Stop Anxiety Dead In Its Tracks
Stop anxiety dead in its tracks. I have dedicated most of my life to learning how to master this. Oftentimes, anxiety can become so debilitating that we associate it with who you are, but I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t define you. Rather, it is a reaction to how we perceive something to be.
No matter how you spin it, anxiety blows. Put aside all the clinical jargon and the scientific reasons for why it exists, and many of us are left feeling MORE anxious. Everybody knows what anxiety is, but those who have it don’t want to admit it, for fear that they will be considered “weak” or “mentally ill.” There is a lot of stigma towards anxiety, but it’s actually a very common experience.
The worst part about anxiety is that, oftentimes, people don’t know what they are anxious about. I’ve suffered from anxiety my whole life – panic, worry, ruminative thoughts, catastrophizing. I found that the more attention that I gave it, the worse that it became.
I believe that one of the best ways to master anxiety is to have a deep understanding of who you are and what your anxiety triggers are, and then to commit to doing the hard work. Knowledge is power. Once armed with it, you realize how strong you really are. Anxiety doesn’t have to control your life anymore, and I am living proof that this is true. Are you ready to stop anxiety dead in its tracks?
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Let’s explore how to stop anxiety dead in its tracks with these 4 anxiety crushing strategies:
1. Develop Body Awareness
Oftentimes, many people believe the anxiety is all in their heads, but it usually manifests itself as physical symptoms – heart racing, shallow breathing, sweaty hands, headaches – which is why it’s important to tap into your body and develop body awareness.
When your thoughts start to spiral, turn your attention away from your mind and towards what is actually happening in your body. That is where the control lies. Don’t panic when physical sensations come up. Sit with your anxious symptoms, as uncomfortable as they may be, and become an observer of them.
If you can calm yourself down on a physical level, your mind will follow. This has been one of the best ways that I have been able to take control of my anxiety. Don’t ever discredit the power of the mind-body connection. It’s the real deal. As you begin to develop a deeper awareness of what is happening in your body, and are able to separate ‘the self’ from ‘the experience’, you will stop anxiety dead in its tracks.
2. Practice Deep Breathing Everyday
Don’t wait until you are experiencing a full blown anxiety attack to take action. For myself, anxiety used to show up as shallow breathing, over-breathing or just thinking about my breathing way too much! I learned that if I wanted to be the master of my anxiety, I needed to be proactive and engage in one of the simplest mindfulness exercises out there – deep breathing.
Deep breathing has been shown to increase the supply of oxygen to your brain, and stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes a state of calmness. There is no better way to hit the pause button, tap into your body, and shift your emotional state, from one of worry to calm. As soon as your mind starts to get the best of you, stop what you are doing and start breathing deeply.
3. Ditch Coffee
For those of you who can still get jacked off of herbal teas and hate the taste of coffee – lucky you. However, for many of us, coffee is the fuel that get us moving and feeling productive….so we think. By increasing the brain chemicals dopamine and acetylcholine, caffeine gives us the feelings we desire – increased motivation, productivity, and brain power. However, there is nothing worse for an anxious mind than coffee. Trust me.
Coffee affects the body, much like stress does, by increasing your heart rate and blood pressure. Ring a bell? Similar symptoms that come up for a lot of people when are experiencing anxiety. Research shows that caffeine consumption can more than double your blood levels of the stress hormones cortisol and epinephrine.
When I became armed with this knowledge, I knew that I no longer had a choice. I had to ditch the cappuccinos and get off the coffee wagon. Was it tough? Fuck yes, but the payoff was so worth it. Replace coffee with green tea and stop anxiety dead in its tracks.
Today, I feel more calm, relaxed, and in control of my thoughts. Does my anxiety still come up now and then, even without coffee? Sure, but it’s few and far between, because I no longer rely on a stimulant to get me through the day. I am clear and more hyper-focused than I’ve ever been.
4. Meditate, Don’t Medicate
I am a big believer that medication isn’t the answer to anxiety. Despite what the medical system may say, anxiety can be dealt with and mastered, non-medically. Nobody knows for sure where anxiety actually comes from, but it has thought to be caused by an imbalance in brain chemicals, due to prolonged stress.
In walks meditation – this simple, yet powerful practice has been found to break anxious thought patterns and balance the neurotransmitters in the brain. A daily meditation practice trains your brain to stay in the present. It not only can reduce your anxiety symptoms, it also can stop it in its tracks, for good.
Don’t rely on a pill; it’s merely a bandaid solution. It’s only when we get to the core of the problem, peel back the layers, and deconstruct our anxiety, that we find freedom from it. Anxiety is not who you are. Rather, it’s how you respond to it that determines who you are.
These are just some of the ways that you can rid yourself of the shitty “A” word and take back control of your life. The only perfect time to master your anxiety is right now…in this moment. It’s not about achieving a ‘symptom-free status’. Rather, it’s about taking the first step, and making small improvements everyday.
Stop anxiety dead in its tracks.
You are so much more than your anxiety. You are strong for getting out of bed when you feel like the world is suffocating you. You are brave for doing the very things that make your heart race and your body shake. You are a resilient woman and have what it takes to stop anxiety dead in its tracks.
In the words of Karen Salmansohn, “Anxiety happens when you think that you have to figure everything out all at once. Breathe. You’re strong. You got this. Take it day by day.” If I can overcome the darkest days of anxiety, so can you.
Are you ready to learn how you can get back up when life knocks you on your ass? CLICK HERE for instant access to my free resilience mastery eBook!
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