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Emotional Wellness

Managing Catastrophic Thinking

If you find yourself worrying excessively, it can seem like negative thoughts are running through your head on endless repeat. You may feel like you're spiraling out of control, going crazy, or about to burn out under the weight of all this anxiety. But there are steps you can take right now to  give yourself a time out from relentless worrying.

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Strategies for Catastrophic Thinking

  1. Breathing Techniques:​​

    1. Three Breathing Exercises and Techniques - DrWeil.com​

    2. Breathing Techniques for Stress Relief - WebMD

    3. Mindfulness and the Breath - thebreathproject.org

  2. Challenge or Dispute Your Thoughts:

    1. Catastrophic Thinking - Psychology Today​

    2. What You Can Do When You Can't Stop Thinking About Something - Psychology Today

    3. 8 Tips to Help Stop Ruminating - Psych Central

  3. Postpone Worrying​​:

    1. Postpone Your Worry (PDF) -  Center for Clinical Interventions

    2. Practice 1. Postpone Your Worries - Anxieties.com

    3. Reduce Anxiety by Scheduling Worry Time - A Woman's Health

  4. Practice Mindfulness​​:

    1. Benefits of Mindfulness - HelpGuide.org​

    2. Guided Mindfulness Meditation on Controlling Negative Thoughts (15 Minutes) - YouTube

    3. Mindfulness Dissolves Thoughts — Attention Is What’s Left Over, with Jon Kabat-Zinn - YouTube

    4. Mindfulness and the Breath - thebreathproject.org

    5. 22 Mindfulness Exercises, Techniques & Activities for Adults - positivepsychologyprogram.com

  5. Problem Solving vs Worrying/ Solvable vs Unsolvable: Worrying and problem solving are two very different things. Problem solving involves evaluating a situation, coming up with concrete steps for dealing with it, and then putting the plan into action. Worrying, on the other hand, rarely leads to solutions. No matter how much time you spend dwelling on worst-case scenarios, you're no more prepared to deal with them should they actually happen.​​

    1. How to Stop Worrying - HealthGuide.org​

    2. How to Stop Worrying About Things You Can't Change - Psychology Today

    3. Worrying Doesn’t Solve Your Problems, It Is the Problem - News.com.au

    4. How to Stop Overthinking Everything and Find Peace of Mind - Lifehacker.com

  6. Redirect your Thoughts:

    1. 2-Minute Trick to Calm Your Racing Mind

    2. The Art of Redirecting Negative Thoughts - The Chopra Center

    3. How to Put a Stop to Catastrophic Thinking - Psychology Today

    4. Getting stuck in the negatives (and how to get unstuck) | Alison Ledgerwood | TEDxUCDavis

  7. Sound Therapy:

    1. 417 Hz | Wipes out all the Negative Energy - MeditativeMind Youtube​

  8. Talk To Someone About Your Thoughts: 

    1. Therapists in Canada - Psychology Today​

    2. Canadian Cancer Society

    3. Melanoma Connect Facebook Group

    4. Melanoma Wellness Canada - HealthUnlocked

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