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8 Ways To Stop Hyper-Fixating On Your Anxious Thoughts & Widen Your Attention

Author:

Kirren Schnack, PsychD

March 09, 2024

Psychologist

By Kirren Schnack, PsychD

Psychologist

Kirren Schnack, PsychD is a clinical psychologist with more than twenty years of experience. She holds a Practitioner Doctorate (PsychD) in Clinical Psychology from the University of Oxford. Dr. Kirren, as she's known online, posts accessible, quick advice and information about mental health and her practice to her 487k+ followers on TikTok daily.

Image by SKY-BLUE CREATIVE / Stocksy

March 09, 2024

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You can train your brain to improve your attentional control, which in turn can lead to a reduction in anxiety. The aim of the following eight practices is to reduce hyper-vigilance, reduce how self-focused you are, increase how easily and diversely you can switch your attention onto other things apart from anxiety, and build your ability to stay focused on the task at hand.

Having eight skills to practice may seem overwhelming at first, but don’t worry, you don’t have to do all of them. Experiment with the different exercises and find the ones that work best for you. Whichever ones you choose, it’s important to practice them regularly. If the way you focus your attention is a big problem, then you’ll need to practice more, perhaps several times a day to begin with.

Try not to be harsh on yourself if it feels difficult to begin with—it’s normal for your mind to want to go back to anxiety because that’s what it’s used to. Every time your mind places its attention on anxiety, see it as another opportunity to practice improving your attention muscle.

Switch from worst to best

This skill is about moving your attention from what feels like the worst thing right now, to what the best thing is right now. This is about the present moment.

What is the absolute worst thing your mind is focusing on in the present moment? For example—a pounding heart.

In this very moment where you are right now, whatever it is that you’re doing, what is the best thing about being here? For example –I’m sitting safe and comfortable in my home, having a warm tasty drink.

Here, you’re shifting your attention from an anxious heated state to something that represents a calmer, cooler state. You’re moving from a negative bias towards a positive bias.

Redirect your attention

Situational refocusing is a cognitive behavioral technique used to refocus attention away from anxiety. The goal of situational refocusing is to deliberately shift your attention onto something else in your current situation. This could be a task, an object, your surroundings, things that are available to you in your environment, or an activity. Use this method to redirect your attention away from anxiety and its symptoms. By doing so, you can intentionally interrupt the cycle of over-focusing.

Whenever you become aware that your attention is excessively focused on anxiety, you can consciously acknowledge this by saying:

"I am over-focusing on..." and then say out loud:

"I’m going to refocus my attention on..."

Then shift your focus to the task or activity you’ve chosen.

Try to do this every time you notice that your focus is getting caught up in anxiety. Initially, you may need to repeat this process frequently, but with consistent practice, the frequency will decrease. Even if it feels challenging at first, don’t be discouraged; the effort required will lessen over time, so keep going.

Use sounds to improve the scope of attention

For this skill you will need to set a timer, and then focus on simply listening to sounds as closely as you can for one to two minutes to start with, increasing this over time to five minutes. Repeat this exercise several times a day.

Close your eyes and notice what sounds you can hear in the space you’re in. Count and list the different sounds mentally. You may be able to hear the sound of people talking, the hum of a machine, the wind or rain, maybe there’s a clock ticking or a tap dripping: you get the idea.

Use textures to improve the scope of attention

Exercise 1

Move around the space you’re in and touch as many different textures as you can find. Say them out loud, describing each one, like this, for example:

"This is wood, it feels smooth, hard and cold"
"This is a blanket, it’s soft and slightly scratchy"
"This is a nail file, it feels gritty, with some smooth patches"

Exercise 2

Fill up two bowls of water, one as warm as you can handle, and the other one as cold as you can handle. Place your hands in the cold-water bowl, close your eyes, and focus on the water’s temperature, how it feels on your skin when you gently move your fingers. Use a timer, then after a minute, move your hands to the warm-water bowl, notice how different it feels. Again, after a minute move your hands back to the cold-water bowl. Notice how it feels when you switch between the two bowls. You can do this exercise for as long as is helpful to you; try to aim for five minutes so you can really get into it.

Use your body to improve the scope of attention

For this exercise, you will focus on the sensations you feel on your bare skin. Again, use a timer and aim for three to five minutes. To begin with, take off some of your clothing, like your socks, or wear a short-sleeved T-shirt, a vest top or shorts, so some of your skin is exposed. Then lie down on a cold surface like your kitchen or bathroom floor, or even outside if that works for you. Take a small pillow or cushion to place under your head and neck if that would make you more comfortable.

Then focus your attention on the sensations you feel on your bare skin from the surface they are in contact with. If you do this exercise outdoors, you can try it in different weather conditions too. Not only will you be able to notice the sensations on your skin, but also sounds, and the feeling of warmth from the sun, the wind, the cold, or even rain. Standing barefoot on a clean surface also works well.

However you go about practicing this skill, the aim is to deeply connect with the sensory experiences on your skin and body.

Use your vision to improve the scope of attention

Utilize your vision in redirecting your attention in any of the following ways:

Color:

Pick a color, for instance blue. Then look for different blue objects you can see in the space that you’re in. How many are there? Move around the entire space you’re in and say them out loud. Again, try to focus your attention on this exercise for at least a few minutes, switching to different colors if you need to.

Objects:

In this exercise, you will identify and name objects based on specific categories. Begin by exploring your surroundings and moving throughout the entire space you are in. For instance, you can focus on naming all the objects made from wood and vocalize them aloud. You can utilize other categories as well, such as electronic objects, glass objects, plastic items, fabrics and more.

Notice breathing sensations

Expand your focus of attention by immersing yourself in the soothing sensory sensations of your breath. Find a comfortable spot to sit or lie down and turn your attention to your breathing. Feel the cool air gently flowing in through your nostrils, tickling the tiny hairs inside as it passes through. Follow the trail of your breath as it cascades down your throat and notice the subtle sensations along the way. As the air fills your lungs, observe the gentle expansion of your stomach and chest, noticing changes in the feeling of your clothing against your skin. Then, slowly release your breath through your mouth and feel the warmth of the air as it exits your body.

Notice the sensations created by the trickle of air as it passes through your lips. Feel your body and mind becoming more calm and centered.

Use smells to improve the scope of attention

Throughout your day, purposefully take notice of any smells that come your way and strive to engage with them as deeply as you can. If you encounter an unpleasant odor, there is no need to linger. You can either mentally remember the scents you’ve experienced or, if you prefer, keep a written note of them. This practice helps broaden your attention by expanding your sensory awareness for scent.

Adapted from an excerpt of Ten Times Calmer: Beat Anxiety and Change Your Life by Kirren Schnack, PsychD, with permission from the publisher.