This Is How You Control Your Anxiety Without Drinking

Anxiety is something that pretends to be necessary.  I get it - I have been caught indulging in it myself.  For women I work with, as well as myself, it is often focused around career related issues - will I make my sales numbers, how will I pay the bills, how can I get more clients or customers.  It's no wonder a glass of wine seems like a great idea at the end of the day!  The wine numbs the anxiety, takes the edge off, and you think allows us to feel better.  It becomes a struggle however, when the next day you are beating yourself up for having the wine, compounding the negative feelings, looking for the next glass of the wine at the end of the day to feel better, and so the cycle continues.

The thing is, anxiety is simply a feeling, it will not kill you.  One danger is when you identify too closely with it, just say it's who you are, and you can't imagine living any other way.  It's almost like a bad accessory you continue to put on every day.  It's ok - we all have put a bad one on once or twice, but when you can own it, you can start taking responsibility for it.  If you don't believe you are in control of your anxiety try this - take 10 minutes and worry.  Seriously, think of something that makes you anxious and really worry about it - try to increase your worry as you do it.  I know - it seems crazy, but when you can see how you can increase it, you can see that you really are in control.  

So many of us try to resist the anxiety, which causes another layer of anxiousness.  In fact, I have clients that wake up anxious, and try to find all the reasons they are feeling that way in order to make it stop.  When you look for all the reasons, your brain will find them and continue the cycle.  Instead I suggest you look at anxiety more as a welcome mat - here you are again, come on in, I was expecting you.  This will allow you to start practicing awareness over anxiety.  When you become more aware of what is going on you won't need to escape with the glass of wine. 

Here is one last thing to think about - often times for myself and my clients the vibration of anxiety is described in the body as a racing heart, shallow breathing, maybe something going on in the head.  Consider this - when you go to the gym, or go for a run you feel the same - and in fact usually think that is a sign that you completed a great workout.  Why is it so terrible at other times?  It really is just a feeling.  When you believe you can handle any feeling, you will believe you can handle anything that comes your way, and truly live life to the fullest.  

If you are interested in more "Mindful Weighs" to drink download the FREE GUIDE - Stop Over Drinking Tonight.