Anxiety is a great attention-grabber. It keeps the mind overloaded with scary what if scenarios. These scenarios range in severity from “Man, I hope that doesn’t happen,” to “Oh my God if that happens again I’m dead.” That’s why it’s easy for people to become obsessed with their anxiety related problems. They get stuck on the ‘what if’s.’ A horrible mix of anticipation and fantasy keeps otherwise sane people scurrying about the internet looking for answers. The issue with this, of course, is that anxious people end up problem focused. Everything becomes about anxiety. Even when people try and move toward fixing their anxiety problems they often focus on a particular anxiety symptom, as if its removal would fix everything. The trouble with this type of thinking though is that anxiety symptoms tend to change over time creating yet another source of worry. Anxiety ends up feeling like a thousand little fires that can never be put out completely. It’s perplexing.
Part of the answer to this problem lies in expanding your definition of what a solution looks like. For example, if you suffer from palpitations it makes sense that you might have searched for a special breathing exercise or something similar to tackle that very specific symptom, but perhaps your solution needs to be more general than that. Maybe it’s time to take a huge step back and consider indirect ways of calming yourself down. In this week’s episode of The Anxiety Guru Show I explain 7 steps you can take do just that. Now, because I’ve been away from the show for so long part of me wanted to write a long article to accompany this podcast. But something tells me that you’re not here for the articles. So instead I’ve posted my show notes to give you some way of tracking my discussion.
Introduction
a. Exam and License update
b. Future plans (Career options, private practice, online projects)
c. New email newsletter
d. Lifestyle changes I made and their impact
Key # 1: Adopting a new lifestyle can decrease anxiety
a. This idea based on the work of Alfred Adler
b. Adler was an Austrian doctor and psychotherapist – a contemporary of Sigmund Freud.
c. For Adler, lifestyle means: your way of facing problems, interpersonal relationships, one’s opinion about oneself and the problems of life – basically your whole attitude toward life
d. Improving how you feel isn’t just about decreasing anxiety
e. Anxiety is often a sign of larger issues in your life
Key # 2: Adler believed that we all have one basic desire: to belong, to feel important
a. People exist within the context of their environments
b. It’s important to foster a feeling of community
Key # 3: Fulfill your potential (self-actualization)
g. You must set goals and strive to achieve those goals
h. Take inventory of where you’re at and where you want to be
j. How can you know where you’re going if you don’t have GPS?
Key # 4: Positive self-talk leads to new thinking patterns
a. Track your thoughts
b. Create positive alternatives
c. Repeat and practice (You must practice!)
d. More than positive thinking
Key # 5: Focus on your strengths
a. We all have them.
b. What are yours?
c. How can you use them to help you meet your goals?
Key # 6: Don’t try to be too perfect
a. Don’t beat yourself up!
Key # 7: Think about how you deal with problems and people
Conclusion
a. The take away guys? Think outside of anxiety
b. Identify and understand your perspective on life
c. Don’t forget to share my podcast with a friend
d. Email your questions to info@anxietyguru
Yay, you’re back. So happy you passed your test. Congratulations!!!
Congratulations,Paul !! Glad to see you back! Seeing a new post gave me just the perk I needed for beginning this day.
I look forward to more. Thanks!!
You are truly inspiring. I relapsed last summer at the end of the summer because i was so stress where my life was so i decided to go back to school and im going to graduate with my assoicates and and got accepted into a university. Well my dizziness is getting bad again and now i cant breath most days. Anyways I was thinking about not going to school next year because I told myself if my anxiety dosent go away by then I can’t go to school it’s to much for my body to handle and I’m just setting my self up to fail. I’m just wondering what would you do should I wait for anxiety to subside again like it had in the past like I was anxiety free for over 2 years than boom ha. Or should I go to school even though I can hardly function. It’s truly disgusting that anxiety can dictate my life so much I want to succeed and become a counselor but how can I help others if I can’t help myself. Is this a proper way at looking at this. I’m a realist not a idealist I don’t want to get sick and drop out and just feel worst about myself.
Congrats! 🙂
Thank you Paul for a beautiful, encouraging, vulnerable podcast. You worked so hard to pass your exam, congratulations! And the fact that you identify so completely with those of us who suffer daily with anxiety is sweetly tender. You are a kind, compassionate soul and you have truly found your calling. Your website,my our experience, your wisdom, is deeply appreciated. Thank you.
So glad you are back!! Keep the podcasts coming. They are so helpful to all of us 🙂
Hi Paul, so pleased that you passed your exams and nice to have you back. I can honestly say that your podcasts have changed my life. Being anxious is truly horrible – but by engaging with your podcasts it is no longer something I feel I cannot learn to live with. And even though I have never met you I think of you as a friend – a long distance friend for sure – but a friend nonetheless. So sending you a ‘high five’ from London – all the way to California! Cheers Paul.
Hey Paul – I was very excited when I saw this new article and podcast. Congratulations on passing your tests.
I really appreciate all of your effort and time that it must take to regularly produce this show, but it is priceless to me and I am sure many others. I can’t count how many times listening to one of your podcasts has given me hope for recovery.
Can’t wait to see what you produce next .
Derrick
Congrats and glad you are back
Im so happy you are back Paul!!!!
Check out my blog on Generalized Anxiety Disorder! I have had GAD for months now and I thought I would share my tips with others going through the same thing or watching someone they love suffer from GAD. Go to:
livingwithgad.com
Thank you!
Big congrats Paul. You inspire so many people. Thanks so much for what you dk for us all..