Turn Your Light On Anxiety
What happens when you shine your Light – on anything? Well, it’s not so dark – and scary… and you reflexively feel yourself calmer and clearer, ready to act, optimistically.
Psychology Today defines anxiety as “a state of defense, presided over by nerve circuits of fear, and activated by misperception or overestimation of threat from the environment, from the inner world of the body, or from the inner world of thought.”
Experiencing Anxiety
Last week’s BLOG talked a bit about mu personal bout with anxiety, when our daughter was sick with what we discovered later was Chronic Fatigue-Immune Deficiency. It was a long road of doubt and stress and anxiety. Yet, now we see that our anxiety actually assisted us.
It took a lot of effort and imagination. Though it seems antithetical, our anxiety helped keep us focused.
And guess what? It didn’t last forever. Step by step, we supported our daughter; and she took control of her own plan. She persevered. Today she is a healthy, happy, married mom of two healthy happy boys.
What did we learn? What did we do that can help you?
Pay Attention
Look at yourself. Listen to yourself. When you first realize that you are feeling constantly anxious, you may try to stay calm… but you subconsciously – or overtly – feed your anxiety by thinking or talking about it way too much.
Instead, sit back and look at your life. Ask yourself, what is really bothering me? These days you may come up with quite a list. But you’ll notice that everything on the list is merely some annoyance or frustration – until you hit upon that one… that one anxious thought that flips your stomach upside down. That’s it. That’s the one. You need to take care of that.
Take Action
You can work through that anxiety, instead of just trying to make it go away or avoiding it. Identify your main anxiety and turn the anxiety into hope, help, relief and freedom. This happens in your brain. Pivot from your debilitating negative thoughts. Stop speaking about your anxiety. Start pivoting to powerful optimistic thoughts.
Your thoughts are so very powerful. Direct them to the positive benefits of anxiety, such as perseverance, faith and hope
For example, the very idea that anxiety can be valuable and beneficial puts it into a new perspective. Hence, think of your anxiety with new, positive thoughts that help you define what you cherish in life, what gives your life meaning, and gives you a purpose in life.
Talk to yourself
Oh! This is something that really means a lot to me. I am looking at what lies ahead of me. What do I want? How do I want to see and feel myself from this moment forward?
Oh, it’s my dream! My vision of how I want this to be!
How can I motivate myself? How do I want to go after my dream?
Next week’s BLOG will take a look at more steps you can take to positively deal with anxiety. You know… with your…
Light On!
