Freedom from Anxious Thoughts and Feelings

Book excerpt: A ridiculously easy, breakthrough approach to practicing mindfulness. If you suffer from anxiety and experience racing, panicky thoughts, you need help right away. You’ve probably heard about mindfulness, and how effective it can be in easing anxiety and worry—but how do you do it, exactly? In this go-to guide, psychologist Scott Symington presents a practical, breakthrough approach called the two-screen method to help when painful thoughts feel overwhelming. Using this simplified mindfulness approach, you’ll learn to accept and redirect your thoughts and focus on your values. By using the two-screen method outlined in this book, as well as the three anchors—mindfulness skills, healthy distractions, and loving action—you’ll learn to relate to your thoughts and feelings in a whole new way. And when threats, fears, insecurities, and potentially destructive thoughts and feelings show up, you’ll have a game plan for dealing with these difficult emotions so you can get back to living your life. If you have anxiety, being present with your negative thoughts is probably the last thing you want to do. That’s why the two-screen method in this book is so helpful—it offers a way to diffuse from your anxious thoughts while still focusing on the things that really matter to you.