Action Eliminates Anxiety

"Nothing diminishes anxiety faster than action."  ~ Walter Anderson

I’m sure you can recall times in your own life when you many have been anxious or worried about something. And that anxiety might have caused some stress, irritability or general restlessness. Perhaps even a physical response like sleeplessness, a headache or an upset stomach. It happened to me just recently...

I was working on a big project that was taking me longer than I’d have liked because I was catching myself agonizing over small parts and not moving the project forward. I finally had to have a serious talk with myself and take some direct actions to get it finished. Of course, then, the anxiety was gone. Just that quick and truly, just that easy. But what about when anxiety persists? Increased or continual anxiety can be a serious issue. What starts out as misdirected energy can turn into insomnia, acid reflux, headaches, depression or even full out panic attacks. Anxiety and worry can weaken your immune system and wreak havoc on your life.

Anxiety is no small problem! As a matter of fact, there's an estimated 40 million American adults who are currently living with some type of anxiety disorder. And of those, 6.8 million are suffering from Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) which is usually brought on over time, by excessive and persistent worrying.

But what if anxiety could be easily eliminated or even avoided? 

In many instances, diminishing anxiety is as simple as redirecting your energy in such a way that you move from spinning in worry to taking action that moves you forward. And it is in taking action, that you can not only diminish the anxiety - but more importantly, often eliminate the issue that was causing your anxiety to begin with. Hence exactly what happened in the case of my most recent project!

So if it's that easy, then why don't people just take action?

Well, the number one reason most people don't take action is because they are afraid of the action or the outcome of that action. But, not taking action doesn't eliminate the fear - quite the opposite, it usually creates more fear and that in turn creates worry and anxiety (among other things).

I was on a call with a client not long ago who was feeling a great deal of anxiety over a situation that she was facing. Her decisions were not being respected by a co-worker and she didn’t like it. The more we discussed her options, the more obvious it became that to do nothing about the situation would cause more tension and anxiety then stepping out of her comfort zone and taking action to speak up for herself. However, as a recovering people pleaser, confrontation was not just a struggle for her, it was downright terrifying. But through the course of our coaching call, she made the firm decision that it was time to take action. And by the end of our conversation, had not only gained the courage to do it but developed a plan for the actions she would take.

A couple days later, I got an update from her (as I often do when I’m holding clients accountable for completing something) and it was no surprise that the first line of her email was, “I am so relieved…” Not only had her actions resulted in a solution to the issue she was dealing with, but the internal confidence meter had risen. The actions she took didn’t have the exact outcome she was hoping for but it was close and it was certainly an improvement. Most of all, she is now resting easier, knowing that taking action really was the fastest way to step past her fear and alleviate her anxiety.

So now think about when and where anxiety shows up in your life…

Has something been bothering you lately? Causing you stress, anxiety, maybe some sleepless nights or an upset stomach? Is it a decision you are putting off? Or something you know you must do but are hesitating to do it? What action do you need to take to move forward?

Take action this week on something that has been causing you anxiety. Whether it's something simple like getting caught up on emails (yes, even an overflowing inbox can cause anxiety) or something much more complex. Decide what actions need to be taken to decrease or eliminate your anxiety and then begin to take those decisive actions toward resolving whatever it is that is currently causing you anxiety. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how quickly your anxiety fades.

Something causing you anxiety? Let the Heroic Performance App help you gain the clarity and courage you need to take bold action and eliminate that anxiety.