How to prepare for a storm while sitting on a sun lounger

Have you ever been nervous before something scary has even happened? The scenarios in your head are like a bad film: 'what if', 'if', 'heaven forbid'. So, psychologists have come up with a way to tame this storm in your head - the anticipatory stress technique.

You wake up and there's already a tune playing in your head. Or a thought. The same one. On and on. Like a scratched record. You try to distract yourself, it doesn't work. You eat, work, go for a walk, but inside - it's still going round and round: "what if...", "it should have been then...", "why did he say that...".

Sound familiar?

Such compulsive repetition of thoughts or songs in the head is called mental munching. And it's not treatable with will or logic. Because it's not just "you're thinking." It's your psyche turning on autopilot - and humming along as best it can.

But there's good news: there is a way to switch off this internal radio breakdance. It was suggested by psychiatrist Joseph Volpe - one of the fathers of behavioural therapy.

Who is Joseph Volpe?

He's the doctor who in the middle of the 20th century started saying, "Guys, you can treat anxiety not just by talking, but by doing." He coined the term "systematic desensitisation" - but don't be frightened, I'll explain it in a simpler way.

What's the method?

Volpe's method is a way of training the brain not to cling to intrusive thoughts. And the main principle of his method is displacement through incompatibility. So you can't be tense and relaxed at the same time. So if you relax, the thought goes away. Because it is not compatible with that state.

In simple words: if you are deeply relaxed, the disturbing thought will not take root. It's like a weed that won't grow on a smooth, relaxed lawn.

How does this work in practice?

1.         Sit or lie down comfortably. Close your eyes.

2.         Begin to scan your body. Feel your legs, arms, stomach, face relax.

3.         Breathe calmly.

4.         As soon as that intrusive melody or thought pops into your head - don't chase it away. Just say, "Hey, I see you" - and bring your attention back to your breath and body.

5.         Repeat a few times. Over time, your brain will "let go" of the thought on its own.

It sounds simple, but the effect is like turning off the noisy fan in your head.

Important:

It's not magic, it's a workout. But it works. And you really stop being a prisoner of the internal one-song radio.

Why is it good for us - people in a new country?

Moving, adjusting, loneliness, uncertainty - all of these things make thoughts louder. They run around in circles, giving you no breathing space. The Volpe Method helps you surface and remind yourself: you are not your thoughts. You are the one observing them.

And yes - sometimes the best way to think better is to stop thinking for even five minutes.

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