Within our minds is a complex cognitive system of core beliefs, underlying assumptions and interpersonal strategies. All of these components work together to make up what is known as our cognitive schemata.

We’ve all heard that age old saying that the first step in making change is recognizing you have a problem. Well, in that same vein, the first step in learning how to regulate your emotions is to recognize your emotions and understand how they are impacting you. This takes practice.

The most powerful way people maintain their anxiety is by avoiding whatever it is that makes them anxious. This avoidant behavior can present itself in many different ways:

If you have lived with severe anxiety at some point in your life, you can probably relate to the two pieces of information below:

• An anxious person spends an exorbitant amount of time thinking about the future

• The “future world” created by an anxious person is often filled with an ongoing series of catastrophes