How To Set Anxiety Aside

Plus: the eight-week "Health Fix"—the organized way!

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The 10almonds Team
March 19, 2023

Remember: nobody but you gets to decide how much you can handle

It’s Psychology Sunday here at 10almonds, and today we have:

  • Turning bad habits upside down (and out)

  • How to set anxiety aside

    • First things first

    • Rooting out the problem

    • How to focus (actively!) on what you can control

    • Anxiety-proofing your body too

  • The Health Fix (an organizational guide, as well as 8-week program),

👀 WATCH AND LEARN

Turning Bad Habits Upside Down (And Out!)

We skipped the first minute for you, to get to where she starts with the actual content:

☺️ MAIN FEATURE

How To Set Anxiety Aside

We've talked previously about how to use the “release” method to stop your racing mind.

That's a powerful technique, but sometimes we need to be calm enough to use it. So first...

Breathe

Obviously. But, don't underestimate the immediate power of focusing on your breath, even just for a moment.

There are many popular breathing exercises, but here's one of the simplest and most effective, “4–4 breathing”:

  • Breathe in for a count of four

  • Hold for a count four

  • Breathe out for a count of four

  • Hold for a count of four

  • Repeat

Depending on your lung capacity and what you're used to, it may be that you need to count more quickly or slowly to make it feel right. Experiment with what feels comfortable for you, but the general goal should breathing deeply and slowly.

Identify the thing that's causing you anxiety

We've also talked previously about how to use the RAIN technique to manage difficult emotions, and that's good for handling anxiety too.

Another powerful tool is journaling.

If you don't want to use any of those (very effective!) methods, that's fine too—journaling isn't for everyone.

You can leverage some of the same benefits by simply voicing your worries, even to yourself:

There's an old folk tradition of "worry dolls"; these are tiny little dolls so small they can be kept in a pocket-size drawstring purse. Last thing at night, the user whispers their worries to the dolls and puts them back in their bag, where they will work on the person's problem overnight.

We're a health and productivity newsletter, not a dealer of magic and spells, but you can see how it works, right? It gets the worries out of one's head, and brings about a helpful placebo effect too.

Focus on what you can control

  • Most of what you worry about will not happen.

  • Some of what you worry about may happen.

  • Worrying about it will not help.

In fact, in some cases it may bring about what you fear, by means of the nocebo effect (like the placebo effect, but bad). Additionally, worrying drains your body and makes you less able to deal with whatever life does throw at you.

So while "don't worry; be happy" may seem a flippant attitude, sometimes it can be best. However, don't forget the other important part, which is actually focusing on what you can control.

  • You can't control whether your car will need expensive maintenance…

    • …but you can control whether you budget for it.

  • You can't control whether your social event will go well or ill…

    • …but you can control how you carry yourself.

  • You can't control whether your loved one's health will get better or worse…

    • …but you can control how you're there for them, and you can help them take what sensible precautions they may.

...and so forth.

Look after your body as well!

Your body and mind are deeply reliant on each other. In this case, just as anxiety can drain your body’s resources, keeping your body well-nourished, well-exercised, and well-rested and can help fortify you against anxiety. For example, when it comes to diet, exercise, and sleep:

Don’t know where to start? How about the scientifically well-researched, evidence-based, 7-minute workout?

📖 ONE-MINUTE BOOK REVIEW

The Health Fix - by Dr. Ayan Panja

The book is divided into three main sections:

  • The foundations

  • The aspirations

  • The fixes

The foundations are an overview of the things you're going to need to know, about biology, behaviors, and being human.

The aspirations are research-generated common hopes, desires, dreams and goals of patients who have come to Dr. Panja for help.

The fixes are exactly what you'd hope them to be. They're strategies, tools, hacks, tips, tricks, to get you from where you are now to where you want to be, health-wise.

The book is well-structured, with deep-dives, summaries, and practical advice of how to make sure everything you're doing works together as part of the big picture that you're building for your health.

All in all, a fantastic catch-all book, whatever your health goals.

Wishing you peaceful productivity and good health,

The 10almonds Team