Tips for Overcoming Anxiety

Anxiety is part of the human condition. Try to find someone that never feels anxious. Some people are more resistant to anxiety than others, but everyone can strengthen their ability to manage anxious feelings. Developing a high level of anxiety is a skill. Lowering anxiety is a skill, too.

The key to managing anxiety is to begin minimizing it as soon as possible after it hits you. The more it builds, the more challenging it is to control.

Deal with anxiety quickly and easily:

1. Break your day into small chunks. Only worry about the small amount of time in front of you. If you’re sitting in a meeting at 9:00 AM, there’s no reason to worry about how you’re going to pay the electric bill or what you’re going to have for dinner. Take the day one minute at time and keep your attention on that minute.

2. Create a mantra and use it. Have a positive and uplifting phrase you repeat to yourself. You’ll eventually start to believe it and you’ll block any negative self-talk.

“I’m happy and capable of handling any situation.”

“My life is filled with joy and positive energy.”

3. Exercise. The quickest way to relieve anxiety is to exercise enough to sweat. A casual walk is better than nothing, but to get the greatest benefit, it’s necessary to get your heart beating hard.

4. Make use of distractions. Distractions never solve the underlying issue, but can provide relief. Watch a movie, play cards, or do a crossword. Spend time with a close friend. Give yourself a break and put your focus elsewhere.

5. Keep going. Anxiety occurs because some part of your brain is trying to stop you from taking action. It has learned that it can control you by making you feel miserable. You can minimize the anxiety you feel by plowing ahead. Your brain will learn that making you feel anxious doesn’t work.

6. Give yourself 20 minutes to worry each day. Schedule your worry time. You’ll find yourself less inclined to worry during the other 23-plus hours of the day.

7. Change your environment. Get out of your current environment and give yourself a change of scenery. Go to the park or spend some time at the coffee shop. Spend an hour window shopping. Shake things up a bit.

8. Spend time with your pet/ others pet . If you have a dog, you already know how comforting they can be. Sit on the floor and have a heart-to-heart with your favorite pet. How could you not feel better?

9. Write in a journal. Get your anxiety out of your head and down on paper. There’s something cathartic about writing when you’re stressed. Make a habit of writing about your life each day.

10. Find the right scent. The right scent can be soothing. Take a trip to the candle store and find something that makes you feel good when you smell it.

11. Find a hobby that requires concentration. It could be chess, playing the piano, or knitting. It doesn’t matter what the hobby is as long as you enjoy it and it commands your complete attention. It can be a great way to spend your down time.

12. Visualize. Visualize something positive. Daydream about Maui or remember a positive experience from the past. Imagine your perfect day.

Dealing with anxiety is important. Successful people are successful due to their ability to manage anxiety successfully. When you feel worry begin to build, deal with it immediately. A high level of anxiety is very challenging to manage. Develop a list of strategies that can be implemented quickly when anxiety first appears.

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Create an Amazing life that's Meaningful and Exciting !!!

It's unlikely that an amazing life just happens by chance. It's necessary to spend your time, energy, and focus in an intentional manner. Too many distractions, less important goals, and a shortage of resources can get in the way of living an amazing life. The lack of a clear objective is the greatest obstacle. These are challenges that can be solved with a little effort.

Create an amazing life that's meaningful and exciting to you:

1. Remove what isn't necessary. Too many responsibilities and distractions are obstacles to an amazing life. Get rid of anything that takes up time or space and doesn't provide a worthwhile return. It should be important to you if you choose to include it in your life.

2. Decide on your priorities. You might not be able to walk on Mars, climb K2, become a movie director. However, you can accomplish some pretty amazing things over the course of a lifetime. 

It's important to narrow your focus to a few priorities. What's the most important thing to accomplish or experience? Keep your list short.

3. Stock up on the necessities. Creating an amazing life requires courage. The more your risk, the more courage you require. But imagine if you had plenty of money, time, energy, and support. You'd need much less courage to chase after that amazing life. Fear will have much less influence over your life. Start building reserves in the key areas of your life.

4. Remove the distractions from your life. It might be the television, the casual friend you've been half-heartedly carrying around for 7 years, or the goals that only interest you moderately.

5. Deal with negative thoughts. Big goals and ideas stir up negative thoughts and emotions. Failing to deal with these can cause big challenges down the road. Be committed to expecting the best, finding solutions, and staying positive. Negativity takes the wind out of your sails and fuels procrastination.

6. Spend your time wisely. There are multiple ways to accomplish any task. Avoid taking the easy path. The easy way is often the long way. Life is short, so choose the shortest path to your amazing life. This is often the most uncomfortable path, but you can handle it.

7. Get started. The first step is often the hardest. You have everything you need to take a meaningful first step. Avoid waiting for some future event to occur. You can do it today, even if you have kids, a limited income, or limited knowledge. Just get started.

8. It's not that difficult. There's really much less competition in the world than you think. Look at how much time the average person wastes at work and at home. Most people fail to prioritize their time. Most people don't have goals. Most people have too many distractions.

* When you choose the direction of your life and eliminate distractions, the road is relatively easy.

Is your life less than amazing? It doesn't have to be. Setting priorities and removing distractions are the keys to creating an amazing life. Use your time wisely. There's still time to live the life you've always dreamed of, but it's important to get started today.

Steps to Beat Laziness

Everyone feels a little lazy at times. But being lazy on a regular basis can have a severe negative impact on your life. Laziness is a natural tendency. All creatures gravitate toward comfort, or at least what’s perceived to be comfortable. However, laziness is indulging in short-term comfort at the expense of long-term pain.

Do you know anyone with a great life that’s lazy? Over time, the law of cause and effect holds true. Laziness has a long-term price.

Beat laziness and accomplish more:

1. Find a way to get excited. Consider the benefits you’ll receive by getting it done. It might be the end result that excites you or the fact that you’re learning and growing. Maybe demonstrating self-control and discipline is something that you can get excited about. It’s much harder to accomplish something if you’re complaining about it.

2. Set a deadline. When you have plenty of time to complete something, or no deadline at all, it’s human nature to procrastinate. Setting a deadline in the near future can help to focus your attention and energy.

3. Create smaller tasks from the main task. Every large task can be done in steps. Even building a house has steps. First the site must be prepared. Then the foundation is created, and the framing begins. The remaining steps are followed until the house is completed. 

The overall project might be big and intimidating. However, the individual tasks might be easier to handle.

4. Focus on taking the first step. Once you get started, the momentum you’ve created can carry you far. Activity breeds further activity. Sitting on the couch tends to lead to more sitting. Instead of worrying about the mountain of work ahead of you, focus on getting one simple task completed.

5. Read or listen to something that motivates you. It can be something as simple as a book of inspiring quotes or a song that energizes you. You already know what inspires you. Use it to your advantage.

6. Consider the pain of not getting started. We’re good at imagining the pain of getting started, but try the opposite. What will happen if you continue to be lazy? What will it cost you in the future? What has it cost you so far? Instead of using pain as a reason to be lazy, use pain to create action.

7. Remind yourself that the last few years have flown by. Laziness is often a chronic condition. A lot of time has passed in the last 5 years, but how much have you accomplished? Five years goes by quickly, especially when one day seems to be a copy of every other day. Life is wasting away. Get up and do something!

8. Reward yourself for activity. Get one thing done and celebrate. You probably haven’t done enough to deserve a new car, but you have the right to get excited and be proud of yourself.

9. Be patient. It’s common to believe that action comes from motivation, but the opposite may be more true. Action leads to results. Results lead to motivation. Be mentally tough and get busy. You’ll have a reason to be motivated soon enough.

Avoid allowing laziness to keep you on the sideline. It will steal your time and limit your results!

Transform Your Inner Critic Into Your Own Personal Cheerleader

It’s easy to beat yourself up over your shortcomings and failures. Your inner critic is attempting to protect you, but like an overprotective parent, it’s causing more harm than good. Criticizing yourself only serves to make life more challenging. It also robs you of options and puts limits on your life.

Your inner critic provides information, but that doesn’t mean you have to listen.  It’s active from the moment you wake up until you fall asleep. It’s even active in your dreams! Your inner critic won’t be contained easily.

Change what your inner critic says to you and reach your full potential:

1. Drown it out. Fill you mind with positive talk and imagery. Avoid giving your inner critic any room to make its opinions known to you. Keep your self-talk positive and expect the best to happen.

2. Recognize the truth. Your inner critic is just a manifestation of your fear. Its sole purpose is to stop you from harming yourself. However, it’s like a scared child. You tell yourself that you’re an idiot or that you can’t do something in order to have an excuse not to expose yourself to failure.

3. Empty your mind. If you need to make a phone call or finish your taxes, keep your mind empty and get started. It’s your thoughts that stop you from getting things done. Keep your mind clear and get busy. Action is the best way to keep your critic at bay.

4. It’s all a matter of moving your hands or moving your mouth. Consider every action at your disposal. They’re all a matter of either doing something or saying something. That’s all there is to life. You’re either physically doing something or talking. 

5. What would you tell a friend? Would you judge a friend as harshly as you judge yourself? What would you say to them in a similar situation? What would you say to your child? There’s no reason not to treat yourself just as kindly. Be a friend to yourself.

6. Say something encouraging to yourself every 10 minutes. Set a timer on your phone or computer. Get in the habit of encouraging yourself each day. After 18 hours, you will have said 108 positive things to yourself. It won’t take long to create a new habit at that pace.

Criticizing yourself is a habit. Encouraging yourself is also a habit too.

7. Make a list of your high points. Think about your greatest successes. It’s easy to fixate on a few bad choices, but choose to focus on your highest achievements. Make a long list and review it regularly. You’ll enhance your mood and put your critic to bed.

The inner critic in your head limits your life and your opportunities. Remember that your inner critic is no different from a child afraid of the dark. It isn’t rational. You don’t have to listen.

Take control of your inner talk and lift yourself up. Speak to yourself the way you would a good friend or loved one. Turn your inner critic into your most positive supporter and you’ll live a life you enjoy.

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