Today, with the daily stressors of work and other obligations, anxiety seems to be on the rise. Speaking from first-hand experience, I personally experienced anxiety from a very young age and I have found it has amplified as I have gotten older because of the added stress in my life.

Dealing with anxiety has been debilitating for me at times and has affected my life in many ways. But, with these experiences I have also found ways to redirect my thoughts before they spin into a crazy anxious black hole! Aaaah! Save me! Use these tips to stop your anxiety monster in its tracks!

Now is the time to take control of your thoughts and mind so you can live blissfully in the beautiful life you have been given. Don’t waste another minute caught up in a reality which only exists in your mind. Learn to make your thoughts work for you not the other way around. Try these 5 ways to redirect your thoughts as they come up.

1. Breathe…Be In The Moment: One of the easiest ways to redirect anxious thoughts is to just stop and focus on the task you are doing. Take a few deep breathes and enjoy the moment. For example, if you are washing your hands, pay attention to how the water feels or the sounds of the water.

By doing this, you are focusing the brains attention on to something else and changing the thoughts coming into your head. If you find yourself coming back to the anxious thoughts, bring your focus back to the current task you are doing. It may take you a couple of times to bring your thoughts into the moment, but if you are consistent you will find it works.

2. 5 Minute Mini Meditation: If you’re somewhere you can break away for five minutes to do a mini meditation this can be extremely beneficial in reeling in your anxiety monster. Step outside, go into your car or if you are home find a peaceful place in your house to relax and meditate.

My favorite meditation has to do with chakras. Sit or lay in a comfortable position and imagine a white light coming through your body starting at the crown and all the way down to the toes. This meditation helps to release any stuck energy and relaxes the anxious mind. You can go through all the chakra colors if you have more time. (see image below for colors) I have received many benefits from this meditation and I find it to be fairly easy to practice.

3. Journal: Writing down your thoughts is one of the best ways to get the them out there so you can waive them goodbye. Perhaps you may find a solution to the problem causing the anxiety. If you can visualize it on paper it becomes much easier to navigate a way beyond the anxiety.

Find yourself a specific anxiety journal. Having a specific tool to use makes writing the thoughts down as they come much easier. Writing your thoughts as they come will get the stuck energy out of your head and on to the paper, releasing the stress from your body.

4. Get Outside! Step outside, breathe in the fresh air and appreciate the beauty surrounding you. When you are out in nature it gives you time to appreciate the extraordinary beauty of life. Find gratitude for the life you have been given. If you approach your day with a grateful heart, it can immediately change how your thoughts arise.

Pay attention to the flowers, trees, water, animals…appreciate the simple existence of them. You’ll find it calms your thoughts and heart by bringing peace into your being.

5. Call A Family Member Or Friend: Reaching out to someone you trust for guidance always helps put things into perspective. A close family member or friend can also help you identify the thinking causing you stress and offer solutions to the problem. Communicating is part of our nature and we as human beings live to be connected to each other.

If you are anything like me, you enjoy helping your family and friends. Connecting and resolving issues can make a relationship even stronger than it was before. Don’t feel like you need to isolate yourself and solve everything on your own. Let your support network step in and lighten the load you carry.

Shape your thoughts and your life any way you dream of; you are in charge of your thoughts. Take charge and rule your thoughts don’t let them rule you. Once you have mastered redirecting thought patterns you will see your life start to change.

Now, I’m not saying the change will be quick or easy, but if you are consistently observing what pops up in your mind and replacing anxiety ridden thoughts with proactive thinking, eventually the habit of redirecting will become second nature. Speaking from experience, I know these tools work. However, consistency is key. If you find yourself caught up in a whirlwind of anxious thinking remember these 5 tools and utilize them. Find which one works best for you, it may be one or a combination of all. The sky’s the limit!