Key points

•   The way you look at things affects everything in your life for better or worse.
•     Re-framing your anxiety helps you overcome it.          
•     This two-word phrase can make all the difference between doing nothing, making an unhealthy choice, or making positive changes. 

I have found that my counseling clients value a two-word phrase that lowers anxiety. This phrase helps combat discouragement and turns potentially disastrous days into productive ones. It's good for your health and your self-esteem, and it can make you a more productive, better person.

This two-word anxiety-dissolving phrase is, "Even so," and it seems to resonate for many anxious people in a deep, impactful, positive way. 

This idea of re-framing how you think about things that make you anxious is based on a set of interventions called cognitive-behavioral therapy. This begins with the idea that having negative thoughts about a difficult situation is normal. No one can stay positive all the time. And you can’t force yourself to stop having unhelpful, upsetting thoughts.

If you let your reactive brain fuel those thoughts, they can spiral out of control. Visualize how a funhouse mirror, rather than reflecting you as you really are, warps and twists your image, making you appear distorted from your true self. Similarly, your reactive brain distorts your thoughts, and this can lead you to assume that a given situation is hopeless or that you’re headed for disaster. As a result, you may do things that don’t really help, which can ultimately become destructive patterns in your life or leave you anxious, unhappy, or angry.

Even so, you can train your thinking brain to have stronger, helpful thoughts—the essence of cognitive behavior therapy—that can counter your reacting brain’s upsetting and unhelpful thoughts. Your helpful thoughts about situations can lead you to better feelings and better outcomes.

Unleashing "Even So" to Diffuse Your Anxiety 

Let's put "Even so" to work and see how it can help you. Check out these sample soundbites for any that you can use to battle your self-doubting thoughts:

• "I'm tired and I've earned the right to goof off. Even so, I can get a few more things done and then relax."
• "It seems I can't meet anyone normal through online dating. Even so, I'm going to do my best to make sure I pursue those who seem like they are truly a good fit for me." 
• "It's very cold outside and I don't feel like walking today. Even so, it's very important, so I'm going to do it anyway."
• "I'm upset, and ice cream is my comfort food. Even so, I will find a better way to deal with my feelings."
• "I think I will bomb this interview. Even so, I am going to start preparing and give it my best."

Final Thoughts

If you try using this impactful two-word phrase in earnest, you'll see its power. "Even so" allows us to pause and realize that we have choices. There are always reasons (or excuses) to succumb to anxiety and to do what's unhealthy, unproductive, or morally questionable. Even so, we can still choose to do the right thing.

You may question whether the phrase, "Even so" will help you move past anxiety-related obstacles. Even so, if you give it a try, you will likely find that these two words pack a lot of punch to knock out your anxiety.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/liking-the-child-you-love/202112/say-these-two-words-overcome-your-anxiety