One Little Thing

Changing one little thing in our lives can have an enormous impact.

Changing one little thing isn't so hard is it?

Here is a challenge. Incorporate the exercise below into your life and watch how things begin to change for the better.

The next time a worry enters your mind and you begin to fret and think of all the bad things that might happen, choose to take your mind to a different place. Stop thinking about negatives and instead focus on the best possible outcome that could occur. For example, if you've just lost your job, everytime your mind tries to focus on fears, such as not having enough money, losing your home, or not being able to feed your family-stop those thoughts-refocus, and start concentrating on what the best possible outcome of this could be for you. A new job with better pay? A transition to self employment? An opportunity to slow down for a bit and work on getting your health back?

Our mind's natural course of action is to look for danger, and to put us on alert.  We enter the fear zone and act from fear. If we leave this zone and instead place our focus on postive outcomes or opportunities, our  thoughts and actions align with solutions. We move toward a positive outcome rather than becoming paralyzed, overwhelmed, or depressed. Our decisions are based on what we really want in life, not catastrophe avoidance.

This takes practice, so just think of it as a mental game you are playing with yourself. It's only one little thing, but it's one little thing that can change your life for the better. It changed mine, even when I didn't know I was doing it.

Perhaps I'll tell you more in a later post. In the meantime...think of the best possible outcome for yourself, and, if you have the energy, take one small step in that direction. :)

Anxiety. It passes through all our lives, and at times it is helpful. A little anxiety can serve to push us to perform better. It keeps us on our toes, alert and ready to accomplish our task. But if that crazy little stress beast starts to ramp up, we can get into real trouble, blanking on a test, forgetting the words to the song we have to sing,  or suffering from a whopper of a panic attack in the middle of a restaurant/meeting/street.

If you've ever had a panic attack you know they can be really freaky. You may feel like you are going to have a heart attack or stroke, you might feel you are going to vomit, can't breathe, or will faint. If you have started having panic attacks the first course of action is to visit your doctor to rule out any physical causes, such as an over-active thyroid. If you've been to your physician and they have come to the conclusion that "you are stressed" here are some tips to help you begin to deal effectively with your anxiety.

1) GET OFF CAFFEINE!! People who are prone to anxiety are often caffeine sensitive. In some people, just one cup of Java is enough to send their blood pressure soaring or their heart skipping. Caffeine is a stimulant. It increases your heart rate and blood pressure, and can add to problems like palpitations and arrythmias. Caffeine is found in coffee, tea, pop, and chocolate. Switch to decaf, but be aware that decaffeinated coffee is not totally caffeine free. You may suffer from headaches and lethargy for a few days when you make the switch, but you'll have lowered your anxiety threshold immensely.

2) Beware MSG. (Monosodium Glutamate) This is an ingredient often found in Chinese food, seasoning salt and processed foods like chips and soup. It adds flavor to food, but in some people, it also sets their heart racing. Since it takes awhile to digest food, this can happen hours after the meal, and people don't associate their racing heart with something they've eaten.

3) Don't use alcohol as a stress release. While alcohol can temporarily ease your stress and anxiety while you are drinking, the day after you've had to much to drink, you can suffer rebound anxiety as your body deals works to re-adjust itself. Plus, you need to utilize other skills to work through stress, otherwise alcohol becomes a crutch-you need more and more as time goes by to get the same effect.

4) Exercise. Regular exercise lowers your stress threshold and helps to keep anxiety under control. It really works! You don't even have to take out a gym membership. A brisk 20 minute walk is a great start.

5) Breathe properly. When anxiety hits, your breathing can go crazy. Chest muscles tighten, you breathe shallowly and you feel like you are suffocating. Focus on your belly and when you take a breath in, draw it down to your stomach watching your stomach expand.  Make your exhale LONGER than your inhale. Quick shallow breathing causes hyperventilation. Hyperventilation is what makes you feel dizzy, makes your limbs tingle,which makes you more anxious, which makes you breathe quicker, which worsens the cycle. Count to 3 or 4 on your inhale and 4 or 5 on your exhale.

6) Don't fight anxiety. Accept it. Acknowledge and be okay with it. Getting upset at yourself for being anxious or stressed often leads to more anxiety. It's okay to be anxious and it's a normal feeling whenever we feel threatened....but sometimes, it's our own thoughts that make us feel that way.

7) Pay attention to your thoughts.Our thoughts influence how we feel. If you start thinking you are going to have a heart attack, your anxiety ramps up. Identify that thought as an anxiety thought.If you  pay attention to what you are thinking when your anxiety ramps up, you can learn what triggers you, and it begins to have less impact.

That's all for today. Breathe easier, slow down and begin to relax :)