of yourself.