TURN ANXIETY INTO ENERGY
WRITING THAT WORRY LIST ISN’T AS SILLY AS IT MAY SEEM. IT CAN ACTUALLY BE THE FIRST STEP TO TACKLING TROUBLES
BEING BLESSED rather unfairly with the ability to see into what we think the future may be gives humans the ability to worry beyond the limits of reasonability where anxiety is no longer helpful or constructive. There are degrees of generalised anxiety built into each person; but when it begins to disrupt daily life in some way, it’s time to seek help. If you can’t concentrate on doing a good job on your presentation because you’re too busy visualising negative reactions and, hence, end up putting up a poor show, it’s a red flag – your anxiety is not constructive or goading you into action, but instead is crippling.
Before heading to the counsellor or trying, unwisely, to take pills, one can have a good shot at tackling anxiety better. One common advice from experts on the subject is to recognise and acknowledge that you are anxious. One good old trick to do this is to write your worries down. It may seem counterproductive but, according to anxieties.com, it’s one way to meet the trouble head on. Start by writing the anxious thought down as soon as it rears its head, and no matter how many times it does so. If the thought that your work may not be acceptable to your boss is eating away at you, write it down each time it occurs.
USE YOUR PHONE (NOTES APP) TO JOT THOUGHTS DOWN INSTEAD OF A DIARY as it is usually at hand. In a short time, you’ll get tired enough of the exercise and will be compelled to think about what you can do to turn it positive and take action on avoiding the outcome you fear so much. If you’re that worried about whether your boss is likely to be unhappy with your work, it’s a thought that can effectively be turned into energy. Logical steps will include finding out what is missing from your efforts and equipping yourself with the ability to meet expectations.
Margarita Tartakovsky, a writer on psychological issues, like many experts, thinks one can even try blocking some time for sheer worrying. Make a meal of it, as it were. And flood a piece of paper with the worries. “When your brain is bursting with worries, write them down. Release all those cooped-up worries from the corners of your mind, and let the paper deal with them. By writing down your worries, you feel as though you’re emptying your brain, and you feel lighter and less tense.”