Shifting from Anxiety to Action
Linda Manning, Adventure Guide for the Heart
I take people on transformational adventures into the wisdom of their hearts. Join me on an adventure and live more powerfully, authentically and joyfully.
In this download you will find information on anxiety followed by my 5 step process for shifting out of anxiety and into action. Please note I am not a doctor or licensed therapist. If you are struggling with severe anxiety, please contact a professional.
To get the most out of this, I would encourage you to write down your answers to each of the numbered questions that follow.
BACKGROUND
Anxiety
Anxiety is a common reaction to a traumatic event, a life change or worry about the future. For some people, anxiety is a way of life and causes on-going challenges. For others, highly stressful situations – like a pandemic- can lead to unprecedented levels of anxiety.
When does anxiety hit you the most? Is it first thing in the morning? As you’re trying to fall asleep? In the middle of the night? On your way to work? All of the above?
Personally, I’ve always found 4 in the morning or when I wake up to be particularly tough when I’m in the grips of anxiety.
Question 1: What time of the day or week is most anxious for you?
General Causes of Anxiety
The list of what causes anxiety is extensive. For now, let’s look at three common categories
Past Traumatic events: Difficult events from the past can cause anxiety today if they aren’t fully resolved. Everything from the humiliating presentation you gave in 4th grade to a mean sibling or an abusive boss can impact you today. Traumatic events can be big or small, but their grip is powerful. The event is over but the anxiety still haunts us.
Present Life Changes: Life changes tend to create anxiety. Positive changes such as getting married, having a child, getting a new job or buying a new home can be filled with stress in addition to joy. Unexpected life changes, like getting laid off, a divorce or being quarantined can create even more anxiety. Whether we have asked for it or not, major life changes can cause anxiety.
Worry About the Future: Unlike current or past events, anxiety can result from an imagined future. For many people, “future-worry” is a major source of anxiety. They constantly live in the “What if…” “What if I get sick, my child gets hit by a car, we end up in poverty…. “Worry is so pervasive in our culture it can seem odd if you don’t worry. But the cost is high; when worry takes over your life, it takes joy with it.
Vicky’s anxiety was exhausting her: Vicky was in a constant state of worry. She was worried about her job, about her marriage and about her kids. All of this worry left her exhausted and unhappy. Vicky had grown up in a stressful household with parents who had a very unhappy marriage. As Vicky and I worked together, she realized that a lot of her anxiety today was based on her anxiety growing up. As we healed the past, she was able to experience her life with a whole new perspective. Once freed from old anxiety, Vicky was able to start creating the life she really wanted.
Question 2: Does your anxiety tend to be about the past, the present or the future?
When our needs are not met we feel anxious
In addition to the general causes of anxiety, there are specific topics that commonly cause anxiety. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is a great model to show areas where we might be anxious. This hierarchy (from bottom to top) shows some of the most essential needs that humans have. When any of those needs aren’t met, we feel anxious.
The closer you are to the bottom of the pyramid, the more urgent it is to have those needs met – and the higher the anxiety if we feel threatened. For those who are comfortable that their basic needs will be met, the psychological needs of relationships and belonging may loom large. And finally, for those who are comfortable with the bottom two areas of needs, there can be a longing for more self-fulfillment and contribution.
Dawn Lost Her Self-Confidence After Being Laid-Off: Dawn came to me after getting laid off for her job – It really impacted her self-confidence. She had anxiety about whether she would find another job. She worried how this would impact her financially and with her relationship with her husband.
As I worked with Dawn she started listening to the quiet intuitive voice inside that told her she needed to rest and recover before job hunting. Her anxiety pushed her to look for a job right away, but her intuition told her to rest.
We created some exercises to help her slow down. She worked on forgiving her old boss so she could start a new job from a more positive place. With these new insights, Dawn was able to balance self-care with applying for jobs. She quickly found a new role she wanted.
Question 3: What needs are causing you anxiety? Are they basic needs? Psychological Needs? Self-Fulfillment Needs?
Summary of Anxiety
Anxiety is very common. And it is an important clue for us that something doesn’t seem right in our life. Anxiety is not something that can be, or should be, eliminated. But it is something that can be managed.
Even in challenging times some people are living in a place of hope, possibility, joy and growth. They might create new ways to make money; improve their health; reach new levels of connection in their relationships. This 5 step process is designed to help you be one of them!
