How to Shut Down Anxious Thoughts

If you’re anything like me, you’ve found yourself plagued by your mind’s ability to conjure up worst-case scenarios at the most inconvenient times. Whether it’s as your trying to fall asleep, getting ready to present at work, or trying to simply enjoy a date night with your partner, anxious thoughts are often unwelcome.

So, how do you shut down anxious thoughts? The short answer is, you don’t. But that doesn’t mean all hope is lost. Instead of shutting down anxious thoughts, what you can do is learn how to navigate them and reduce them.

I’m Halle Thomas, an anxiety therapist for millennial professionals in Boulder, Denver, and Portland. In my practice, I provide holistic anxiety therapy to millennials of all genders who are ready to trade in self-doubt for self-trust.

In this post, we’ll cover the basics of what anxiety is, as well as some strategies for reducing the impact it has on your day-to-day life.

Anxiety is More Than Simply Overthinking

Before we dive into strategies, we have to understand what anxiety really is. Anxiety isn’t a character flaw, sign of weakness, or sign that you’re just a really messed up person. Anxiety is a sophisticated survival mechanism deeply rooted in our evolutionary history.

When our brain perceives danger, whether real or imagined, it activates the sympathetic nervous system. This is the system responsible for triggering the oft-quoted "fight-or-flight" response. This response floods the body with stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, both of which help us respond quickly to potential threats.

In today’s world, however, this survival mechanism often gets triggered by psychological stressors that aren't life-threatening: a challenging work presentation, a first date, or a schedule-conflict that gets in the way of plans with friends.

Rethinking How to Shut Down Anxious Thoughts

Many people approach anxiety with a "just stop thinking about it" mentality. But neuroscience tells us this approach is fundamentally flawed. A groundbreaking study in Nature Neuroscience revealed that suppressing thoughts actually increases their frequency and emotional intensity [2]. It's like trying to hold a beach ball underwater—the more you push down, the more forcefully it will pop back up.

Dr. Elizabeth Phelps, a prominent cognitive neuroscientist, explains that anxious thoughts are processed in the amygdala, a brain region responsible for emotional processing. When we try to forcefully shut down these thoughts, we're essentially engaging in a mental tug-of-war that exhausts our cognitive resources.

A Nurturing Approach to Reducing Anxious Thoughts

Instead of viewing anxiety as something to turn off, think of it as a messenger carrying important information about what you need in any given moment. Here are some strategies designed to help you reduce anxiety, while still being compassionate toward yourself:

1. Mindfully acknowledge the anxious thoughts

Mindfulness isn't about eliminating anxiety but about changing how we relate to it. Here’s how to experiment with this technique:

• Recognize anxious thoughts without judgment:

  • This might sound like telling yourself, “I’m having an anxious thought about my upcoming test.”

• Observing these thoughts as temporary mental events:

  • Which could sound like telling yourself, “This thought is temporary. The thought is happening right now, but it won’t stick around forever.”

• Gently redirecting your attention to the present moment

  • This could include scanning your immediate environment and narrating your observations to yourself, either aloud or in your own mind.

2. Practice reframing anxious thoughts

Reframing an anxious thought, or exploring another meaning behind the thought, can take some practice. Let’s use the following anxious thought as an example: “I’m going to mess up during my upcoming work presentation.”

Here are some ways to practice reframing this thought:

• Step 1: Identify the fear or worry beneath the thought.

  • In this case, it’s would be safe to say that there’s nervousness about how the presentation will go. There might also be some fear about how making a mistake could impact how other people view you.

• Step 2: Identify a more generous interpretation of the thought

  • “Even though I’m feeling nervous about my presentation, I know that I’ve prepared as much as I can. I also trust that I can handle any mistakes that might happen. I’m even open to the idea that things might go well and that people might even enjoy what I’m presenting on.”

3. Tend to your physical body

As you’re likely aware of, anxiety tends to be a full body experience. Techniques that regulate the nervous system can help interrupt the anxiety cycle:

• Breathing exercises:

  • Certain breathing exercises can help to slow the heart rate, which can counter the physiological effects of anxiety.

• Progressive muscle relaxation

• Physical movement:

  • I’m personally a fan of activities like chair yoga, walking, and yin yoga.

4. Write it out

Sometimes, our anxious thoughts need space to be seen and acknowledged. Set a timer for 10-20 minutes and let yourself write uncensored about all of your anxieties. Bonus points for finding a creative (and safe!) way to dispose of the writing after the fact.

When to Seek Professional Support

If most of your energy day-to-day is being spent on anxious thoughts, if you’re not able to participate in your life the way you’d like to, or if you’re simply curious about what therapy is like, it might be time to chat with a therapist!

I’m licensed to work with clients who are based in Colorado and Oregon. If you’re ready to talk about receiving professional support, reach out to me today for your free consultation call. We’ll talk about what it looks like to work together and get you scheduled for your first therapy appointment if we’re a good fit for each other!

Wrapping Up

Managing anxiety isn't about achieving a permanent state of calm but developing the mental flexibility needed to move from anxiety to another mental state. I have full trust that you can find a way to navigate anxiety with more self-compassion and understanding, and I hope this post has given you some inspiration for how to get started.

Hi! I’m Halle, an Anxiety Therapist in Boulder, Colorado.

I work with millennials who want to trade in self-doubt for self-trust. You can work with me in either 1:1 weekly therapy, or in a therapy intensive.

If you live in either Colorado or Oregon, I’d love to work with you. Book your free intro call to get started!