Ana Miranda
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How to stop that stupid anxiety

2/8/2013

10 Comments

 
So I decided to step away from the computer for a while to do something normal and this post happened.

I was baking a carrot cake and feeling quite anxious – my shoulders were tense, my chest and throat felt tight and I was a bit light-headed. I’ve been recognizing these symptoms since last week, when the book went public and I started promoting it. Also, it’s August and I’m supposed to get a response for my Belgian Visa application.

I turned on the radio, mixed everything up (hoping that this time it would actually be a fluffy one) and when I put it in the oven, I felt like dancing. I was so grateful nobody was home, so I could do my crazy dances and talk to myself out loud:

“Sooo, what am I afraid of, really? Let’s write it down!”

And I did. I scribbled a note that looks something like this:

What I’m nervous about / afraid of at the moment:

* Not selling → I’ll keep connecting with people, hanging out on blogs and forums and showing them who I am and what I do!

* Not paying e-junkie every month → It’s only U$5, for God’s sakes! (this one looked silly as soon as I wrote it down, but I know it’s related to the first fear).

* Not making money (I’m that broke) → Find a job when the Visa is issued.

                                                              Teach private students.

                                                              Find freelance writing work.

                                                             Create more eBooks and eCourses.

                                                             Babysit (if need be). 

* Not finding a job because I’m not fluent in French or Dutch → Take intensive courses after summer.

                                                       Make time and study, dumbass! (Red Forman’s voice in my head). 
After writing this I could actually see that my anxieties make no sense and that each one of them has solutions and alternatives. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and said: “Everything won’t be alright. Everything IS alright”, and danced until the cake was done.

Later on, this video came to mind. There, Leonie talks about her #1 way to end a surge of anxiety: movement!

It works for me. 

Stop sulking and write down what’s troubling you x what the possible solutions are (ALL of them). Visualizing it will help your brain make sense of what’s real x what’s not.

Your fears are (generally) not the truth.

Move your body, get the blood flowing, get some fresh air and shake those bad feelings out.

Anxiety is a bitch. I hope this helps other anxious souls like me.

Do you have other advice on dealing with fear and anxiety? Leave a comment below!

Know someone who would like to know this? Share :) 


10 Comments
Paige Zaferiou link
2/8/2013 04:19:16 pm

OH MAN. Movement. Yes. Genius. I have such a tough time with entrepreneurial anxiety. I often do the first step - writing it down, thinking it out - but so often, I neglect to take the important next step: MOVE AROUND! If I don't move after writing my anxieties down, I often get sucked into the mind-trap of over-thinking it and end up circling back to anxiety.

Thank you so much for this sweet & simple reminder. Just Move!

xoxo

Reply
Ana Elisa link
5/8/2013 02:50:26 am

I hear you, Paige. I often underestimate the power of moving to release anxiety. I tend to want to stay quiet, but when I move, go for a walk, etc I remember how good it is.
Thanks for your comment :)

Reply
Babi Lopes link
5/8/2013 05:19:14 am

Hey, Ana! Anxiety is something I have to deal with everyday. I'm always over-analysing, over-thinking, and so many other "over-ings" I can't even bring myself to remember all of them. I'm yet to learn how to deal with that.

Movement would work for me, yes. It gets a little difficult when you're stuck at the office all day long! :'(

By the way, I'm loving the way you write. I can really feel you and I guess that's what makes a good writer. Keep up the good work! :)

xx

Reply
Ana Elisa link
5/8/2013 05:33:25 am

Hi Babi and thanks for your comment!
I'm so happy to hear you enjoy reading what I write and that my tips might help you deal with anxiety. I know how hard it can get...

That's true, if you're stuck at work and don't have the opportunity to move around. What I did sometimes was: I went to the restroom and stretched + took deep breaths. :)
xoxo

Reply
Rachel // The Beautiful Life link
6/8/2013 11:02:15 pm

Hi Ana!

Great post - I think we can all relate to feeling overwhelmed and stressed out from time to time!

When I get a bit tense, I find writing a gratitude list takes me away from the fears of all the things that could happen (or not happen), to what's happening right now! That does the trick EVERY TIME! :)

Thanks for sharing!
Rachel X

Reply
Ana Elisa link
7/8/2013 09:16:00 am

Hi Rachel! Thanks for your comment.

That's so true, gratitude lists also work for me. They are so powerful and put things in perpective :)

Reply
Dominee link
8/8/2013 09:52:28 am

So sorry that you were having anxiety, but so glad and proud of you for working through it in a productive way!

Reply
Ana Elisa
8/8/2013 10:27:22 am

Thanks, Dominee!

I get a lot of those anxious and overwhelming moments, but I've been learning to deal with them.

I wish every anxious person can learn some tools to keep them sane :)

Reply
Billie link
12/8/2013 10:47:07 pm

Just what I needed to hear. When I write down my fears and anxieties I feel better too. I didn't think about moving. I will definitely try it out! Thank you for sharing!

Reply
Ana Elisa
13/8/2013 02:28:04 am

Hi Billie! I'm so glad this was helpful :) I hope this technique is good for you as well!

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