Prevention - Getting Proactive

“Prevent Chaos - It hurts less.”

News from Brainland - a snippet of the first chapter from my upcoming book "Chaos in Brainland" - (the way the world is going, we do have a lot of Chaos in Brainland - Mind).

The verdict is out; no one wants Chaos in Brainland. When we get caught in the throes of anxiety, the calm, clear, rational brain is swamped by the symptoms of anxiety, such as an increased heartbeat, rapid breathing, cold sweat, feeling dizzy, and a blank mind that can’t think about anything but the present worry. Under these conditions, it is impossible to create Harmony in Brainland. 

So, how does one return to harmony, the elusive positive mindset we all deserve? 

           If only there was a miracle cure, a pill to take or a button to press, to restore harmony forever. But no such luck; even William Shakespeare wrote something similar, "Nothing will come of nothing”, which I interpreted as “Nothing comes from doing nothing.” To stop getting brain chaos, stress, worries and anxiety, we have to do something, and because "prevention is better than cure," we’ll begin with that.

Let's concentrate on thought processes, awareness and attitudes which are loosely comprised under the topic of "Mind Management”, the cognitive functioning of thinking, reasoning and forming attitudes. 

As an aid for a happy Brainland, I will suggest "Mini-Mind-Workouts" and "Warm-Ups" after most chapters to ensure you will be ready when your mind needs you.

Replacement Concept 

           Replacement therapy is a concept that I have formulated because one cannot think about something one thinks about. This may sound like a riddle, but it's one of the curious things the mind does. The only way to not think about a thought is by replacing it with another thought because by not thinking about a thought, you think about it. Try it – do not think about "Brain Chaos”.

There are two behaviours that shouldn't hijack your life: one is anxiety, and the other is what you do to avoid anxiety. 

Anxiety is a set of mental anguish symptoms we want to replace with something much better; no one wants to be controlled by anxiety. But the exhausting act of trying to avoid anxiety is also a factor that can negatively impact your life. Have you stopped anything you want to do out of fear of getting into a stressful situation or anxiety? The fear of getting anxious can be worse than the anxiety itself. That type of chaos needs replacing, and replacing takes effort and time.

Most of the techniques I write about are replacement techniques, meaning they replace something unwanted with something wanted. Time is also of the essence. Rather than spending time worrying, spend time with something creative, constructive, valuable and supportive. Curiously enough, it is always easier to worry than to think constructively. It takes no effort to worry; it comes automatically. However, it takes some serious "mental aerobics" to adjust our thinking in positive, productive ways.

The book, “Chaos in Brainland” - A Guide for Creating a Stress and Anxiety Free Zone - will be available on Amazon from the 1. of November 2023.

Cheers from Brainland … Dieter Luske - www.dieterluske.com and www.useNature.com - the Nature of Writing