Wouldn't it be awful? Use tarot to break free from anxiety
What do you fear most right now?
How does it make you feel?
Cognitive psychology (specifically that of Albert Ellis), identifies thought patterns that are irrational and should be countered with rational thought. One of these irrational thought patterns is called “awfulizing,” the tendency to focus on or exaggerate negative aspects of a situation.
How many of these are familiar? What if ...
- … I make a fool of myself?
- … my money runs out and I have to give up my home?
- … the interview sucks and I don’t get the job?
- … I don’t pass the exam?
- … my friends don’t like what I’m making them for brunch?
- … my boyfriend breaks up with me?
- … I get nervous and my voice shakes during the presentation?
- … [add your own negative thought].
The response to any of these could be, “And that would be awful!”
How does it make you feel? Panicky, despairing, angry at someone else? A pattern of thinking about awful outcomes could make you anxious, depressed, or blame someone you care about. You will be unhappy, and so will the people around you.
And you know what? We all think like this sometimes, when we worry about something happening. How you word the feeling to yourself will differ, but in essence, we think, “Wouldn’t it be awful if …?”
So what can you do when these thoughts come up? You will feel better and more in control when you:
- take a deep breath to calm yourself and see what is really there,
- acknowledge that you are being irrational and focusing only on negative outcomes,
- put things into perspective by acknowledging that bad things might happen, but something less awful could also happen (If I fail, I could do the supplementary exams),
- consider the possibility that nothing bad will happen (What if I don’t make a fool of myself?), or
- find proof that these terrible things may not occur (My friends usually compliment my cooking).
To help you combat awfulizing, I created this spread:
- Why should this thing happen?
- What else could happen instead?
- What would make me feel better?
- Why should I consider something positive happening instead?
- What can I do if the worst does happen?
- What strength can I rely on?
- What can I do to feel more in control of events?
- What comes next?
And there you have it! Let me know if this spread helps you feel happier and more in control.
If you like this post, please share it or follow me on Facebook or Twitter (X).
Follow me on
Facebook
X (Twitter)
Comments