Anxiety Coping Strategies For Uncertain Times

by Janelle Legge | Jul 23, 2020 | Anxiety

Anxiety coping strategies for uncertain times lead to good mental health, more awareness, resilience, happiness, inner peace and calm. There’s the old saying “knowledge is power” and I’d add to that for today “awareness” is not only power, but the most potent way for you to disengage from collective fear and panic that’s just not serving anyone.

Never before has it been more critical to become more self aware, educated and informed so that you can take a more objective and constructive view of things.

When you’re being presented for months on end with statistics without any kind of meaningful or relevant context you have to step back and ask “What’s not being said/explained?”. Why aren’t the improvements, the recoveries and mildness of 98% of coronavirus cases being highlighted also? Why isn’t the fuller context being given?

You have to wonder about the level of consciousness of the people generating and broadcasting such negative messaging night after night – messaging that’s potentially far more harmful because of the mass fear and anxiety it creates which as we’re seeing has devastating mental, wellbeing, economic and societal impacts.

It’s widely known now how harmful stress, worry and negative thinking are to our immune systems and overall physical and mental health. The quality of our thoughts have a direct impact on our health, productivity, self-confidence and relationships.

5 Anxiety Coping Strategies For Uncertain Times

#1 Stay focused on the present moment and what’s going well

Let’s choose instead to focus on the present moment and the positives – where you have the most power and agency. Looking after yourself mentally, spiritually and physically so that you’re more present for yourself and the people who depend on you.

#2 Be the gatekeeper of your mind and focus

Key to this is taking care of your daily mindset and mental health – being the gatekeeper of the quality, accuracy and usefulness of the information you expose yourself to so that you’re not being bombarded and assaulted each day with alarmism which perpetuates feelings of fear and powerlessness and becomes addictive and hypnotic for some.

There are more positive and constructive sources of information out there if you use discernment and switch off from the nightly drama of sensationalist style news.

#3 Develop critical thinking skills

And if you don’t use critical thinking skills or listen to your own instincts and commonsense, particularly when you’re in uncharted terrain, you’re constantly giving your power away and that’s when you can slip into feelings of helplessness and inner despair.

#4 Take time out to detox your thinking, replenish and reboot

Even if you can only grab 15 minutes alone time for yourself each day, it’s worth the effort. Regular time out allows you to turn down the noise, clear out repetitive, negative thoughts and connect in with yourself and your own inner wisdom and guidance. For some people that’s having time out at their local cafe, for others it’s yoga, swimming, running, walking in nature or regular journaling. Find what works best for you and make it a regular date with yourself.

#5 Believe in yourself and learn how to hold the longer view

What you say to yourself every minute of each day is powerful. Staying grounded and at the same time optimistic and confident in your own abilities are vital skills during uncertainty. Regularly reminding yourself that you are strong, capable, healthy and resourceful builds self confidence and self belief. As does developing the stamina and resilience to be able to hold in mind the longer range view – that this situation will eventually become yesterday’s news. It’s about focusing on how you can use challenging situations to emerge healthier, more resilient and more aware.

3 Ways To Invest in Your Wellbeing And Stay Motivated

by Janelle Legge | Jan 4, 2017 | Wellbeing | 0 comments

It’s hard to stay motivated when you haven’t been investing in your wellbeing. Maybe you’ve experienced the inertia and lack-lustre approach to life that comes from neglecting your wellbeing? Just getting caught up in everyday life?

Your sense of self is shaped by your body and your most important relationships and experiences. It’s not just about your brain and changing your thinking.

Exercise / physical activity is a must-do to stay motivated, optimistic and focused on your goals.

Because when you stop investing in your own wellbeing, you often end up hitting invisible barriers and getting stuck. That’s when your fear of failure starts to set in. There’s a direct relationship between staying motivated and succeeding in life and the quality of your daily habits, your thinking, and your social environment.

Focusing on your wellbeing is a mindset and lifestyle choice. It’s about choosing to look after yourself in a more conscious and mindful way.

The good news is you can fix this easily.

3 Ways To Invest In Your Wellbeing And Stay Motivated

#1 Don’t Isolate Yourself

One of the quickest ways to step over your own thinking habits and stay motivated is to connect with creative, motivated people. They see things from multiple perspectives. They are people who are able to hold space for you, help you clarify your own thinking, and open up a whole new world of fresh, creative solutions and ideas. It is these conversations that have you walking away with a brand new take on things, feeling energized and optimistic about what’s possible for you. Investing in good quality relationships with people who want you to succeed is a sure-fire way to avoid self-limiting thinking or beliefs. It gets you thinking more creatively, outside the box. When you try and solve a problem in isolation from your fixed level of awareness, you usually find that six months later you’re still in the same spot, feeling even more frustrated and demotivated. In some cases this is dangerous.

#2 Get Healthy and Fit

Physical fitness has a direct impact, not only on your health, but also on the strength and flexibility of your mind and wellbeing. It improves your levels of self-mastery. Exercise gets those valuable endorphins kicking in, lifting your mood and in turn making you feel more positive and self-confident. Going to the gym, exercising outdoors, swimming and other types of physical activities are all great ways to get you out of negative, self-limiting thinking habits. Similarly, yoga, qigong and tai chi that cultivate meditation and mindfulness are also beneficial. Any type of physical activity where you have to focus on your body and your breath and be more mindful is ideal. It gets you into the present moment, clears your mind, and helps you see things differently. It’s about finding things that you genuinely enjoy so that you’ll commit to doing them regularly. Daily rhythms are becoming increasingly important in a complex and constantly changing world. Regular routines make you feel more grounded and focused, regardless of what’s going on around you.

#3 Have A Purpose

You achieve your best by being really clear on why you’re doing what you do every day. Having a clear purpose in life is what keeps you motivated and optimistic, even when things aren’t going exactly as you want them to. It’s about having a purpose and mission in life. Whether that’s being a great parent to your kids, being your best self to the people you care about most, or wanting to positively impact the world via your career and business. Having a purpose is what gives your life direction and meaning. This is because you know what really matters the most to you and why. It’s when you’re feeling motivated, useful and purposeful that you’re able to thrive and be your best.

A version of this article was featured in the December 2016 issue of The Sydney Standard.

Tags: Health and wellbeing activities, Living With Purpose, Optimism, Power of daily rhythms, Yoga benefits

Welcome to a space where you can turn down the noise and distractions and become more inner and present moment focused. That’s when you’re able to more fully access and harness your authenticity, your own inner wisdom and live your best life.

Doing the journey of self discovery and investing in your self development and wellbeing changes your entire life, beyond what you ever thought was possible for you.

Janelle Legge