The Surprising Therapist-Approved Technique That Can Squash Intrusive Thoughts

Feelings of anxiousness often creep up when you least expect them, so why not keep some helpful tips in your back pocket to help ease your mind in those moments? No, we're not going to tell you to meditate in the middle of a panic period because, well, that doesn't realistically work for many people. 

Whether it's nervous thoughts about an upcoming event or a deeper, existential crisis—we all worry sometimes. It's not the worrying that's the issue; it's when the nervous thoughts get so loud that it's hard to focus on daily tasks or conversations with friends and family that can become a problem.

To mitigate intrusive thoughts that seemingly pop up out of nowhere, Duffy recommends scheduling in time to do just that: worry. Yep, she recommends you actually pencil in time to work through all of these thoughts lurking in the back of your mind and waiting for a moment in the spotlight. 

"It often happens when I'm going to bed," says Duffy. "I have a pad of [paper] next to my bed now, and I'll just write down what I'm thinking about. And I'll say, 'I'm going to come back and think about this the next morning.'" See, your brain naturally sends you mental pings when tasks are left unfinished, so rather than trying to ignore those feelings, writing them down can help you feel more at ease—even if you don't necessarily have any answers. And more often than not, Duffy's nighttime worries don't feel nearly as intense the next day. 

Clinical psychologist Chloe Carmichael, Ph.D., even recommends creating an actual calendar event for your worry time. "For some people, it recurs every day for 10 minutes; for some people it's an hour, once a week, whatever [works] best," she explains on another episode of the mindbodygreen podcast. "And then when those feelings pop up, you just deposit them into the event details, and you give them their undivided attention when the time arrives."

Everyone experiences nerves differently, and there is no one-size-fits-all coping mechanism. However, it's a good idea to have some tried-and-true techniques on hand for whenever you find yourself spiraling down a rabbit hole of nervous thoughts.