Make a decision and commit to it. Equanimity 101.
Spending time waffling back-and-forth is nothing but wasted time and energy that ramps up anticipatory anxiety. [Read more…] about Decide. Commit. Repeat.
Just Write
When in doubt, write.
You can write about anything. You can write about the day’s events, covering every nook and cranny in finite detail. Or you can write about a trip you once took.
Fiction. Nonfiction. Memoir. Whatever. It doesn’t matter. [Read more…] about Just Write
The Nervous Next Door Passenger
On a recent flight, I was sitting next to my worst nightmare.
The Old Me.
As usual, I came prepared: lists of things to do, tons of content and a good mindset. However, before takeoff, when the guy next to me kept popping up in his seat and shaking his legs and shifting around his body weight, I knew I was in for a challenge.
[Read more…] about The Nervous Next Door Passenger
Repeat After Me: It’s Okay to Not Want More
I’m motivated. I was born that way.
I don’t say that to brag, I say it, to admit that sometimes, I think it works against me.
A calm and relaxed life is often accepting what is. Living in the present moment, which necessitates NOT thinking about wanting, working and planning for “more.”
[Read more…] about Repeat After Me: It’s Okay to Not Want More
Expand Your World
I’ll save you all the cliches. Just get out there and do something different. Experience something new. Get the fuck out of your comfort zone, and be rewarded for it so many ways almost every time. [Read more…] about Expand Your World
Vitamin C and Panic Attacks
Back in 2002 and 2003, I had a daily morning routine that included drinking one of those popular dissolvable packets of vitamin C with a few ounces of water. That was also a time when my anxiety heightened. I am not blaming vitamin C for panic attacks, merely suggesting that there is limited data out there that concretely suggests whether vitamin C reduces or increases anxiety. [Read more…] about Vitamin C and Panic Attacks
Caffeine and Anxiety: Learn Your Max
Everyone has a different tolerance level for caffeine. Everyone’s body reacts differently to intake.
A useful tool for me was determining my caffeine tipping point.
During the height of my anxiety, I was drinking way too many grande Caramel Macchiatos from Starbucks.
Once I realized that caffeine was contributing to my panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder, I decided to cut it. [Read more…] about Caffeine and Anxiety: Learn Your Max
Choosing Nothing
My balance can be off-kilter when boredom sets in. That is when I need to remind myself that sometimes, doing nothing is AOK.
Not making a choice is a choice. Accept that fact and use the opportunity for cardio or deep breathing.
Or nothing.
A Steady Diet of Moderation
When you are seeking balance in your life, it is important not to take on too much of anything. Not too much emotion. Not too many potato chips. Not too much exercise. Not too much of ANYTHING.
Easier said than done, I know. Because if you handed me a pint of Cherry Garcia, I would probably eat my words. [Read more…] about A Steady Diet of Moderation
Just Show Up and Get to Work
“Inspiration is for amateurs – the rest of us just show up and get to work.” — Chuck Close, American painter, artist and photographer
It’s true. If we wait for divine intervention, an epiphany, or inspiration, it may never come. Or, if it does, not frequently. [Read more…] about Just Show Up and Get to Work