HOW TO STOP FEARING THE WORST

Psychologists call it ‘catastrophising’ – it’s when our minds can’t stop thinking about the scariest outcomes. Here’s how to prevent it

Finding yourself spiralling into a deeply anxious state where you become convinced the world is on the verge of collapse?

This is called “catastrophising” or “magnifying”, because it happens when we magnify fears out of proportion, dreaming up nightmare scenarios.

When it hits, gain perspective.

Remember that until you started having that thought, life had been carrying on around you. It was only when you hooked on to that unhelpful cycle that you started to believe your world was imploding. Take a breath and remind yourself that you have been through bad times before and found ways forward. Also, no matter how daunting your fears, there are always a number of solutions you can try. For example, during lockdown, Instead of worrying about all the uncertainty, distract yourself by taking an online course or learning a skill. Then, when your thoughts start to cycle, you can remind yourself what you’re achieving. If you become overwhelmed about your child’s education, switch on BBC Bitesize and let the experts take the strain. If you find yourself imagining your family will become ill, remind yourself that you’re staying at home to limit risk, and that every scientist in the world is working on treatments. Looking back at previous incidents of catastrophic thinking can help too, as your fears rarely, if ever, come to fruition. Be kind to yourself. The world is a strange place right now, so it isn’t surprising we’re all a little off-centre.