How many times have you said to yourself or someone that you care about “for Pete’s sake stop talking about it and just do it?” Or how many times have you beat yourself up because you have been planning to do something for days, weeks, or even months or years and you just never quite get to it?

People suffer from various kinds of anxiety and it often gets unbearable around holidays or special occasions. When you are feeling anxious it is hard to think and hard to know what to do about it. Know that what you are feeling is either fear of the unknown or fear of being exposed. Examine this fear and ask yourself how practical is it? Don’t try to talk yourself out of what you are feeling but learn some of the ways you can manage your anxiety.

To manage your anxiety there are three areas to look into: Physically, Mentally & Spiritually. In part one we discuss physical aspects and in part two we discussed mentally and in part three we will look into how your spiritual life can reduce your anxiety.

Spiritually:

• Do you have a spiritual component in your life? If so, what do you do to honor it? Everyone must have someone or something in their life is that he/she can look up to. If you don't know God perhaps now is the time to explore who He is and what He stands for.
• Have you tried meditation or yoga for calming and relaxation? Formerly the school of thought was that meditation and yoga was of the occult, now we know that is not true. Both are widely accepted as a superior way to combat anxiety.
• Do you suffer from shame or guilt that does not belong to you, but has been passed on to you by parents or others? If so, how long do you want to carry it?
• Have you sought counseling or spiritual direction guidance from someone you trust? Is misery a companion that you are willing to give up. Are you willing to do whatever it takes to find peace of mind? Some people have used anxiety as a crutch for many years, giving it up involves facing your reasons for keeping it. Just like leaving an abusive relationship opens one up to a whole new world so can leaving your anxiety. Are you willing? Are tired of being controlled? Have you suffered long enough? Only you can answer these questions.

Help is available and is as close as your phone or email. If you need it, get it!

People suffer from various kinds of anxiety and it often gets unbearable around holidays or special occasions. When you are feeling anxious it is hard to think and hard to know what to do about it. Know that what you are feeling is either fear of the unknown or fear of being exposed. Examine this fear and ask your how practical is it? Don’t try to talk yourself out of what you are feeling but learn some of the ways you can manage your anxiety.

To manage your anxiety there are three areas to look into: Physically, Mentally & Spiritually. In part one we discuss physical aspects and in part two we will discuss what aspects you can look at mentally to manage anxiety.

Mentally:

• What kind of messages are you giving yourself? The way you talk to yourself can increase anxiety ten (10) fold. Negative Self-Talk is Very Destructive and can keep you constantly anxious.
• To combat the negative messages you give yourself, you must change the negative into a positive and say it to yourself five times each time the negative message comes up. An example of this is: if you look in the mirror and say “I look terrible” you can overcome that by saying five times in a row, “I look great, I am beautiful (handsome), I am better looking today than I was yesterday”. For best results do this every day.
• Whatever you tell yourself is true. If you say you can't do something, then you can't. If you say you’re not good enough, then you will prove to yourself that you are not good enough. If you say you don't like something, then for sure you won't like it even if you have never even tried it.
• Have you or do you often feel inside that you are crazy? If you are reading this, you are not crazy and in fact probably everything you feel is normal and felt by hundreds of others.
• Do you journal? Writing everything down is the most positive way to put things into perspective. Put it all down, everyday, hold nothing back, do not worry about spelling or making sense no one is to read this except you, and do not read what you have written for several weeks. When you do read it, you will see a predominate theme that will guide you in decision making. Many people avoid writing because it is “too much work”. If this is you, then you are enjoying your discomfort too much to try something to overcome it.

People suffer from various kinds of anxiety and it often gets unbearable around holidays or special occasions. When you are feeling anxious it is hard to think and hard to know what to do about it. Know that what you are feeling is either fear of the unknown or fear of being exposed. Examine this fear and ask your how practical is it? Don’t try to talk yourself out of what you are feeling but learn some of the ways you can manage your anxiety.

To manage your anxiety there are three areas to look into: Physically, Mentally & Spiritually. In part one it will discuss what aspects you can look at physically to manage anxiety.

Physically:

• Look at your eating habits, do you drink a lot of caffeine products, such as coffee, energy drinks or soda? If so, cut back on them.
• Do you smoke cigarettes or use chewing tobacco? Nicotine only calms for moments and then creates a restlessness that requires more nicotine.
• Are you getting enough exercise? Research shows that daily exercise doing something you love reduces anxiety. Walking, running, dancing and weight lifting are all ways to reduce anxiety.
• How hard do you work? Are you a workaholic? Do you not work at all because of fear?
• Are you able to sleep or do you let yourself worry and think all night? There are ways to take care of an over active mind.
  • One way is to Pray and Learn to Let Go.
  • Another is to Count Backwards from 100...
  • And another way is to Concentrate on Your Breathing.

Answer the following questions to help you assess whether you play the role of a victim and how it may be impacting you. At the end of the survey, there are three scoring ranges that would support, based on your answers, if you are a victim.

Please answer the following questions with Yes or No:

- Do you ever find yourself doing more than you want to do or have feelings of being out of control in any of the following areas:

Where ever there are human beings there will be differences in opinion and often open conflict. Most often open conflict is a power struggle.

Power struggles are recognized by the following signs:

• Refusing to make eye-contact.
• Giving the silent treatment.
• Manipulation in an attempt to dominate or control.
• Using blame, intimidating gestures, and loud voices.
• Expressing bitterness, resentment and suspicion.
• Using us and them language setting yourself apart. (you people)
• Being secretive, hiding information or activities.
• Showing disapproval or contempt for another’s point of view.