Anticipatory Anxiety - Part 2
Get out of your daily routine and go with the flow
That mostly goes for people (like myself) who like to do things their way, usually alone, and with no one else's input. It is something that I have had to work on immensely. Let's say all of your friends want to get Mexican food and you're not the biggest fan of Mexican food. Instead of trying to either get them to eat somewhere else, control the situation, or avoid the night completely, just go. Order rice, try something new, and do not miss the opportunities that could be provided because it was not what you originally wanted to do!
Let it happen. Let life happen. You could find joy or humor in unexpected moments.
What will I loose?
Letting anxiety run your life and control your actions can be detrimental for a lot of people. Some avoid their fears at all costs because of the possibility of them becoming reality.
You don't want the possibility of heartbreak? Guess you could end up alone and never make another human connection again. Scared of being alone? Settling for someone you think is safe is a cute idea. Terrified of failing at your dream job, with that promotion, or your dream business venture? Fun plan staying stagnant in your life, career, and not reaching your full potential.
What I want you to do is notice what your anxieties are causing you to miss out on. What do you gain from letting them be involved in your life? Get angry about it. That's no way to live.
Is it Excitement?
Some of you might want to slap me across the face for suggesting this one, that's fair enough. This only goes for CERTAIN types of anticipatory anxiety.
Fun Fact: Anxiety and excitement are the same emotion only, depending on the situation, our brains interpret them differently.
Excitement and anxiety produce similar signals so it can easily be misinterpreted!
Some brains have a habit of expecting the worst. It is a coping mechanism and sometimes a fight or flight response.
What if we are getting ready for a date, to move, an interview, or something that has a lot of uncertainty? How do we cope with this? We either get excited and pumped, some of us go get a workout in to burn off a little bit of adrenaline. On the other hand, some of us interpret that feeling as bad. We see it as a warning to a predetermined fate of f*ck ups and bad news. Anxiety can sabostoge situations that could be ones to look forward to!
