Anxiety. Apprehension. Uneasy. Angst. Can you think of any more synonyms for anxiety? There’s quite a few. Regardless of what you call it, anxiety is "characterized by extreme uneasiness of mind or brooding fear about some contingency." So whatever word you use, I’m sure you’re already familiar with the feeling.
Dealing with anxiety
It can be difficult to be calm with our active and fast-paced minds. But really, that’s the very reason we’re so anxious. We allow our brains to go wild and chase all the possible outcomes of a situation while forgetting that there are also positive outcomes. The best way to calm the mind and relax is to be more present. Allow me to provide an example.
"Walking the road"
Imagine yourself, walking down a road early on a foggy summer morning. You see an object in the distance. You can’t tell exactly what it is, so you stop. Is it a vicious dog? Or just a tall tree stump? Mailbox? Who knows. The only way you’re going to find out is if you keep moving.
Until you come upon this object of imagined dread, try taking note of your surroundings. The flowers off to the side, next to the pond where the frogs are croaking. Perhaps you notice the air is chillier than usual. Or maybe it’s more humid. But as you get closer and closer to the object you were concerned about earlier, you gain a better picture of what it really is. If it’s that vicious dog, you can react accordingly; however, it’s probably just a large mailbox after all.
This one is an analogy I cooked up to help remind myself to be more present. Hopefully it helps you.
All in all, just do your best to take note of your surroundings and take a deep breath. Relax and enjoy; and if there is something about your present that you don’t like, focus on what you can change right now.
