Anxious? Worried? Can't Focus? Learn to Chill Out!

WORRY ZAPS ENERGY

Struggling to find the passion and energy to get your work done? Anxiety may be the culprit. Life is fast-paced and you can be overwhelmed with everything on your to-do list that you can’t get anything done. Anxiety and worry can interfere with work and can even become debilitating. It’s part of the primal fight, flight or freeze response that can happen under stress.

BIG NEWS!

It’s all over the news. Stress = Health Problems. Add to that anxiety and worry. These terrible two can harm your brain and robs you of creativity, productivity, and focus. Let’s add a dose of worry and fear which can lock up your imagination, blocking your focus and ability to innovate.  It’s the stress block. Big bummer…

WIN THE ANXIETY WAR BY CHILLING OUT

It’s time to unblock your mind, reclaim your creativity and live up to the REAL YOU. Learn some simple techniques to chill out, relax and practice mindfulness. This will show you how you can train your brain to refocus, reduce anxiety, and restore the creativity and innovation waiting within you.

Try these simple techniques to focus, reduce anxiety and chill out:

PAUSE.

When you feel anxious, worried, and concerned, your thoughts can snowball and get bigger and bigger. If you feel caught up in an anxious moment, simply pause. Stop what you’re doing. PAUSE. Take a moment and focus on breathing deeply. Notice your body.  With each deep breath notice how your entire body will slowly relax. Each time your thoughts move back to stress, gently bring your focus back to your breath. Notice how a mere pause can mitigate that overwhelmed feeling, giving you a moment of perspective to find your answer for what to do next.

BREATHE.

When you feel stressed or things are out of control in your life, remember that breathing is something you can control. When you are anxious, your breathing becomes shallow, rapid, and less effective. Taking a deep intentional breath helps your body relax. Start by gently breathing in and filling your abdominal area, then your chest. Then gently exhale. Notice the pause between each inhale and each exhale. This deep breathing will reset your body and brain by regulating your blood pressure, heart rate, and release of stress hormones.

BE PRESENT.

Sometimes people focus so much on the future, that they miss the present. Deadlines and pressure at work can be overwhelming. In these overwhelming moments, STOP. Notice the sensations in your body, the thoughts in your mind and how you are reacting in the present moment. Remind yourself that you are in charge of this moment, and especially your own reactions in your body and mind. Take a moment to breathe in peace, health and calm. This is a simple method to practice mindfulness.

CREATE A BLANK SLATE.

Have you ever noticed the creativity in children? They seem to have endless imaginations and can constantly create on a seemingly worry-free blank slate. Ahhh… the beauty of a carefree childhood. Children don’t often have the concerns and pressures of adults. The more you learn to chill out and practice some easy mindfulness techniques, the more you can use meditation and mindfulness to declutter your brain and find more open space to create, just like a child. As your mind begins to clear, you will find new creativity and open to even more possibilities to all you seek.

RELAX.  

There are endless ways to relax and activate your natural relaxation response. Yes – we all have one, and you do too, even if you don’t use it that often. Whether progressive relaxation, meditation, walking, or yoga is your favorite, adding some form of regular relaxation is crucial for managing anxiety and experiencing the benefits of learning to chill out. Learning how to relax is just as important for your physical and mental health as getting regular exercise! Relaxing is not the same as sleeping. We will cover the importance of sleeping in a different article! Learning to relax is learning to be calm and relaxed in an awake state—the ultimate chill out state that teaches your mind and body that everything is NOT an emergency.  This will give you a chance to thoughtfully respond to situations rather than stressfully react.

BE COMPASSIONATE WITH YOU.

Some of the pressure in your life may be external. Some may also be self-induced. OK, news flash – you are not perfect. Let me remind you. No one is perfect. Yet somehow many people beat themselves up in the quest for perfection. The need for perfection – and the resulting stress for not being perfect - can be quite damaging for your mind and your body. Be kind and have compassion for yourself. Easy to say, but I am sure you are able to take on the challenge and do it. You are not a superhuman. You don’t have to be. Be aware of the expectations you have for yourself… and for others. Give yourself a break and you may just find that you will create more success with that mindset than when you were stressed out!

TRAINING & CONDITIONING THE MIND

Here’s a bonus – practice these techniques every day, whether or not you are stressed. Just like training and conditioning at the gym, this will train your body and mind to relax anytime you need to relieve stress or merely get focused.

ASK FOR HELP

It is important to also note that chronic anxiety may be associated with a medical condition and may require the care of a doctor. Please seek help from a medical professional if you notice that your anxiety becomes chronic or debilitating.

Some moments are more stressful than others. When stress becomes chronic and turns into anxiety, you’re likely to become less effective at work. Take time to learn a few simple techniques to chill out and you will pleasantly find that you have much more energy, creativity and joy in all you do at work, at home and in your life!

It’s time to chill out!

Be Well, Be Joyful, Be Inspired…
Have a Beautiful Day…
 

Gina Kloes

To learn more about being a mindful entrepreneur and game changer in this world, please contact Gina’s team at [email protected].