The anxiety of a racing mind and worried heart is not wrong. Maybe it is something you believe is wrong?
Anxiety Situation
Imagine you have a big presentation, an event or a speech in a few hours.
Maybe there are many “what-if’s” that begin to enter your mind.
Your imagination starts to take over and your heart is beating faster, trembling of nerves tense your body. You can’t think normally with clear thoughts.
You feel like you have already lost the confidence to do your best.
Trying so desperately to win a self made validation that isn’t real.
The misleading prize is assurance that the outcome will be what you want.
What if the outcome does not happen or questions arise about the possibilities that might prevent it from happening,? Worry and concern creep into the moment.
It is something we have all experienced in our life.
Anxiety and worry is nothing to be ashamed of.
It is part of our survival makeup.
Anxiety is something that becomes a constant background noise that is learned to cope with. It is not comfortable or enjoyable. It becomes something that is hard to turn off.
How can you accept worry and concern when it disrupts clarity of how you would like to function in the moment?
There are ways to reduce the intensity, (possibly turn it off) to trust in who you are and what you are doing again.
First step is to stop, take a step back. Reassess the situation. Acknowledge the worry and question with curiosity the purpose of the worry and what can be done to alleviate the worry right now.
Breathe. Take deep, controlled breaths. Place your focus on the breath as you inhale and exhale. Pausing to hold between inhale and exhale.
Count to 10 slowly, and when you reach 10, say to yourself, “I am safe.” “I will be okay.”
Assure yourself you will get through this experience, and place gratitude that you are alive and get to have this experience.
Create a new meaning of failure. Whatever the outcome is, respect the things that make it successful regardless what the result is.
Releasing the shame surrounding anxiety is an available choice. The decision to let go of the idea, “I’m not good enough” because of experiencing anxiety or worry is powerful transformational acceptance.
Reframing the approach to a situation and acknowledging the present moment means you have already won the prize.