November 21, 2022
Future Self
Don’t Be Part of the Statistics, Overcome Anxiety Now
Anxiety or the feeling of fear and anxiousness is our natural reaction to stress. It is our brain’s mechanism that warns us of impending danger. We have this feeling when we anticipate future situations or have important decisions to make or when we encounter challenging situations.
However, it can become a mental disorder when you excessively and constantly worry and fear ordinary circumstances. Sometimes this results in panic attacks within minutes of being exposed to uncertain situations.
Anxiety disorder is the most common mental illness. The number of cases around the world has dramatically increased. The World Health Organization cites about 264 million or 3.6% of individuals with this disorder. In the UK alone there are over 8 million persons who experience it at any one time.
This disorder affects male and female children, adolescents, and adults of different racial backgrounds. In the US 9.2% of children had anxiety in 2020 while 13.3% of 16 to 19 years old experience anxiety in the UK. Anxiety disorders are generally higher in young adults and women.
Types of Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety disorders can be categorized into general anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, phobias, and panic disorder. Individuals can have a combination of different types of this ailment.
General anxiety disorder occurs when a person’s irrational worries and fear lasts for more than 6 months and happens every day. It typically occurs with other types of anxiety disorder.
Social anxiety disorder is intense fear of social situations. A person avoids social interactions because of being self-conscious and for fear of being embarrassed or being judged negatively.
People who have phobias have intense fear when exposed to a situation or specific objects like spiders that do not really pose any danger. They often avoid being in these situations as it can lead to panic attacks.
Panic disorder or panic attacks on the other hand, happens when sudden fear or anxiety repeatedly occurs and reaches its highest level within minutes. This can lead to shortness of breath, chest pain, and heart palpitations.
Children can also exhibit anxiety disorders such as separation anxiety and selective mutism. Separation anxiety happens when a child experiences excessive anxiety because of being separated from his or her parents.
Conversely, selective mutism occurs when children are unable to speak in certain situations even whilst they can speak at home. This can affect their social and academic performance.
The Negative Effects of Anxiety
Anxiety disorder can worsen over time and lead to more mental and physical illnesses. It can hinder you from living life to the fullest. It can result in poor performance at work and in school and dampen social interactions.
Prolonged anxiety can lead to depression and even suicide if not managed properly. It can cause you to ruminate and decrease your ability to focus which consequently affects your job performance.
This ailment along with panic attacks can result in cardiovascular diseases as you palpitate and hyperventilate with every episode. It can prevent you from sleeping well and have further complications such as nausea, dizziness, fatigue, and tensed muscles.
In addition, anxiety can ruin your relationships with other people as you tend to avoid social gatherings. You isolate yourself with the thought that being alone is better because it lessens your exposure to stressors.
This does not have to be the case. You can take control of your life and your condition with a simple course of action.
Overcome Anxiety
Although anxiety can be difficult to cope with, but there are ways to overcome it without taking medicines. We all know certain medicines can have deleterious effects on the body so changing the way you think about it and the way you behave can be the best and most effective treatment for it.
Change your mindset
Changing your mindset about anxiety can help you manage it better. For years anxiety has been treated as something dreadful that we must be cured of, but it does not have to be that way.
Anxiety is good for us. It keeps us alive as it is part of our flight or fight response. It is a way by which our brain informs us of incoming danger and helps us prepare and protect ourselves.
A positive view of anxiety can keep you alert and invigorated. It can help you cope with the uncertainties of the future by becoming aware of the actions you can take. Choosing the best course of action for a certain situation can limit the unfavorable effects that you worry about.
You can also have higher focus and motivation with anxiety. It reminds you of the need to change the way you act and to work towards your goals and the people you care about.
You must likewise change your mindset about the struggles you face. We typically think of these situations as something bad happening to us but the real reason why we encounter difficulties in life is for us grow stronger.
Adversities help you think and look for ways to adapt to situations and improve yourself. It develops resilience and confidence as you cope with the given conditions.
Know and identify with your future self
Another sure step to take hold of your anxiety is by knowing and identifying your future self. Future self is the person you want to become beyond a few days or months. If you determine the person you want to be you will have a goal to work towards. This gives you reason to do your best and a purpose in life.
You need to look at the endless possibilities on who you can be and choose. You have the power to choose who you want to be. Do not be limited with the person you are today because you can be better.
You will change and transform yourself whether you choose to or not. It is inevitable, the key is to change with intent. Who is the person you see yourself transforming to in the future? Is he or she better than the present you? How is he or she living his or her life? Do you want to live that life?
Knowing your future self is not enough as forming a relationship with that person is important as well. Being guided by the person you want to be allows you to take positive actions towards your goal. Your every action today impacts the realization of your dreams.
Be aware of your habits
Notice these health habits that lead to a better life and be intent in doing them. These are the number of hours you sleep at night, the food you eat, the amount of water you drink, the number of times you exercise in a week, and meditation.
Being mindful of the habits you have can help you determine the ones that are harming you and must be stopped as well as the good habits that you can start to alleviate the symptoms of anxiety.
Changing habits is not easy but it is made simpler by the Stop One Start One Habit Tracker app which can be downloaded when you click the links (APPLE ANDRIOD). It provides you with a supportive community that is essential to succeed in stopping and forming habits.
Getting enough sleep or about 8 hours of sleep at night is essential to good physical health and maintaining proper function of the mind. It avoids fatigue and gives you the energy to perform your tasks.
Eat a healthy diet. Be wary of cold cuts and canned goods that are full of chemical preservatives. Eating more fruits, vegetables, fish, and whole foods can help maintain proper metabolism and better immunity of the body.
Drink eight glasses of water a day to ensure proper functions of your body. It keeps the body hydrated and prevents digestive and excretory problems.
Exercise is very important. Regular exercise can give you the happy hormones to boost your mental state. Anxiety increases the risk for heart disease. Exercise can combat the negative effects of anxiety.
Meditation is another habit you can develop to help clear you mind and relieve the stress and doubts you have. It gives you focus as you practice your breathing. Meditation is most beneficial when done every day.
Reach out to a supportive community
Dealing with anxiety becomes easier to manage when you have someone to talk to and people who support you in dealing with your situations. Having a supportive group of people or a person to share experiences with and new perspectives can help you see and understand things differently.
They can motivate you to further achieve your goal and give you a safe community that you can be a part of. People are social beings so connecting with other persons and having a sense of belonging is important.
Help others in need
Asking for help is as beneficial as reaching out to help someone. Helping others go through their own dilemmas can add value and meaning to your life. It gives you the joy and motivation to live and do better.
Take control of your life now. Anxiety exists to help you become a better person. Invest 1% of your day each day. Listen to the Future Self Podcast with Pete Cohen and learn how you can be the person you want to be and live life to the fullest.
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