Anxiety is hard, whether it’s a chronic issue or a reaction to a difficult spell in your life. People who suffer from it can feel negative about the future, further feeding into their anxiety which then makes them feel worse about what could be next. This creates a feedback loop of worry, but a recent study highlighted a daily technique that can reduce anxiety’s hold on a person.
A study on anxiety from York St John University in the United Kingdom had participants visualize their futures and “possible selves” with researchers finding that those with higher anxiety tended to report and write about more intense, negative possibilities than those who did not. This hypothesized a link between anxiety and low self-esteem. However, after having some participants do a daily “Best Possible Self” technique, a technique often recommended by therapists, the researchers found that the study participants who did the technique significantly reduced their anxiety and got a boost in self-worth.
What if everything went right?
“From a psychiatrist’s standpoint, the ‘Best Possible Self’ exercise is a well researched way to lift mood and motivation by training the brain to focus on a realistic, hopeful future,” psychiatrist Dr. Simon Faynboym tells GOOD. “Studies in students and adults show that writing about your best possible life can increase positive emotions and reduce symptoms of stress, anxiety, frustration, and low mood. By imagining a future where things go right, you’re activating thinking about goals and minimizing the tendency to worry. It’s a useful tool that works best alongside therapy, social support, healthy habits, and medication.”
The “Best Possible Self” technique sounds simple to do on paper and only takes about 15 minutes of your time:
Sit down and imagine your best possible future, the one in which the goals you have are achieved, the worries you have are resolved, and the problems that constantly invade your mind are fixed. Write it all down and be as specific as possible. Doing this every day will create a combination of purging your worries by giving them focused attention, showing yourself that what you want is achievable, and centering your focus back onto achieving the goals you’ve set your mind on. As Dr. Faynboym said, there is research to back up this technique’s effectiveness.
Resolve anxiety to resolve your issues
Will it solve your problems or achieve your goals? No, and that’s not its purpose. The “Best Possible Self” is meant to help clear anxiety and low self-worth out of your mind so it can focus on looking for methods to get you closer to the goals you desire. Is that more work? You bet. But the work will be easier without anxiety and a low sense of self-esteem getting in your way and trapping you in a negative feedback hamster wheel to nowhere. It’s also important to note that you may trip up the first time or the first 80 times. The only failure is whether you give up on yourself.
If you are suffering from anxiety and depression, see if this technique helps in conjunction with your psychiatrist/therapist’s advice, prescriptions, and support. If you need to find a professional that can help you, the Anxiety & Depression Association of America can help you find a therapist in your area. Whether the “Best Possible Self” technique works for you or not, a better future is still possible.
