Saturday, May 5, 2012
In this modern age, we seem to always struggle with stress and anxiety, but this does not have to be the case. A lot of medical practitioners and people in the media discount stress and anxiety because it's so common. Yet, we all know the ill and direct effects of worrying and anxiety on our health. I'm not a medical doctor, but I've read enough materials on the subject that clearly demonstrate how a stressful life can be worse for your heart than a high cholesterol diet. Therefore, if we want to live a healthier and longer life, we all need to stop worrying. When we worry, it's harder for us to focus on solving the problems that are worrying us, since we are already stressed out in the first place. This guide will go over five strategies you can use to calm yourself enough to go back to your problems and find solutions with a focused mind.
Unplug From The Media
Gasp! What will I do if I don't know about the horrors of the world? The burning, killing, the pillaging and natural disasters. How will I go on without knowing about these things constantly? The answer to that question is: "Quite well." Most things on the news are designed to get a reaction from the viewer. The easiest reactions to induce are panic, terror and stress. It's no accident that all news is bad news. Tune out for a bit, even for a week, just try it. If you feel completely in the dark and missing something in your life after the first week you can always go back to it. But trust me, you'll sleep better without it.
The Art Of Nothing
Some people busy themselves to ignore their problems in an unhealthy way. Or they busy themselves to have a false sense of urgency or importance. Sometimes, it is just best to stop and study the art of being in the moment, even when you are doing nothing at all; especially when you are doing nothing at all. In our busy world, just stopping and being by yourself in quiet and stillness is a rare thing. Sometimes we forget to just "be." If you stop and just be even for an hour, this will center you enough to take care of any problems that are worrying you in the first place.
Stay High-Energy
On the flipside, sometimes stress comes from too much time by yourself. Sometimes it's nice to go out and randomly do something nice for somebody. Or just do something for the sake of anything if you find that you're getting too much idle time. Things I like to do are jogging for about twenty minutes or have some sort of workout. Going out to the coffee shop and reading a book there instead of staying at home. If you feel yourself slowing down and listening to your thoughts too much, definitely going out with people even if they are strangers at a coffee shop or doing something or anything can help.
Creativity And Inspiration
Our modern culture takes in a lot of art, and loves a lot of music. Right now, while you're reading this you're probably listening to music. Or you might have your TV on in the background. Creative media is everywhere. When is the last time you've given back to creativity? Even if you think you are terrible, write music, sing a song, draw, paint, create something of your own even if you think it's pretty crappy. It will still feel very satisfying. I guarantee that after just trying to draw a coffee cup with a pen and paper, this will get you focused and centered enough to handle whatever was bothering you before hand.
Good Company
Sometimes the simple listening ear of a friend is all you need in managing worries and calm you down about a problem that you are facing. You don't necessarily have to talk about your problem, but just talking with another person usually helps. I find with myself if I talk to someone I enjoy spending time with is calming while at the same time, puts me in a relaxed state that my subconscious is already working on the problem that has me bothered in the first place. By the time I'm done with the nice conversation I was enjoying with my friend and my refreshing iced tea, I have a solution to my worry. The next step of course is taking that solution and utilizing the calm centered mind inspired by a nice conversation. Many seemingly large problems seemed to shrink when said out loud to a friend.
It's an unfortunate conundrum that worry is the real cause of worry. To stop worrying in the future is to stop worrying now. Being able to calm yourself and devise a plan with the clear focus mind, is the best way to get rid of anxiety and the causes of it. Follow these ideas and you will be much closer to eliminating stress anxiety and worry from your life permanently.
Unplug From The Media
Gasp! What will I do if I don't know about the horrors of the world? The burning, killing, the pillaging and natural disasters. How will I go on without knowing about these things constantly? The answer to that question is: "Quite well." Most things on the news are designed to get a reaction from the viewer. The easiest reactions to induce are panic, terror and stress. It's no accident that all news is bad news. Tune out for a bit, even for a week, just try it. If you feel completely in the dark and missing something in your life after the first week you can always go back to it. But trust me, you'll sleep better without it.
The Art Of Nothing
Some people busy themselves to ignore their problems in an unhealthy way. Or they busy themselves to have a false sense of urgency or importance. Sometimes, it is just best to stop and study the art of being in the moment, even when you are doing nothing at all; especially when you are doing nothing at all. In our busy world, just stopping and being by yourself in quiet and stillness is a rare thing. Sometimes we forget to just "be." If you stop and just be even for an hour, this will center you enough to take care of any problems that are worrying you in the first place.
Stay High-Energy
On the flipside, sometimes stress comes from too much time by yourself. Sometimes it's nice to go out and randomly do something nice for somebody. Or just do something for the sake of anything if you find that you're getting too much idle time. Things I like to do are jogging for about twenty minutes or have some sort of workout. Going out to the coffee shop and reading a book there instead of staying at home. If you feel yourself slowing down and listening to your thoughts too much, definitely going out with people even if they are strangers at a coffee shop or doing something or anything can help.
Creativity And Inspiration
Our modern culture takes in a lot of art, and loves a lot of music. Right now, while you're reading this you're probably listening to music. Or you might have your TV on in the background. Creative media is everywhere. When is the last time you've given back to creativity? Even if you think you are terrible, write music, sing a song, draw, paint, create something of your own even if you think it's pretty crappy. It will still feel very satisfying. I guarantee that after just trying to draw a coffee cup with a pen and paper, this will get you focused and centered enough to handle whatever was bothering you before hand.
Good Company
Sometimes the simple listening ear of a friend is all you need in managing worries and calm you down about a problem that you are facing. You don't necessarily have to talk about your problem, but just talking with another person usually helps. I find with myself if I talk to someone I enjoy spending time with is calming while at the same time, puts me in a relaxed state that my subconscious is already working on the problem that has me bothered in the first place. By the time I'm done with the nice conversation I was enjoying with my friend and my refreshing iced tea, I have a solution to my worry. The next step of course is taking that solution and utilizing the calm centered mind inspired by a nice conversation. Many seemingly large problems seemed to shrink when said out loud to a friend.
It's an unfortunate conundrum that worry is the real cause of worry. To stop worrying in the future is to stop worrying now. Being able to calm yourself and devise a plan with the clear focus mind, is the best way to get rid of anxiety and the causes of it. Follow these ideas and you will be much closer to eliminating stress anxiety and worry from your life permanently.
About the Author:
For more material on how to deal with panic attacks and extreme anxiety symptoms, consult Leif Oakman's work on his webpage. Please visit www.stopworryinganswers.com.