A couple of days ago, James and I were outside with Maggie, soaking up a beautiful morning.
It felt so good.
Easy and relaxed.
Then I noticed a familiar feeling.
My solar plexus was squeezing and tightening into a fist.
I smiled.
"Thank you!" I said, directing my attention to the discomfort.
I didn't say this outloud. (James accepts my weird ways, but there's a limit.) Instead, I mentally streamed appreciation inward.
"Thank you so much. You're awesome. Don't worry, I won't forget."
Immediately, the squeezing stopped.
You know why? Because it was HEALTHY anxiety.
It didn't show up to ruin my beautiful morning. It showed up to make sure I wouldn't forget the coaching session I had in an hour.
That inner squeeze was its way of saying "Don't forget!"
Healthy anxiety is here to HELP! Unfortunately, most of us have been taught to see anxiety as a problem. (It doesn't feel good, so it must be bad. Right?)
Wrong.
Hunger pangs don't feel good either, but we wouldn't survive long without them.
Healthy anxiety works the same way. It shows up to get our attention.
Unfortunately, most of us dismiss it or try to get rid of it. And that's a mistake.
If you don't acknowledge anxiety, it will get louder and more intense.
The truth is, you've got to TALK to it!
Tune in and ask it what it wants you to know. Once you get the message, thank it and it will stop sounding the alarm.
If it doesn't—if it's chronic, non-stop anxiety that won't leave you alone—there's something else going on.
Many times, stubborn anxiety is trying to alert you to a long-standing pattern that needs to be changed.
dysfunctional habits of thought
unfinished emotional business
unresolved trauma
unhealthy boundaries
poor self esteem
In my books, that's great news.
Having a built-in alarm system that notifies you about unhealthy inner issues (or things you need to remember or attend to) is HEALTHY.
So . . . if you haven't thanked your anxiety yet, why don't you give it a try?
And if you get stuck and need a coach, I'll be right here.
Sending you so much love,
P.S. If you DO get stuck, CLICK HERE to book a free consultation. I love helping people develop a relationship with their anxiety so they can better understand what it's trying to tell them.
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