We are all aware of the famous word ‘stress’. The thought of this word in today’s uncertain world triggers negativity and the mind gets ready to face a fight or flight situation. A lot has been said about stress and its impact on both mental and physical health. Stress/life balance is the gospel of the wellness industry. In this column I have shared various perspectives on stress and how to combat it. Look around you at a living example, the war and shortage of LPG which has created a chain stress reaction in India.
In today’s article the focus is on anxiety busting.
One of the main triggers of stress is anxiety. How we imagine and dread what’s coming. Sometimes we just imagine situations and float our brain with various possibilities. This is what the Mayo Clinic says about anxiety- “Anxiety is a natural human emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts, and physical changes like increased heart rate. While normal in stressful situations, anxiety becomes a disorder when fears are persistent, excessive, and interfere with daily activities. Key symptoms include restlessness, panic, and avoidance behaviours”.
The Anxiety Buster Mindset is an effective tool for anxiety management and control. But like all mindsets, this mindset requires you to change how you react to anxiety triggers and situations. As always here are some essential steps you need to take to cultivate this high-octane mindset-
Conscious reframing of how you think
How you think is how you behave. We are all hard wired to our own thought and value systems, based on our upbringing, genes as well as the culture we adopt. Reframing of how you think is to question the buzz in your mind that sometimes rings in your ears. Use logic to weed out negative thoughts that are not rational. Negative thoughts colour your balanced thinking, so be realistic in your approach. When you get worked up for no valid reason get to the bottom of it all and identify the trigger and deal with it rather than let it fester in your mind. Develop inner calming techniques.
Stop avoidance of anxiety when it surfaces
The best way to solve a problem is to accept it head on. Anxiety really is like an obstinate fly, however much you avoid it, it will keep coming back to pester you. So, thwack it down with your new mindset. Also consciously, let go of your controlling nature as it’s illogical to want to control everything. Accept what you cannot change. Instead adapt to it effectively. The big reality is that feelings are not facts. Emotions can blind you sometimes and you can only see in blurred vision, especially if you are angry or upset, your anxiety level reaches an all time high. It hits your balanced thinking abilities bad.
Embrace an anxiety buster lifestyle
We are so engrossed in reaching our destination that we do not even have time to enjoy the journey. Just practice the magic pause in your life at least 3-4 times every day. Like pausing a video, you are watching and looking around where you are sitting. Instead of counting your worries, be grateful for the good things that happened in your day. The amazing new flavour of that cuppa, your new outfit you are wearing, that kind word your boss said to you. You will be surprised at the many good things you find. But do keep vigil on anxious thoughts as they pop up!
Create an anti-anxiety vibe
Happiness is like a lighthouse, learn happiness and transform yourself into a happy human being. Be positive in your approach even when you get an anxious thought. Keep your brain in its optimum self, eat and sleep well. Do things that you like to do. Spoil yourself at times. Remain physically fit, exercise. One very important suggestion which really helps. Create a worry slot of 15 minutes every day. Worry all you can and deal with anxiety triggers so that rest of your day becomes a worry-free zone!
“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” — Anne Lamott
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