Anxiety or gratitude, we have some say in it

​I want you to do an experiment today.

On a piece of paper, write down three things you are grateful for. Then, stick the piece of paper in your pocket, and at any point today when you feel yourself begin to feel anxious, pull that piece of paper out.

Read it and remind yourself of those things for which you felt gratitude in the morning, and feel gratitude for them once again.

Why?

Because our brains train us to be on the lookout for danger. For problems. This isn't hard to believe because as this day starts, most of us are more inclined to imagine all that could go wrong today than we are all that will go right.

This starts out as a good thing. Our brain is responsible for identifying threats to our life to keep us safe. But if we aren't careful, if we don't assume some control over our brain, it will begin to anticipate ALL of life is a threat.

When we begin to anticipate all of life as dangerous, we will begin to feel forever anxious. Which at some point isn't healthy for us.

Here's the thing, the reason for the experiment, the same part of our brain that processes anxiety also processes gratitude. And, although our brain is good and powerful and efficient, it cannot process anxiety and gratitude at the same time.

In other words, our brains can't worry about all that will go wrong at the same time it is remembering things that have gone right.

My brain can't worry about all that will go wrong when I'm reading a piece of paper that says:

I am thankful for my boys.
I am thankful for the work I am able to do.
I am thankful for the wisdom that's come from my difficulties in life.

Sometimes not practicing gratitude is not because we aren't grateful people. Sometimes it's because our brains have overwhelmed us with a false sense of danger on the horizon.

But we don't have to be overwhelmed.

Write three things to be grateful for on a piece of paper. And when you begin to feel that overwhelming, pull the paper out, read those three things, and remind your brain that you refuse to be overwhelmed.

The brain can train us to be anxious, or we can train the brain to be grateful. We do have a say in the matter.