"What if?" to "What is?"

I've been sharing this practice with a lot of people the last two weeks and wanted to make sure you had it too!

Here are some things I have heard:

What if people are mean to him on the bus?
What if I make a fool out of myself?
What if I walk into the room and know no one?
What if she gets cut from every sorority?
What if his roommate is horrible?
What if he starts drinking again?
What if no one likes me?
What if I hate this job as much as I hated the last one?
What if she divorces me over this?
What if I chose the wrong college?

As human beings in 2021 with 24/7 news, social media, pandemics, global crises, and financial uncertainty we spend a lot of time thinking about "what if" statements. We can't help ourselves. There are a lot of moving parts and a lot of things that can go wrong in our lives. Somehow, we feel safer if we have considered every scenario and worried proportionately about the potential devastation ahead.

We are really great at awfulizing.

So here is a quick tip...

When you notice you are spiraling deep into the dark what-if zone...you can pull yourself out by asking:

What is?

What is happening right here right now?
What is true?
What is right?
What is good?
What is in this moment?
What is likely to happen?
What is his track record?
What is she made of?
What is our connection?
What is real?

Asking yourself to shift out of "What if?" and remembering "What is?" can be a profound exercise in your life.

This tool helps your brain feel safer, reminds you of the truth, and brings you back to the present moment. Remember, our beautiful brains are always trying to keep us safe. It loves to imagine every scenario and even adds a disastrous twist to it. But, our job is to notice this is happening and manage our beautiful brains.

Coming back to what is true at this moment, right here, right now is a lifeline for quieting our worries.

Practice shifting from "What if..." to "What is..." this week and see what you notice.

Sending you extra love and peace,
Ginger

P.S. Glennon Doyle shares how she uses this practice in managing her anxiety in Episode 1 of her brilliant podcast called We Can Do Hard Things.