A lot of people could become very successful at work, but they have anxiety which stops them from reaching their goals. If you think you could excel if it wasn’t for your anxious thoughts you might be sick and tired of having an imaginary ball and chain holding you back. Take a look at some of these tips that can help free your mind so you can jump up the corporate ladder much quicker. I think you’ll be happy you took action in a few years when you open your future pay packets.
Visualize uncomfortable situations
The reason you get anxious about certain situations is because your subconscious mind thinks something is going to go wrong. You just need to convince it otherwise and it’s easier to visualize something instead of doing it in real life. Think about all the situations where you’re normally uncomfortable and live them out multiple times while you’re sitting at your desk with your eyes closed. Once you attempt them for real you’ll notice you don’t get as scared.
Speak to your dream boss
This is a weird one because I’m not actually talking about speaking to your real boss. I’m saying you should speak to your boss while you dream, but first you will need to learn how to lucid dream which means you will become conscious while you sleep. When new neural pathways are formed while you dream they don’t just disappear when you wake up. It means you can get rid of your anxiety by rehearsing anything in real-time inside your dreams.
Recognize the signs
When you’re sitting at your desk you will feel anxious once something triggers it. The trick is to pay close attention so you know exactly when it starts. If you can catch it early you have a much better chance of controlling it because you can start your breathing exercises straight away. Just remember it’s impossible to be relaxed and anxious at the same time, so if you can learn to relax as quickly as possible you can stop the onset of anxious thoughts.
Confide in people you trust
I know this one is scary because you don’t want anyone to know about your problems, but you will feel like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders. Sometimes you will get anxious only because you think other people will be able to tell you’re anxious. If they already know you get anxious you won’t be scared about them guessing how you feel. Because it’s scary you should only start with people you trust the most and you’ll eventually come to realize everyone will support you.
Cut down on stress at home
You take your anxiety into work with you and it’s easy to stop it from happening by learning to cut out stress at home. If you spend 16 hours per day with a relaxed mind it’s going to be much easier to stay relaxed at work. If your mind is constantly racing non-stop you will never be able to get away from it. Once you get home you should do everything within your power to calm your mind so you can get ready for the following day when it’s time to go into work.
Learn how to meditate properly
You should know by now it’s impossible to be anxious and relaxed at the same time, so what is the one activity you can use to become completely relaxed? Monks haven’t been meditating for thousands of years because they enjoy sitting around doing nothing all day. As soon as you’re inside a trance-like state your mind will be empty for the first time in your life and while you remain in that state your body and mind will start to counteract all those years of pent-up stress and anxiety.
Treat yourself to a massage
Even though a proper massage costs money it’s still one of the easiest ways to beat stress. As the masseuse is running her hands up and down your body you will feel all the anxious thoughts disappear. It will help your blood circulation which also helps you feel more relaxed because your body will be working more effectively. Once you’ve finished having a massage you can jump inside the sauna and swimming pool at your local spa to wind down even more.
Take it one day at a time
Once you start implementing these techniques you won’t suddenly feel like a million bucks, so don’t get worried when you don’t see instant results because it will stress you out even more. Everything takes time and you need to think of this as a long-term project. Within a few months you’ll notice a big difference and after a few years you’ll feel like a superhero. You have your whole career ahead of you and it won’t be long until you’re ready to take on the world.
The author of this post, Karen Fernandes, is a part of the team at Pink Lime Salon and Spa, a renowned spa in Vancouver. Her hobbies include swimming and crochet. You can follow her on Twitter for more information.