Six Simple Habits That Defeat Anxiety
Suggested resource for more on Anxiety and
Stress
If you feel anxious, you're
not alone. In
fact, one in eight
Americans experience overwhelming anxiety that
interferes
with their daily lives. There is hope for
anxiety sufferers.
Studies show that you can reduce the anxiety
you feel by
integrating healthy habits into your
lifestyle.
I would like to share simple habits that
can
go a long way in defeating anxiety.
Acknowledge your Anxiety.
When you hide your anxious feelings for months or
years,
you perpetuate your anxiety by assuming it's your
fault.
Anxiety is not your fault. There is nothing
inherently wrong
with who you are. You are a good, valuable, uniquely
special
person. You simply suffer from anxiety. You are not
alone,
and there is help available. Share how you're feeling
with a
trustworthy friend, partner, or relative. Go online and
talk
with others about what you're going through. Talk to
your
doctor.
When you acknowledge how you feel, you take an
important
step toward feeling better. You step into the driver's
seat and
take the wheel away from anxiety. You open the door
to
learning how to feel better.
Learn Strategies to Immediately Deal with
Intense Anxiety.
Educate yourself by
learning strategies to immediately deal
with
intense anxiety. The National Institute of Anxiety and
Stress has
made available free information that can help you
reduce
anxiety symptoms quickly, easily, and
effectively. Use
"Power" Language. Mind-body research shows
that the words you use
can have a
powerful effect on how you feel. Most anxiety sufferers
use
negative words that destroy their self-esteem and
promote a
sense of loss of control. I call these "victim
words." A few
victim words include: can't, always,
never, and should. Victim words perpetuate
your anxiety and fear.They
create a
negative self-fulfilling prophecy that results in
anxious thoughts
and physical symptoms. You can learn to defeat
anxiety by replacing
victim words with
power language. Power language means using words
that
promote your feelings of self-worth and personal
power.
When you use power language, the statement: "I
can't control my
anxiety" becomes "I can control my
anxiety, and I'm
learning
skills to conquer it." The statement: "Why do
I always feel so
anxious?" becomes "I often feel anxious, but
not all of the
time." The statement: "I shouldn't be late
for dinner" becomes
"I may be late for dinner. It's unfortunate, but
it's OK." Tone your Inner
Power Daily. Think of your inner
power as a muscle just like
any other muscle.
The more you use it, the more toned it becomes and the
more
you are able to accomplish. Every time you practice a
healthy life
strategy, you actually increase your ability to
conquer your
anxiety. What you couldn’t do yesterday, you can do
today. With
practice, your new skills will become automatic. This
is how you
create lasting freedom from anxiety. In the words of
Aristotle: "We are
what we repeatedly do.
Excellence, then, is not an act, but a
habit." When you are learning
skills to handle stress and reduce your
anxiety, baby steps work best. For example, if
your goal is to
integrate deep breathing into your life, start by
practicing for
one-minute intervals three or four times a day instead
of for an
hourall at once. Setting small,
achievable goals will help will take you
farther
than you can imagine over time. It will help you reach
your
final destination: a happier, low-anxiety
life. 6) Realize that Now
is the Perfect Time to Start
Feeling Better.
And finally, realize that your anxiety and
fear will not go away
until you stop waiting and start learning.There
are many
resourcesavailable to you to help you overcome
your anxiety
-- books,courses, chat rooms, and
more. Some of you have been
waiting for the
“perfect” time to
conquer your anxiety. You may be saying to
yourself…"I
can’t tackle my anxiety right now. I’ll wait until my
symptoms
aren’t sostrong to make changes in my life.” Or …“I’ll
start
making changes when my life is less hectic.” The list
goes on
and on.
© Copyright February
2, 2002, edited December
12, 2004 by
Deanne Repich and the National Institute
of Anxiety and Stress,
Inc.
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