In the midst of anxiety most people find themselves acting on INSTINCT and the FIGHT or FLIGHT messages that their body is sending them. Unfortunately, those messages and the reactions to those messages are not often the ‘right’ or most beneficial ones to ‘tame’ their anxiety. Today I thought I would share with you 5 common mistakes that most people are making when it comes to their anxiety!
Pushing Anxiety Away: As I often say, if anxiety knocks… welcome it in like it’s your best friend standing at your front door! The more you push it away and ignore it the stronger and more persistent it becomes. This is usually the result of fearing the unknown and feelings of discomfort, which is absolutely and understandably so! Instead, allow the thoughts to come up, ACKNOWLEDGE them and ANSWER them back! Being afraid of your thoughts and what they are telling you is anxieties way of taking the reins and staying in control.
Entertaining Your Thoughts: The more time and energy you place into entertaining your thoughts the worse your anxiety will become. You can get lost for hours in the whirlwind of anxiety – caught up in the WHAT IF’S the SHOULD HAVE’S and the I THINK’S will only drive you insaneeee. Practice letting go of having to entertain those thoughts and fears, know that you have the decision to confront and challenge them AND please, PLEASE don’t accept everything anxiety throws your way! You would never accept that kind of talk from a stranger or even a family member or friend so don’t accept it from yourself.
Poor Diet: When your feeling crappy you reach for any feel good item in sight, such as a coffee, a glass of wine, a bag of chips or a block of chocolate. While that’s well and good it’s important to be aware of your triggers, many of these items WILL infact increase your anxiety and get your adrenals going. Diet DOES play a role in your mental health as it does with your physical health. Don’t slip of the wagon, keep up a good diet practice (even during the times your without an appetite) and include plenty of H2O!! It’s about paying attention to all of the things that support you during this time rather than hindering your progress and recovery. Tip: A smoothie is a great way to add all the goodies in your belly during those times your feeling stressed and anxious or not feeling like you have an appetite.
Watch Your Breathing: Mindful BREATHING is SO underrated!! During times of anxiety people usually find themselves either breathing too fast and hyperventilating OR holding their breath (mostly without even realising) as a result sending their body into complete panic! Both breathing styles increase anxiety levels significantly. Mindful breathing is a very beneficial practice. It allows you to take conscious breaths in and out with full awareness of the process and the role you play in it. This will help slow your heart rate down, allow you to relax, re-focus and decrease your anxiety levels. This practice will also help redirect your attention back to the now, a reminder for you to focus on ONE thing and ONE thing only – your BREATHING.
Constantly living in ‘Tomorrow’: Anxiety thrives on predicting and thinking about the future..
“Tomorrow is going to be a disaster”
“I’m going to feel terrible at that event”
“I’m going to fail my exam”
“He isn’t going to like my cooking”
“My anxiety is going to be shocking tomorrow”
Practicing mindfulness will help alleviate that PRESSURE and ANXIETY of trying to control what happens in every moment that doesn’t belong to the NOW. Anxiety does not live in the now, it hates the now! It thrives on fortune telling and trying to predict what will happen, it likes playing and replaying events in your mind and creating stories about how things should be or could be. Reminding yourself to gently shift your focus and energy back to the now eliminates that apprehension and fear of not being able to ‘control’. Allow yourself into that place of not knowing. Tip: One of the most powerful things you CAN remind yourself of is that NOT Knowing is OK!
SO here they are ‘The Top 5 Common mistakes made when it comes to your anxiety’
Dealing with anxiety is always so different for each person, so part of changing your relationship with it is becoming familiar with it. Getting to know it better is really the key!
I would love to hear your thoughts and practices in the comments below!
Bye for now
Amanda xx
The Anxiety Wellness Queen
