Is anxiety ruining your life? Is anxiety like a wrecking ball in your mind? Perhaps, like many of us, you live with overwhelm and worry, less sleep because of a chaotic mind, stress and turmoil.
You just want to be free of the constant anxiety. You just want to calm down. What would that be like?! What would it be like to have a peaceful mind?
You’d be more relaxed and focused; you’d think more clearly and rationally; you’d sleep better and have more energy.
You are clearly not the only woman experiencing overwhelm and longing to calm down.
I Was Tormented by Anxiety Too!
It was about 10 years ago that I was a wreck for weeks! I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t sleep. Relational and legal issues in my family had me bound up in knots. Scared? Yes! Disruptive thoughts? You bet! Xanax came to the rescue temporarily. I was a steaming hot mess!
After a while, things settled down and I made a personal decision: “I am not going to live like this anymore!” This decision changed my life. I found help and support. Life is much different now after learning about anxiety and practicing strategies to manage it. You might say I turned myself around. I did a 180!
Stop Anxiety in 3 Steps
Name the Fears Causing Anxiety
Reflect and identify what’s scaring you. Be honest. There is always fear hiding underneath anxiety. This may be hard, but do it anyway. Identify fears by responding to these questions.
- What worst case situations am I imagining?
- What is my inner critic telling me?
- What is really triggering my anxiety?
- What hard truth might I be ignoring?
Several months ago, a woman overcome with anxiety and anger about a situation in her family contacted me. She was having a very hard time calming down. Journaling about it wasn’t helping. She was distraught and scared.
We talked about her underlying fears. As the root of her anxiety became clear, she began to feel lighter and calmer. Actually, it was a relief to her to name what was really bothering her and prompting the crushing anxiety.
Switch Old Thoughts for New Thoughts
Be alert to thoughts that are negative. Notice how negative thoughts bring you down. Then intentionally replace them with thoughts that are positive and more uplifting. Shift thoughts from negative to positive over and over again. It takes practice. You’ll discover strategies to use when troublesome thoughts show up. Life will begin to calm down for you.
Recently, a woman contacted me because she was experiencing much anxiety about her husband’s frightening health diagnosis. Things seemed very grim. She was alarmed and panicky about the present and the future. Her mind was spinning out of control.
With support through conversations, she was able to focus on her negative, scary thoughts and feelings. Using tools and strategies to shift those thoughts toward a more optimistic place made a difference. It helped her face the immediate challenges and cope with worry.
Make a Plan to Stop Anxiety
Keep managing your thought life and create a plan to reduce anxiety daily. New habits of thinking emerge as you pay attention to your thoughts and stick to a plan. Rule out guilt producing and fear generating patterns of thinking. Outline a routine for quieting yourself. Anxiety will stop tormenting you.
I worked with another client who was distressed about an upcoming transition in her life. What was going to happen? Could she manage dealing with the various individuals involved? Where were the resources she would need? She had become agitated and unsettled about many things.
As we discussed her fears and worries, ideas emerged about how she could cope with current and potential anxieties as well as manage the transition piece by piece. Writing down the plan helped it become concrete and doable. This brought relief and calmness.
What’s Going on Inside You?
If this sounds like you, I sincerely hope you find someone to help you stop anxiety. It is possible!
Click here for a free video training about how to become anxiety free.
Let’s Have a Conversation:
How stressed out are you? Do you think you are anxious all the time? What are you doing to lower your anxiety?
