How to Control Anxiety and Stress
Ways To Control Anxiety And Stress
Imagine that you have an interview tomorrow for the dream job you’ve always wanted. Now, imagine this job interview is with the CEO of the company, who has a reputation for being tough. Nerve-racking!
You’re probably feeling very anxious and very nervous. These feelings often trigger the release of fight or flight hormones, like adrenaline, cortisol, and norepinephrine, that leave you shaking, sweating, your pupils dilated and your muscles contracting involuntarily.
At the same time, these are also the hormones that kick in urging you to run in the opposite direction when you get into physical confrontations. But when you’re in situations like an interview or a first date, running is not really what you want to do, on the contrary, you want to go forward boldly.
So the question is what can you do to overcome your anxiety and stay calm even in high pressured situations?
Luckily, there are a few methods that have been known to work quite well…
Breathe
Remember to breathe. And don’t just breathe — breathe deeply. Take several deep meaningful breathes. Feel the coolness of your breath when you inhale, mentally follow it as it enters and slowly goes through your body and out through your mouth on the exhilaration. When you do this, you will be able to instantly engage your parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the ‘rest and digest’ state that we can go into. This state is actually the exact opposite of fight or flight and it helps us to feel calmer and more relaxed.
The worst thing you can do when you start to panic is to breathe faster and more shallowly, as this just makes you more stressed and may eventually cause you to hyperventilate and in some instances pass out!
Lean Into It
Another tip? Don’t worry about being stressed. Too often, we get stressed and anxious and then try to fight it. Unfortunately, fighting stress is completely counterproductive as the more we fight, the more we raise our fight or flight response even more. Eventually, this causes our heart rate to run more quickly, and our muscles to contract to make us even tenser.
At this point, you’re now stressed out about being stressed!
So, simply accept that you’re stressed and recognize it for what it is. Often stress helps you become the strongest you. Instead of trying to fight it, just let it happen while giving it a positive spin. This might mean thinking of your situation as a challenge, or it might mean thinking of someone you admire that you know has handled a similar situation well. Rise to the challenge, and enjoy your body getting worked up and ready to enhance your performance.
If you consciously use these two methods, then you will eventually tap into an enhanced performance without the feelings of dread or the roiling stomach that can come from anxiety and stress. If you do this really well, then it can become a ‘flow state’ which is a state of heightened performance characterized by reduced activity in the frontal cortex.
So just concentrate on the task at hand, give it your full focus, feel your body become more alert, and tell yourself: “game on, I’ve got this!”
Congratulations, on getting your dream job!
To help you keep control of your stress, I have a gift for you: 7 Ways to Stress Less and Love Life by Susanne Myers and Tracy Roberts.
“My key to dealing with stress is simple: just stay cool and stay focused.”
― Ashton Eaton
This article was originally published on my site at https://donnapresents.com/how-to-control-anxiety-and-stress/.
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I’m Donna SLam, who loves to blog about how meditation brings self-compassion, peace of mind, and clarity to my life and others by sharing tips and strategies on how to live a fulling and purposeful life. I enjoy championing others to lead a healthy and happy life through meditation, walking, self-development, and spending time with loved ones.
