Have you ever felt like the world is caving in and you have no control over it? Like you have inner battles but you don’t feel like you can win?

Maybe you are just about to go in for a job interview, go on a blind date, make a presentation or even speak in public and suddenly your heart starts racing, your knees become weak, your voice shakes and you seem to lose control over all these things.

You’d rather the earth opens up and swallows you than experience these sudden outbursts of emotions that throw you off-balance.

It could also be that you are experiencing hardship or unexpected roadblocks and your mind goes into overdrive; overthinking, worrying and wondering if everything will be okay.

Sometimes you wish you were more poised or believed in yourself a little more because you can’t hold it together – like the ones with charisma and people skills. But I’m here to remind you that all of us experience anxiety from time to time. Nobody has it all stitched to perfection – at one point in our lives we must be faced with uneasiness because it’s part of the human experience.

What is anxiety and how does it look?

Anxiety can be defined as feelings of nervousness, tension, or restlessness. Anxiety differs from fear in that it is an anticipation of impending threat whereas fear is a reaction to real or supposed danger.

Anxiety can be a real burden to carry. It affects all aspects of one’s life – personally and professionally. It can sometimes haunt you like a bad dream that just won’t go away and it can be difficult to live peacefully.

It can also be burdensome to freely interact with others and communicate your thoughts and feelings. For example, a job seeker or public speaker who has anxiety can come off as unprepared resulting in constant failure.

The disadvantage most of us have is other people’s lack of understanding when we’re crippled by anxiety which can be embarrassing.

Anxiety can take different faces such as;

• You feel like everything is too much to handle at once. You are overwhelmed by your emotions and you don’t know how to process them.
• Physical symptoms like stomach aches, breathing rapidly, sweating, fatigue, insomnia, nausea, and trembling. Your body is just not in its normal state.
• Overthinking situations and their outcomes. You process every little detail of what might and might not happen. You mostly think of the worst possible scenarios which make you worry.
• Feeling like you can’t manage small tasks because you don’t have enough confidence or the energy to complete them. You feel like you’ve already failed before you even start.
• Negative self-talk and self-sabotage. It’s easy to label yourself with unkind words when dealing with anxiety because you may feel that you could be better than that but your mind convinces you that you’re not.

5 mindset shifts that can help you manage your anxiety

• Use affirmations and mantras.

  These are positive statements you repeat to yourself until they become a part of you. They also make you feel better over time as your subconscious starts to believe them. Examples; this too shall pass, I am courageous, I will get through this.

• Focus on the things you have control over.

  Understand that you won’t always be in control of the outcome but you can choose how to react to it. Keep an open mind to know that things could go either way; both good and unpleasant outcomes. Work on the things you can manage and leave the rest to chance. You can only do so much.

• Practice mindfulness.

  Live in the moment. Gather your thoughts to exist in the present. Take slow deep breaths. Be aware of your surrounding and your feelings and love yourself anyways through your anxiety.

• Go to your happy place.

  As you practice staying still in the moment, take your mind to where it feels most comfortable. Have a bank of situations and things that make you happy and that you can always retract to.

• Have a mental routine that keeps you grounded.

  Count backward from a high number, name the colors and things in your surroundings, and name what you can feel, see, smell, hear and touch.

How therapy can help you manage anxiety

More good news is that you can manage your anxiety with the help of therapy. We use the cognitive behavioral therapy approach which has been proven to be very effective in treating anxiety. It is based on the impression that how we think is interwoven with our emotions. Before you can feel, you’ve already thought about it therefore you can learn how to influence your thought patterns for healthier emotions and moods.

Your therapist guides you through a process of reframing your mind from thoughts that raise your anxiety to more positive and self-assuring ones. Our therapists are always one call away. Schedule your 15-minute consultation by calling us today.