“With stress levels continuing to rise all over the world, people are becoming more conscious not only of the long-term effects of stress, but also of how unmanaged emotions compromise the quality of one’s day-to-day life, limiting mental clarity, productivity, adaptability to life’s challenges and enjoyment of its gifts. At the same time, most of us have experienced how positive emotional states, such as appreciation and care, add a quality of buoyancy and coherent flow to our lives, significantly enhancing our efficiency and effectiveness.” Research Overview; The Institute of HeartMath
People are stressed out. Not just a few but many are weary of the everyday impacts of the noise of “news”, the constant bombardment of negativity so it is no wonder that people are suffering from all kinds of problems. Our thoughts lead to emotions and emotions are what we use to determine how our life is going for us. Anxiety attacks, panic attacks, worry, loss of self-esteem, lower job performance, loss of purpose, and more can all be tied emotions that have become overwhelmed. Demands on individuals have never been higher and continue to rise daily.
The bad economy and loss of security in the workplace is only increasing worry and anxiety. College students worry about their careers and finding meaning in their lives. Parents try to balance the needs of children with work. Time seems to blur and days grow shorter and the “to do” list grows longer.
It is no wonder that there is a lot of emotional stress in people’s lives.
Emotions play a huge impact on the decisions that are made and how happy a life one experiences. At some point the fear and anxiety just becomes a habit. Any new thought triggers a moment of fear. Doc Childre writes that “Anxieties that have become ingrained are just there. They rule your life, and you never even noticed you handed power over to them.” (Transforming Anxiety pg. 27).
The way to overcome anxiety driven moments is to first recognize the event that trigger the anxiety/fear. Let the moment pass and try to understand where the emotion came from. The next step is to decide if that fear and anxiety was justified. What was the really happening? What can you do about it once you recognize that negative impulse of energy was there? Identifying and understanding where the feeling came from is one step in reducing anxiety in your life.
It isn’t just moments of anxiety; it is all the draining emotions that are experienced that can be tamed and transformed. The image of self can be transformed once there is a conscious understanding of where the feelings came from.
What steps can you take to start lowering anxiety and fear in your life?
(next time … thoughts that drive decisions)
“If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.”
Marcus Aurelius
Coach with Heart 