Dealing with Anxiety, part 2 of 5

Dr. John Delony again (yup, I like this guy and his stuff) —

We’ve created a world that our bodies can’t live in. Normal life is full of outrageous demands and expectations for what we can accomplish. But the fires in our lives are the problem—not the alarms. When the alarms get too loud, finding peace and relief from the chaos can be difficult. But it’s not impossible.

If you’re ready to take your healing one step deeper, I want to encourage you to do five important things today to start changing your relationship with anxiety.

1. Realize anxiety is not an identity, a badge of honor, or a cone of shame.

Anxiety is a learned physical and mental response to threats and disconnection—perceived or real. It’s not a disease—it’s an alarm system. It’s your body’s way of trying to take care of you. And since you learned it, it can be unlearned. You are not your anxiety.

2. Listen to what the alarms are saying.

Pay attention to your personal anxiety alarms and what makes them go off. Maybe it’s running into a certain coworker in the hall or being ignored by someone you care about. Or maybe it’s when you arrive home after a long, exhausting day and feel afraid to step inside because loneliness is waiting to greet you. Maybe it’s a past tragedy, deep trauma or hyper-stressed mind. Pay attention to what your anxiety alarms are telling you so you can get what you need.