Sometimes things happen in life which result in a deep level of anxiety… we don’t always know how to explain it, how to deal with it, or even how to articulate what it is that’s making us feel like we’ve been derailed.
For me, it’s often the small stuff that happens which builds up and gets me to a point of anxiety at which I have to stop and check-in on myself to ensure I do some work on coping with life’s turbulence.
The last few weeks have been quite life changing for me… I’ve taken on a new role, joined a new business in a totally unknown industry and become part of a new team – all of which leaves me in a state of uncertainty and questioning my ability. Will I fit in? Will people like me? Will I be able to do a good job? Who’s there to support me? Despite the fact people have been incredibly welcoming… there’s still a long way to go for me to feel like I’ve got the level of connection I need with the people I work with for me to feel entirely confident in myself. Aside from the job changes I’ve coped with some pretty tough personal stuff too… which, while I like to give the impression to those around me that I’m totally fine … on the inside I’m often pretty terrified about life’s unknowns. The thing is … all these thoughts come from our Inner Critic … our Ego. The Ego judges, it drives a victim mindset, ultimately it comes from a position of fear. None of this serves us well and as such it’s vital to find ways to move out of the Ego mindset and strive to be more expansive by looking deeper into our subconscious and intuition.
Fortunately I’ve learned in life when I need to stop and re-set. My strategies vary and it’s important that we all find our own unique ways to feel at ease with being in the moment and not drawn down by our Ego. My personal top three are;
- Have a stay at home day. I often take on too much and can get overwhelmed with how long my ‘To-do’ list is. Sometimes I just need a day at home to get through ‘life admin’ … to feel everything is in order and to have a day of staying in the safety and sanctuary of home without having to even think about what to wear today or doing my hair. All too often it’s easy to get in the mindset that if your not out doing things you’re not being productive – for me though I’m actually more productive once I’ve had a day of being indoors.
- Read! I don’t know about you … but often my anxiety can come from my own irrational and fear led thoughts. I tend to think at 100mph and can be quite frenetic in my thinking (despite my calm exterior) Reading helps to redirect and focus my thoughts which in turn enables me to feel calmer. I indulge in books which either take up little head space, or I seek out topics which nourish my mind; mindfulness, spirituality and self-care. All things that spark my curiosity.
- Sleep well. I’m sure we all know this one but what positive action do you take to ensure you get enough quality sleep? I actually feel like I’ve got a hangover when I’ve not had enough sleep so I know how vital it is for me to get good nighttime rest. There’s untold scientific studies which correlate sleep with overall health so for me it’s a non-negotiable … I make time to ensure I have enough sleep. The challenge for me though is the quality of sleep I get. This goes back to my over active mind so I’ve done quite a bit of learning on the topic of ‘Sleep Hygiene’ to see what I can do to help myself… if you have trouble sleeping well I would highly recommend looking into the practical action you can take to improve sleep quality.
These are just three small elements of my life which help me to stay in a more positive mindset… keeping the inner critic and fear at bay and avoids me falling too deeply into an Ego based Victim Mindset.
So here’s the question… How do you know when you’re moving to a mindset which doesn’t serve you well? What are your triggers or telltale signs that you need to take some time to re-set and re-charge?
Don’t let fear stop you… Dream Big:Believe Bigger
DREAM BIG : BELIEVE BIGGER 
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