There comes a moment in all of our lives when all we wish for is something, anything, to hold on to. A moment where we are in mass need of something to keep us sane, something to keep us going. A moment where it becomes a life or death situation and all we need is an anchor. Here come anchor thoughts… We all go through heavy times in our lives that make it extremely hard to ground ourselves in this world or what happens around us. It can be something as intense as anxiety and panic attacks or something as mundane as going through a bad day or being alone. In those moments, we need something to keep us grounded. The literal definition of an anchor is a heavy object attached to a cable or chain and used to moor a ship to the bottom of the sea. However, that’s not what I mean here; it is close but not close enough. Here, we’re talking about anchor thoughts. They consist of a memory, a person, a place, an object, literally anything that when you just think about it, it anchors you to reality. Interested? Well, let me tell you more. As much as anchor thoughts might seem negligible, they could be the reason for your survival in some hard times. Anchor thoughts are pre-established, planned-out thoughts that help you stop the anxious spiraling and so it grounds you. So comes the question: “how does it work?” Step 1: Identify situations, people, or environments that seem to trigger stress or anxiety such as an interview, a family member, or even a first date. Step 2: Know what kind of emotion comes forward for you when you have an experience with this person, environment, or scenario Step 3: Write out 1-3 anchor thoughts that directly speak to you emotionally. All you have to do is to keep those 3 anchor thoughts close by. Whether it is on your mobile notes or a paper in your wallet, the next time you find yourself spiraling out of control and in need of something that’ll help you get back up and on the right track, you’ll have them nearby. Over time, you’ll find yourself naturally going to your anchor thoughts instead of letting worry take over. But always remember that it’s completely fine for those anchor thoughts to change over time, especially because as the years go by, the things that bring you comfort naturally change. We all have moments or even days where we feel completely lost and alone. We all have those moments where we require something to keep us grounded and alive and the only thing that might help us achieve that is a simple memory or as you just read: an anchor thought.
Writer: Habiba Suleiman
Editor: Ahmed
