Some fab advice from our friends at the Positivity Blog …..
If you’re anything like me then you’ve been there many times.
You’re sitting in a waiting room. Or just waiting somewhere.
Soon it will begin.
Your leg is starting to shake nervously.
Your hands are starting to sweat and maybe your mouth feels a bit dry.
Your thoughts are becoming jumbled, it is hard to focus and to think as clearly as you usually do.
Maybe you have an important test in school. A job interview.
An appointment with your doctor or dentist. A date that you are looking forward to but at the same time you are scared to make a fool of yourself on.
Whatever it may be it is making you anxious.
So let me share 3 of my favorite steps for reducing that.
- Breathe.
Sit down, in a quiet place if possible.
Breathe a little deeper than usual and do it with your belly and not with your chest.
For just a minute or two focus only on the air going in and out of your nostrils. Nothing else.
This will calm your mind and body down. And it will bring your attention back to the present moment instead of it being lost in scary, future scenarios or bad memories from the past.
- Question your worries and anxiety.
Look to your own past and ask yourself:
How many situations that I have been anxious about in the past have turned out to be exaggerations or me making a mountain out of a molehill?
Question your anxiety and worries instead of letting them roam free.
- Change your focus to what you can do right now.
When you ask yourself questions that make you feel powerless or like things will only get worse and worse then you take away your personal power.
Empower yourself by instead asking yourself:
What is one small thing I can do to improve upon this situation today?
Write down that question and brainstorm answers for a few minutes. Then take action on one of the answers you find.
It doesn’t have to be a big action, just one small step forward. And when you are done with it then take another small step.
This movement forward will make you feel like you are starting to regain control over your life again, it will make you feel at least a bit more confident and it, in my experience, tends to reduce the anxiety.
P.S: If you want more practical help – but not a magic pill – to overcome destructive thought habits and stay strong through the tough times in sign up to the free newsletter:
So good to see some answers to anxiety issues. I find this so difficult to master, only seeing potential disasters ahead.
The “shakes” are a menace!
Thank you,