True Balance

One of the definitions of overwhelm is being buried or drowned
beneath a huge mass.  Feel familiar?

My particular brand of stress is more like … suffocating skin
crawling madness. I used to be the mistress of overwhelm. The
discomfort was intense and yet there was a rush involved with
pulling off the impossible. It took years for me to become aware of
the damaging ripple effect caused by my needless Empire State Building
HIGH masochistic expectations.

The good news is you can learn to minimize this paralyzing feeling
by facing each stressful situation and taking action.

Most of the professional people I play with are confident, talented and
risk averse people who are really good at connecting the dots.
Their ability to coordinate ideas, people, places, projects and
attract synergistic energy is astounding. Their keen sense of
knowing combined with pure unbridled courage manifests a stream of
opportunities.

Often these fine characteristics and what seem like unlimited ideas,
options and self expectations can be distracting and create a sense of panic and
overwhelm.

Why?

Because people of this creative caliber can do ANYTHING.

Connecting the dots is a blessing if you are conscious enough to
apply this talent to your own “in the weeds” experience. Learning
to go with the flow when things get dicey is a tremendous gift.

You can practice moving through life with grace and slay your
anxiety by incorporating some the following ideas:

* Take deliberate action a by choosing and revisiting your
priorities every week. A list of targeted activities will help you
remain on task.

* Carry out regular self-care. This may mean taking time out to
get a haircut, massage or a soak in the bath tub. Take some alone
time to read a good book, take a walk and get out of your head.

* Visualize your ideal accomplishment, and then make a list of
tasks that can be addressed to bridge and traverse where you want
to be in the natural flow of things.

* Determine what projects you can delegate. Asking for help is
freeing. It is in our nature to want to help each other. Just ask!

* Eliminate any unnecessary tasks and activities. Do what you
absolutely must, and junk what isn’t an absolute necessity. Allow
yourself to say NO.

* Give yourself credit for all of the projects you DO complete.
(small items and incremental steps count)

* Talk to a trusted friend, life coach or mentor. Get clarity
by being with people who you admire, people who are good at
managing stress.

* Listen to Anxiety Slayer Podcasts or visit the Anxiety Slayer Blog.

The next time you are feeling overcome with a sense of impending
doom, take a deep breath, gather your thoughts and let the slaying
begin.

“All confidence is acquired, developed. No one is born with
confidence. Those people around you who radiate confidence, who
have conquered worry, who are at ease everywhere and all the time,
acquired their confidence, every bit of it.”
~ David J. Schwartz

Last night a rush of anxiety reminded me how important it is to relax and unwind before going to bed.  My heart began racing about midnight after 30 minutes of coaxing myself to fall asleep.  It was the night before a crazy-busy week filled with a shit-load of personal and professional obligations.

Like the revving of a race car’s engine, my mind was ready to go. One giant mental check list on a repetitive track of past, present and future thoughts. I was a driver in a cut-throat mental speedway without the option of slowing down. Green flag waved, the Shanny 500 was under way.

How the race began …

I finished watching an old episode of Lost, snuggled under the covers and began thanking the Universe for so many blessings; for a warm bed to sleep in with plenty of blankets, for my healthy body and loving family. Gratitude for a lovely Autumn day with activities like yard work, picking out pumpkins, drinking cider and gobbling up spicy cake donuts.

Time to rest  …  Ahhhh  …

Falling off to a deep sleep would have been lovely if it weren’t for the tenacious voices in my head.

After resting in bed for awhile, the reality of the upcoming week began to unfold along with remnants of what happened the prior week. I was traveling at a high rate of speed going for the apex of every turn around the track.

“Why did My daughter’s teacher take it upon herself to talk with my nine year old about the facts of life without my permission, how can I make the best of the situation?”  “What a big week,  I have a school function on Monday night and a teleconference on Tuesday and Yoga to teach on Wednesday.” ” It is too much.”  “It will be fine.” “You need to get some rest.”  “I am peaceful, I am peaceful, I am Peaceful.”   “Crap why is my heart racing? “I’m sure I’m alright,  just a bit anxious about the week.”  I was beginning to feel out of control.  The CAUTION flag was waved and I needed a pit stop.  “Breathe deeply.” Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale … Deep inhalation, deeper exhalation.

After several minutes of focused breathing the caution flag was removed.  My mind and heart had settled down, and I finally fell off into a much needed deep sleep.

We all experience anxiety from time to time.  Understanding some of the emotional and physical symptoms will help get through your next race.

In addition to the primary symptoms excessive fear and worry, other common emotional symptoms of anxiety include:

Emotional symptoms of anxiety

• Feelings of apprehension or dread
• Trouble concentrating
• Feeling tense and jumpy
• Anticipating the worst

Physical symptoms of anxiety

As a product of the body’s fight-or-flight response, anxiety involves a wide range of physical symptoms. Because of the numerous physical symptoms, anxiety sufferers often mistake their disorder for a medical illness.

Common physical symptoms of anxiety include:

• Pounding heart
• Sweating
• Stomach upset or dizziness
• Frequent urination or diarrhea
• Shortness of breath

Relieve Your Symptoms

• Learn how to control your breathing
• Change up your physical location
• Practice yoga, meditation and deep relaxation techniques
• Get in a hot bath
• Read or listen to soothing music

How do you relieve symptoms of stress and anxiety?

Do you have any resources to share?

You are welcome to download my new special report: Clobbering Overwhelm.  You can grab it now by signing up for our monthly newsletter at the True Balance Website.

For more information about anxiety attacks and disorders check out HelpGuide.org.