Part 3: Twelve Practical Ways to Reduce Anxiety
Today we are wrapping up my 3 part series on Practical Ways to Reduce Anxiety. Check out Part One and Part Two.
As a reminder:
Anxiety, Stress, Overwhelm, whatever your name for, the constant need to "go go go" is driving you crazy, affecting not only your physical health but your personal life, work-life, and your overall happiness.
Common signs of this issue:
You are constantly checking your to-do list.
The feeling of unworthiness
Checking and double-checking everything
Always on the go, always something to do "busy, busy, busy."
Trouble relaxing even when you have set aside time to relax.
Frequent physical symptoms: racing heart, headaches, stomach aches, or insomnia (to name a few)
Here are the final #9-12
1. Deal with your Monger:
Your Monger is the voice in your head telling you how much you suck. This voice creates anxiety because she chatters unconsciously, tells you how terrible you are as a mother, wife, sister, daughter, or worker. And you become convinced that if you work harder and faster and better, you can shut her up. I am here to tell you that you will never shut her up by BEING better because she will always move the bar higher and higher. The only way to outwit your Monger is to face her with loving compassion. To bring her into your awareness, thank her for her concern and lovingly show her the door.
2. Play:
Those of us who deal with anxiety seldom take time to play because we are constantly doing. No time for play!!! Start making time for play. From laughing with your kids to playing a game, find something you love doing and embrace it. Get dirty, be ridiculous, laugh until your belly hurts, and experience pure joy. When you are engaged in play, there is no room for anxiety.
3. Allot Time for Worry:
Worry can be on a perpetual loop. It becomes so natural that you don't even realize you are worrying. When we allow time for worrying, it serves us in two ways:
1. It gives you permission to worry and feed that loop and then gives you permission to stop.
2. It allows you to experience worrying vs. not worrying. When you are stuck on perpetual worry, you don't even know what it feels like not to worry.
Each day, allot time to worry, set a timer, write down all your worries and fret as much as you want, and then when the timer goes off, stop worrying. Throughout the day, when you catch yourself worrying lovingly, remind yourself that worry time is over and move on (FYI, you might have to remind yourself MANY times throughout the day)
4. Stop Multi-Tasking:
Multi-tasking is an anxious person's, Achilles Heel. Multi-tasking feeds the desire to get a lot done, be productive, and go-go-go. Multi-tasking also naturally causes anxiety because you are completely cut off from your body when you are multi-tasking. Multi-tasking might make you feel like you are accomplishing a lot, but in reality, you are just amping yourself up and causing more anxiety. As much as you can, limit yourself to one task at a time.
In case you missed it: