Assumptions are conclusions we come to, that we automatically believe are true, but there isn’t necessarily any truth behind them. With Anxiety, if you believe your own assumptions, this can and does trigger any anxiety you feel.
To illustrate the effect of this to you, below are two sets of thinking patterns, all you have to do is ‘guess’ how thinking in this way or having the habit of thinking this way would have on a person.
Scenario
Maddie – our fictional character- has been told that she has to present her research findings to her team members in 2 weeks time. She thinks thoughts like these and assumes they are true
Assumptions Type A
“What if I can’t do it?” SHE ASSUMES she will fail, or that she simply cannot do the presentation
I’m going to die of a heart attack.” SHE ASSUMES If she does the presentation she will have at best a panic attack, at worst that panic attack will lead to a serious health issue
“People are going to laugh at me if I mess up during the presentation.” SHE ASSUMES That she will mess up during the presentation- that if she messes up people will notice- that if people notice that she’s messed up then they will judge her by laughing- that if people are laughing at her that she has humiliated herself
I’m going to go crazy if I can’t stop feeling so anxious.” SHE ASSUMES Because she has a presentation to do that this is the cause of her anxious reaction – that if she can’t stop feeling anxious that it will create a serious mental health issue
“Things are not going to work out.” SHE ASSUMES If she does the presentation something will go wrong
“I’m an idiot.” SHE ASSUMES Inherently she is stupid – that stupid people can’t give presentations etc
“What if something bad happens and I look a fool?” SHE ASSUMES That something bad will happen as a result of doing the presentation- that if something bad does happen it makes her look a fool
Assumptions Type B
“ Who can I ask to help me make this presentation brilliant?” SHE ASSUMES That she has enough about her to make the presentation good or even great but if she asked someone more skilled she could make the presentation brilliant – Asking for help makes her look good at what she does
“I’m not sure what I need to include, so I better get on and find out” SHE ASSUMES That she can’t know everything so ask someone who is adept at giving presentations- That it’s ok to ask for help- that asking for help ensures her success- That asking for help avoids failure
“I’m a little nervous about this presentation, but I will make sure I do my best” SHE ASSUMES That being nervous is normal- That doing one’s best is always the best thing you can do- That nerves cannot or should not put you off doing something
“Who’s the best at giving presentations? What can I learn from how they do it?” SHE ASSUMES That the quickest way to succeed is to find someone better and learn from them- That there is no shame in not being the best at something
“There is no point in thinking what could go wrong, I need to make sure I cover as much of my bases as I can, then if it does go wrong, I know I did my best” SHE ASSUMES Failure happens and she can live with it- That preparation is key to giving a good presentation but stuff always happens out of her control- How she thinks about the presentation has a huge bearing on her performance
If you ‘guessed’ that with assumptions in type A, she would feel anxious, self conscious and uneasy about the presentation, but with assumptions in type B, she would feel better placed to make it a good experience for herself and her co workers, then you would be on the right track.
Seen here in black and white, it’s easy to ‘guess’ how our assumptions can trip us up, but when you are not even aware of the specific type of thinking habit you have, or you only have a vague sense that it’s not positive because of how you feel in certain situations. I can analyse your feelings, find the thinking patterns that cause anxiety, and eliminate them for you.
Detecting your own assumptions is critical to Disarm Anxiety contact me here to see how I can help
