Negative Forecasting in Focus
By: Elaina Curran, DSFH, CNHCreg, AfSFHreg
Before my children started Secondary School, I spent an inordinate amount of time worrying about their transition from Junior School. As it turned out, I wallowed in this unhelpful “headspace” for nothing because they both loved their new school and, much to my delight, are still doing quite well. I am also aware that while I allowed myself to be preoccupied with worry, I was not doing myself any favours. By anticipating the worst, I was creating anxiety. This is negative forecasting.
One fascinating aspect of the brain is that it cannot differentiate between imagination and emotional reality. If you spend time thinking about an upcoming event, such as an exam, a big meeting or an operation, and imagining a disastrous outcome, your brain will react no differently than if your worst fears were actually happening. Whether real or imagined, as your anxiety goes up, the body responds accordingly. When we spend too much time agonising negatively over future scenarios, certain disorders might possibly get the upper hand such as anxiety, trouble sleeping, sadness and even depression. Negative forecasting can also manifest as a pervasive negative frame of mind when viewing the future. “My boyfriend/girlfriend left…I’ll never find love again”. “I’ll never be free of debt”. “I’ll never be good at anything”. “I’ll never be happy”. The list goes on.
There’s a mental exercise that demonstrates this very point. First, close your eyes and imagine, with all the detail you can muster, that you are cutting a wedge of lemon. Picture every detail as you handle it, slice it and lift it to your mouth. Then see yourself taking a bite out of that lemon wedge. Chances are, if you took the time to imagine this scenario accurately, you will have a physical reaction as you take a bite. Real or imagined, the brain will respond in a similar way.
Keep in mind that negative thinking is not necessarily a bad thing. It comes naturally to us. If you anticipate the worst, you’ll be prepared for the worst. It is a facet of our built-in survival instincts that are part and parcel of the Emotional/Primitive brain. However, when we persistently spend time negatively forecasting the future and nurturing a negative state of mind, our Stress Bucket fills with anxiety. The more we pile into our bucket, the more likely it will overflow.
Hypnotherapy can be a useful tool in changing unhelpful thought patterns as we work directly with the subconscious which is where the patterns reside. Hypnotherapy can also help reduce the anxiety you might be accumulating and in so doing, you will be able to handle life’s demands better and with confidence.
Life, for everyone, is sometimes difficult and challenging. We can hardly escape stress and anxiety entirely. However, if we can control our tendency to negatively forecast, we can help significantly lower stress and live a calmer, happier and more peaceful life.
Published in BS35 Local, January 2017 issue