Are You Anxious?

Do you have trouble with becoming anxious whenever you face challenges?

Here’s a quick tip I have benefitted from.

First, when you are anxious, what happens? Your heart starts to race, the stress hormones of cortisol in your body spike up, and your body prepares for something to happen.

When you get excited about something, what happens? Your heart starts racing, Cortisol levels in your body go up, and your body prepares for action.

Anxiety and excitement are both aroused emotions. Your body responds to anxiety and excitement in precisely the same way except for one difference. When anxious, your feeling is coming from a place of negativity. On the other hand, excitement is a positive emotion‚ focused on all the ways something could go well.

So, to sidestep anxiety, you have to find a way to trick your brain into feeling different. Even though your body may react the same way when you are anxious or excited, you have the power to attach a different emotion to the feelings you have.

Next time you are anxious, tell yourself, “I am excited.” Mentally reframe your anxiety as excitement through positive messaging. Reassure yourself that you are excited, over and over again.

You may be wondering-“This suggestion looks too simple to be true. Does it really work?”

When you are anxious, you are in the clutches of a Threat mindset, where you focus on all the things that can go wrong. By saying to yourself “I am excited”, all you are doing is to pivot yourself into an Opportunity mindset, where you are thinking of all the good things that could happen if you do well.

So, the next time you find yourself anxious, say to your self as confidently as possible, “I am excited” multiple times. You will find yourself getting out of the clutches of anxiety. At the very least, your anxiety will reduce its intensity!!