Anxiety

It’s that feeling that won’t go away.

You constantly worry about what others think about you and about the things that might go wrong.

The worst-case scenarios don’t stop.

You feel physically ill thinking about all the bad things that could happen.

You can’t stop “shoulding” on yourself:

I “shouldn’t” have done that…

I “shouldn’t” be feeling this way…

I “should” be happy…

The second-guessing and people-pleasing is grueling.

Maybe your neighbor keeps playing his music loudly at night, and it’s keeping you up. But if you say something, he might think you’re high-maintenance or a complainer – so you hold it in. You wonder if you’re just too sensitive.

Or perhaps you can’t stop thinking about that conversation you had with your colleague. She was rude, and it left a bad taste in your mouth. But you still find yourself worrying that she’ll be annoyed with you, even though you have every right to be annoyed with her.

Your mind hijacks you as it jumps from one worry to the next.

You don’t want to live like this, but it feels like there’s no escape.

Anxiety is actually your mind’s way of protecting you.

When you perceive a threat, your body goes on alert. It goes into “fight or flight” mode to prepare for a dangerous situation.

We all experience anxiety at times. And in small doses, it’s not a problem.

But when the feeling of “being on alert” is non-stop, it’s exhausting.

When you keep your worries inside…

…you make things harder for yourself.

They dominate your mind and cloud your thinking.

They consume you.

They hold you prisoner.

You CAN manage your anxiety and feel calm again.

By bringing awareness to your thoughts, you can identify and change negative beliefs about yourself and the world.

For example, you have to present at work, and the negative thoughts are spiraling. You think: “This is not going to go well. I’m going to screw it up. People are going to laugh at me. I’m such an idiot.”

We’ll start with mindfulness, cultivating awareness with a nonjudgmental attitude. You will learn to observe these thoughts and notice them without judgment. So you recognize that your thoughts about this presentation have gotten you all worked up. Rather than criticizing yourself further, you’ll simply acknowledge what’s happening.

Then we’ll focus on changing how you think – because when you change how you think, you change how you feel.

People often confuse thoughts and feelings with facts. But thinking about something does not make it true. And anxiety can make you feel like something bad will happen even when it probably won’t. Therefore, it is helpful to challenge your anxious thoughts.

First, we’ll look at whether you are catastrophizing or overestimating the likelihood of the thing you’re afraid of. For example, while you might feel like you’re going to mess up, we’ll examine if there is any evidence to support fear. You’ll acknowledge that you’re actually good at your job and know the material you need to present.

We’ll then focus on thinking positively and being kind to ourselves. For example, instead of saying, “I will mess up,” you can say something like, “I’ve got this. I’m going to do my best. And whatever happens, it will be ok.”

You will also learn how to get in touch with your body and relax and soothe yourself. You will learn to use conscious breathing so that as soon as you notice yourself feeling anxious, you can immediately take a few deep, slow breaths. This helps expel tension, so it doesn’t get stuck in your body.

Grounding techniques are also helpful in bringing yourself back into balance by getting you into the here and now. The more present you are in your body, the calmer you will feel.

To practice grounding, you direct your attention to some aspect of the physical world rather than on your internal thoughts and feelings. You focus on the present rather than the past or the future. For example, you could pay attention to your body – you could wiggle your toes in your shoes and notice the feeling of your seat and back on your chair.

Life doesn’t have to feel this hard.

All that energy you’ve been spending on worrying and beating yourself up can be channeled toward experiencing the richness of life.

Ever wonder how much more you’d be able to accomplish and experience without anxiety holding you back?

Let’s find out!

Get in touch for your free consultation, and let’s talk about how I can help: contact me today.