Tools to Control Negative Thoughts
- Getting a prostate cancer diagnosis and going through treatment options and decisions can be overwhelming, but there are certain ways to help control any negative or racing thoughts coming on.
- Dr. Kysa Christie, a clinical psychologist at the West Los Angeles VA Healthcare Center, shared a simple grounding exercise with SurvivorNet that can be used as an easy go-to tool to help manage anxiety.
- Dr. Christie suggests reciting names of sports teams or picking out 20 things you can see around you, with the goal being to bring your mind to the present and help control any sort of negativity, fear or panic.
Dr. Kysa Christie, a clinical psychologist in the hematology and oncology clinic at the West Los Angeles VA Healthcare Center, shared a simple grounding exercise with SurvivorNet that can be used as an easy go-to tool to help manage anxiety.
Read MoreSimple Grounding Exercises
There are many simple ways to go about this that can have real benefits, according to Dr. Christie. “You might think, okay, let me come up with 20 sports teams and I’m just going to sit here and rattle ’em off. Give yourself a minute or two to do that,” she says. “Then let me come up with 20 different things I see in this room.”“Again, it’s a way of getting your mind here where you are in the room, rather than the worries that are starting to carry those thoughts away,” Dr. Christie adds.
Elsewhere in the interview, she also shared a simple breathing exercise.
“One of my favorites is belly breathing, so kind of putting one hand on your belly, one hand on your chest, let your shoulders relax, and if you’re standing, kind of really notice where your feet are touching the ground,” Dr. Christie says. “If you’re sitting, notice where your butt and legs are connected with the chair, sink in for a second.”
“The belly breathing is designed to, as you breathe in, your hand should lift up a little bit like a balloon, and as you breathe out, your hand goes down. As that balloon deflates, what that’s doing is giving your body a chance to reset,” Dr. Christie explains.
Dr. Christie explains how/when to try ‘belly breathing.’
“So when we’re nervous, when we’re scared, we tend to breathe from our chest, and those breaths tend to be more shallow,” she continues. “So if you’ve got one hand on your chest, one hand on your belly, you can notice where is this breath coming from and try and breathe from your belly.”
“Let that lower hand rise and then let it fall. If you notice it’s coming from your chest, these more shallow breaths. Just again, try and focus your attention, bringing your attention to your belly, where your hand is, and breathing in, and then breathing out.”
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