Letting Go

So many of us have anxiety issues, including myself.  Fear of the future, needing to be in control, that underlying sensation that "something is wrong" or "something bad is going to happen" plagues a lot of us.   In some ways anxiety can be more debilitating than depression.

Some things that have helped me and others over the years to manage our anxiety better and not let it have control over us are as follows:  Take what resonates with you and discard what does not!

If your worry is something that you can take action about, then Take it!  If I am worried about finances, there are things that I can do to ease my mind; I could consult a financial advisor, put myself on a budget, etc.  Taking action on things that we can is very helpful to easing our worries.  But if it is something we do not have control over, we need to practice letting go.  I don't have control what the weather will be on my vacation, or if the economy slows down and I lose my job.  I can't control the weather or the economy.  Many things there is gray areas, where we do have some control in our little room world; I can eat healthy and exercise if I am worried about disease, but I can't control my genetics or my past behavior.   Ask yourself What do I have control over?

Look for the positive in your life!  Our brains have a negativity bias that is very very strong.  Practicing looking at the good in your life eases our worries, helps us to feel that life is supporting us,  and not out to make us miserable. This has to be practiced often in order to combat the negativity bias we all carry. My car broke down this week, and I had to work around things and spend time and money getting it fixed; but I am thankful my  husband and son helped, that I had the ability to pay for the repair and it was a relatively minor issue.  Changing my perspective allows these speed bumps in life to not throw me off and go down a worry path.

None of us get out of this life unscathed; our lives may look so good from the outside (or on Facebook), but we all have our challenges, heartbreaks, rejections, health issues, family problems, financial problems, etc. But, the majority of what happens to us will be neutral!   There will be some good things happen to us and we will also have our share of 'bad' things happen to us.  And most things that happen are neutral and we have the wonderful ability to choose our perspective on it.  It is a super power we all have: the ability to choose our perspective. It can and will change your life if you use this power wisely and thoughtfully.

So Til next time, breathe in and breathe out, say in your mind I am practicing letting go.

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