Stressed????
Do you ever feel anxious? If so, apparently you are not alone. Do you realize that over the past eight years, Google searches for terms related to anxiety have doubled? The searches have included all sorts of anxiety: driving, flying and travel in general; separation anxiety; performance anxiety; anxiety at work, at school and at home. It’s not just the different kinds of anxiety, it’s also time specific searches. “Anxiety in the morning” is popular. “Anxiety at night” is even more popular. The number one search is “anxiety attack symptoms.” Attack!!! Who is attacking you? Just thinking about all the anxiety in the world can make you feel anxious and afraid!!!
So, what is anxiety? The dictionary defines it as “painful or apprehensive uneasiness of mind usually over an impending or anticipated ill.” It’s also defined as “an abnormal and overwhelming sense of apprehension and fear often marked by physiological signs (as sweating, tension, and increased pulse), by doubt concerning the reality and nature of the threat, and by self-doubt about one’s capacity to cope with it.”
What if there were a solution? There is a solution! And it’s all in your head! Anxiety is created when you are thinking about what you don’t want. So, stop it! And start thinking about what you do want! If you are creating an “uneasiness of mind” over something that is not happening, realize that you are making it up. The anxiety is a result of your anticipation. You are in control of what you think about. When you experience the symptoms of a panic attack, your body is reacting to your thoughts. The symptoms are very real. You can feel as if you’re going to faint, break out in a cold sweat and bring on heart palpitations. You can literally think yourself into full-fledged fight/flight survival mode. You’re making yourself sick over an imaginary threat. Again, I tell you, stop it!!!
Anxiety is fed by doubt. It could be doubt about what may happen or doubt about your ability to deal with what may happen. Since you’re making up what may happen, perhaps you could consider making up something good about your ability to deal with what may happen. The opposite of doubt is confidence. Simple. It’s a choice you can make. What you tell yourself is very important. What you tell yourself determines what you are and are not able to do. So tell yourself that even if it’s difficult, you will be able to do it. Because when you tell yourself that you can and you will, you will find that you can and you will accomplish whatever it is you truly want to accomplish. Your anxiety can not attack you when you take control of your doubt. There is no reason to scare yourself!