“P.S. You’re not going to die. Here’s the white-hot truth: if you go bankrupt, you’ll still be okay. If you lose the gig, the lover, the house, you’ll still be okay. If you sing off-key, get beat by the competition, have your heart shattered, get fired…it’s not going to kill you. Ask anyone who’s been through it.” —Danielle LaPorte
Whether you’re new to the anxiety game, or well-acquainted, the key to calm is doing more with less. In a nutshell (no pun intended) this is less worries, fears, and sleepless nights and more problem-solving. Think of this article and subsequent relaxation Mp3 as the follow-up to The Art of Not Panicking.
The good news about anxiety and its evil cousin, panic attacks is you can defeat the obsessive worries, crippling social phobias and feelings of low self-esteem with a guided plan. See, what most people don’t realize is you created the unhealthy thoughts (which are usually not true) and you can uncreate them. Do you recognize yourself in any of the following thought distortions?
All-or-Nothing Thinking: “I will walk up to the podium and completely freeze. My PowerPoint presentation will be a joke and everyone will laugh at me.”
Mental Filter: “Why can’t I follow-through with anything? I must have ADD, Bipolar and OCD.”
Fortune Telling: “I will fail my literature final and get an F in the class.”
Magnification: “I don’t want to get my driver’s license, what if I kill someone on the freeway?”
Mind Reading: “Everyone at the dinner party will know I have nothing to contribute.”
Should Statements: “I shouldn’t worry so much. Other people don’t obsess like this.”
Emotional Reasoning: “My ex makes me feel like everything’s my fault—I must be crazy!”
Self-Blame: “Why do you always talk so much? Nobody cares what you have to say anyway.”
Now imagine what your life would be like if you could quiet your inner critic. What if you could fall asleep within minutes of going to bed and not wake up in a panic at 3:00 a.m? How much more mental energy would you have if you didn’t obsess over self-doubt and indecision?
Calm is an inside job. Like anything worthy in life, the more effort you exert, the greater (and more calm) the outcome. The following six-step sequence can help you manage anxiety, stress and worries so they don’t manage you.
Stopping the Anxiety Cycle: How to Calm Down (Mp3)
If you would like more support and guidance, check out “Holistic Healing for Anxiety,” a 28-day digital course to help you feel more calm, confident and in control.
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Thank you being here,
—Linda
