If you're feeling anxious or overwhelmed, it's helpful to ground yourself in the present and in your body, Schroeder said. Journaling is one way to do this, added psychotherapist Skylar Ibarra, LCSW, of Lenarra Therapy, because it forces you to slow down and "approach the situation with curiosity instead of blame. What assumptions are we treating as facts? What information are we filling in?" You want to pause the story in your head and put it down on paper, where you separate reality from anxiety.
Try these prompts:
- What is the story I am telling myself about this situation? What history am I pulling in, and what assumptions am I making?
- Where am I holding tension or other sensations in my body? What is my body signaling to me about my emotional state? What is it like to notice these sensations? How can I care for myself in this moment?
