Overcoming anxiety and being free to live your life

Being anxious can be a good or a bad thing depending on the situation.  For example, if a poisonous snake appears out of nowhere and is about to bite you, anxiety is your friend as it sends a clear message to your brain cells to run!

Obviously while serious anxiety problems need attention, feeling anxious about decisions or changes in your life is entirely normal.

For example, if you’ve been through big life changes such as getting married or if you’re planning on moving abroad, you’re bound to feel nervous and apprehensive, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It’s normal to be anxious about life changing situations.  However, if you’re experiencing palpitations and feeling nauseous, it could be that your body and brain are telling you that something isn’t right.  You need to sit down, consider the situation more seriously and figure out what the implications are.

The key to overcoming anxiety is to make a committed decision.

Common situations adults face have an impact on anxiety levels.  Considering quitting your job, for example, is a serious decision and leads you to question what’s going to happen next.  Is your new job going to work out and if it doesn’t, how are you going to meet your financial obligations?  Moving house – which is typically something people feel positive about – can make you feel stressed. Are you going to enjoy living in the new area and will you make friends?

Photograph by Perez Moya. 

The key to overcoming anxiety is to make a committed decision in the first place, for which you then put a plan in place.  Once you’ve decided that you’re going to go ahead with moving house or leaving a job, you can take the situation step by step which makes it feel far less overwhelming.

There’s a reason you’re looking for a new job.  You might be unhappy or are looking for a more challenging role.  You’ll feel reassured that looking for a new job is going to help you achieve your ambitions which should reduce your anxiety.  You just need a considered plan to make sure you look for a position that will suit you and your goals, rather than rushing into something just to get out of your current situation.

The doubt and anxiety normally kick in when you start overthinking or discussing them with other people who may influence you.

You make most decisions subconsciously, so deep down you’ll know whether they feel right or wrong.  The doubt and anxiety normally kick in when you start overthinking or discussing them with other people who may influence you.  In order to feel more confident about your decisions, stick to your original gut feeling and fully get behind it. No matter what you do, or don’t do, there will always be consequences and things will change around you.  Trust your instincts and adopt the ‘deal with it when it happens’ mindset.

Tips to help you overcome your anxiety

1) Get stuck in and start working towards your goal by taking small steps instead of worrying about the end goal. You’ll find that your anxiety will lessen because you will simply be too busy trying to achieve it.

2) Create a list of small and manageable tasks, which need to be completed and cross them out as you go, reassuring yourself you’re gradually making progress.

3) Every time you feel overwhelmed with anxiety, keep repeating to yourself: we always regret the things we don’t do rather than the things we do.  I doubt you’d be happy if someone told you your life, ten years from now, would be exactly the same. So don’t be afraid of change!

Olga Levancuka will help you transform your life.  She’s your Better in 30 Life Coach.  Author of ‘How To Be Selfish’ and ‘Increase Your Confidence in One Day,’ Olga has coached some of the UK’s most prominent entrepreneurs, celebrities and household political names.

Main photograph by Ryan Moreno.