Shift That Anxiety

It has become very common for women to suffer from an anxiety disorder at some point in their life. Sometimes it can be situational: your husband loses his job, you get downsized, your child goes off to college, or your real estate business has been affected by the economic crisis. Some women suffer from panic attacks that are unprovoked and occur for no particular reason. Other women have generalized anxiety because of their mindset. They see the glass as half empty or they are waiting for the other shoe to fall.


Are you the type of person who lets fears and anxieties permeate your existence? Maybe your life is going well but you worry too much to be able to enjoy it. Perhaps your past keeps you from living in the moment and enjoying the here and now. Regardless of the type of anxiety that you might suffer from….you can utilize some skills that will assist you in managing it.

How do you reduce it? Well you may not know this but it is impossible to have 2 simultaneous thoughts at the same time, therefore you can learn to shift your anxiety with an alternative and balanced thought which will greatly reduce it. I worked with a young mother who feared for her daughter’s health. She constantly fretted that her daughter would become ill because she was exposed to other children’s germs. She created a more realistic thought that reminded her that the germs would strengthen her immune system. This greatly reduced the anxiety.

A real estate agent reported that she had never worked so hard in her life showing houses and making no money. When asked to identify other positive aspects of what she was doing, she was able to admit that she was establishing more contacts, building more relationships and developing a funnel system whereby her potential clients would remember her once they were in a better financial situation. She decided that this was part of good reality work too so she decided not to measure her success solely by money.

I worked with one woman whose husband had had an affair. She was having difficulty letting go of the anxiety that he would cheat on her again. Her fears were keeping her from noticing all the changes that he was making and it kept her in a state of “hyper alert.” As a result, she was feeling more and more anxious and was unable to allow him to make the amends to her that she so greatly deserved. In her case, she needed to resolve her anger so that she could let go of it. When she participated in “The Vesuvius” she expressed the rage she felt symbolically and was able to let go of it. When she released her anger, the anxiety also dissipated.
Although anxiety is a normal feeling, there are many things you can do to keep it in check. Taking a yoga class, meditating, deep breathing and progressive relaxation with visualization are all techniques that will center you and keep you less anxious. Having a deep spiritual connection will allow you to concentrate on only those things that you can control. In my anxiety classes, I teach people to use self soothing statements that puts anxiety in perspective. So the next time you are feeling anxious remind yourself that “this too shall pass or let go and let God.” When you do you will be learning how to manage your anxiety.