Do you start the day with knots in your stomach? Thoughts of failure in your head?
“I’m not on track to make my 2012 goals.”
“I’ll never get a job.”
“I should be doing webinars.”
“I should be growing seeds for the garden.”
If shoulds and all or nothing thoughts are making you feel miserable, turn ‘em upside down and on their heads.
Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda
Banish those words from your vocabulary.
They serve no purpose except to make you feel worse about something you had planned to do and didn’t.
What’s the point of feeling worse? Where’s the value in using a verbal cat o’ nine tails to beat yourself up?
You’re left wounded and bleeding and who has any energy left after a beating to do what you had wanted?
5 Steps To Taking Charge Of Start-Of-The-Day Anxiety
1. Take 3-5 minutes and write down your negative thoughts.
Get them out of your brain and onto a piece of paper. Make a ritual or practice of crumbling up those thoughts and tossing them into the garbage. Outside. Yep, walk out of your house or apartment, which also changes things up, and throw those thoughts into the outside trash.
To some people I’ve worked with, this seemed silly and it may to you. But it helps. Ritual is a powerful tool in your changing thoughts tool box.
2. Eat something healthy for breakfast. (For me protein, because my blood sugar levels are low in the morning.)
For ease and speed, I hard boil a bunch of eggs and have them in the refrigerator. I eat them even though they don’t rock my taste buds but it beats cooking or energy-slumping at 9:30 am.
Click here for other easy morning meals, like cheese and apples.
3. Put on your favorite music. Songs with vocals that you know and can sing along to – preferably loudly – are great.
I choose GoFM “No rules – we just play stuff.”
You can sing while you’re in the shower or getting dressed. (I’ve tried it while brushing my teeth and wouldn’t recommend it). Sing row, row, row your boat if you want. The choice of song doesn’t matter, but choosing to sing does. Singing is amazingly healing.
Also, practicing hearing your voice, even in song, makes it easier to find your authentic voice when you need to.
4. Take a new route to work.
Again, you’re changing things up, making your brain focus on the new route rather than negative thoughts.
If you work at home, get out of the house. Go to the library or a local coffee shop for a change of scenery and routine. The hustle and bustle of people around you also takes you away from focusing on yourself.
5. Breathe
Taking 5 deep breaths an hour is a tremendous help in keeping you calm.
Most people are shallow breathers and anxiety and stress tightens our breathing even more. I’ve been making a conscious effort to take long deep breaths whenever I think of it. It’s been a big help in reducing my outward signs of tension (shoulders tensed and raised) and, overall, calming my mind.
Let me know how these steps work for you and, please, add any ideas you have.
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This is super advice for the shoulda, coulda, woulda blues. I never used to eat breakfast, but once I started and included protein, the difference is noticeable and something no one is exempt from.
Take a different route–it’s just so easy to go the same way all the time–and the funny thing is when you are that familiar you don’t even realize what’s under your nose. Take a different route and if you’re a Realtor keep an eye out for For Sale By Owners and now it’s work and you can write the miles off too!
Trash and burn the negative is my favorite–let out the negative and make room for the positive–Take charge, be in charge and be positive, what a wonderful way to start a day. Thanks!
Pam,
Throwing out or burning bad thoughts are two of my favorites. In fact, I think I need a burning right now. I’m taking charge of what has become a rocky morning. You helped me too! Cherry
Great advice, Cherry. Lord knows I’ve had those days. Love the breakfast suggestion. I’m like Pam. For years I never ate breakfast and then not only my anxieties but my blood sugar used to crash me. The two don’t go together very well. I eventually fixed that.
Managing our own expectations is a big job, but if we don’t do it, we’ll pay a big price. We all need tools to quiet those awful voices. Sometimes a pen and piece of paper where we write down reasonable to-dos and achievable plans for the day can help too. And… as you say…breathing is always good :-)!