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Are you suffering from the gnawing
nagging feeling of overwhelming unsettled emotional discomfort?
Is it effecting your self-esteem and motivation?
Most are familiar with the general
anxiety disorders that can be triggered by fears, impending doom,
obsessive-compulsive, post-traumatic stress and more. But what
about other not so obvious things that raise apprehension and
uneasiness that you can't explain?
What is at the root of your anxiety
symptom? It may be buried deeply in your subconscious, but most
likely you are just not currently aware of the cause. There are
many possible things that can be the source of the disharmony
leading to undesirable emotional feelings. What do you feel that
you can't cope with? Does it relate to the general condition
of your life?
What if you are feeling anxious
because deep inside you know that you are not thinking and acting
in ways that support your core self? You may not even be consciously
aware of what is truly important to you, but your incongruent
behavior is causing internal friction that your emotions are
responding to. Not being aware of why you feel the way you do
supports the anxiety, you feel powerless and unsure. But why
are you uncertain?
It is normally based on your perception
and subsequent interpretation of something. There can be some
subtle things that are the cause of stress and anxiety.
Here are 5 places to look for some
possible root causes of your anxiety symptom:
1) Personal integrity is compromised
Are some of your thoughts and behavior
not in alignment with your most important values? This situation
can be tough to detect until you look for it, as you may not
be clearly aware of your deep values. If there is a conflict
between your behavior and your deepest core values you will feel
emotionally unsettled. Your thoughts and actions must be congruent
with your deepest values in order to feel harmonious.
2) Less than honest interactions
Are you less than honest and forthright
in your interactions with others? If you are living even small
lies you may be fooling some of the people some of the time,
but never yourself. Deep within, you know what's going on and
your inner self will let you know when something is not right.
However, if you are not aware of your inner thoughts and feelings
you may not be sure what your anxious feelings are based on.
3) Cheating Your Potential
Are you not utilizing all of your
potential? Do you make excuses for not using all your potential?
Are you full of reasons and justifications in an attempt to feel
right about your less than full effort? You know this inside;
you can't cheat yourself and get away with it. When you are consciously
not aware of it you can feel out of control without knowing why.
Not utilizing your full potential can be stressful and anxiety
symptoms will come from your feeling not in control.
4) Stuck in the Procrastination
trap
You know that you are not getting
done what you want to get done and what you are capable of doing,
but can't seem to do anything about it. Also you become unsure
that you can do anything about it since you have not been able
to up to this point. When you get stuck in this cycle the frustration
with yourself can turn into anxiety, as you don't know what is
behind it, plus worrying whether you can ever change it.
5) Fearing your future without knowing
why
This relates to the first four items,
in that if any of the above conditions are present you can easily
feel unsure of your future. Facing the future with self confidence
requires that you be well grounded in who you are and in touch
with your potential. Not being secure and feeling unsure whether
you can do anything about it is stressful and can lead to anxiety.
Stress and anxiety can go hand in
hand as you are continuously aware of your feelings of uncertainty
and the resulting fears. It can even be the cause of depression
if the situation seems like it's hopeless.
The key is to root out these base
causes of your emotional feelings, reassess them and change your
perception to better align with the life you want.
Anxiety symptoms are red flags your
inner referee is throwing up to notify you that something is
not right, out of balance. If you let it go, just like a physical
ailment, it gets worse and becomes more and more established.
These self-concepts originated from some perceived need to protect
or satisfy in some way. Since you are feeling unsettled, they
are likely no longer supporting your best interest. Your inner
self is making you aware of an opportunity to change for the
better.
To discover what the sources of
your stress and anxiety are and what were the benefits, ask yourself
some probing questions to peel open your thoughts. Once your
thoughts are revealed, then reassess and establish a new perception
and interpretation of the situation or idea.
Start with a blank tablet and a
pen or pencil. Get yourself calm and relaxed. Write the first
question at the top, then without thinking write what ever thoughts
come up without analyzing or judging -- just write. For example
--
~Why am I feeling this way?
~What is my biggest fear in life?
~What is the worse that could happen
regarding this fear?
~Why do I fear this?
~How can I think differently about
this that will better serve me today?
~What am I most uncertain about
today?
~Why am I uncertain about this?
~What benefit do or did I get from
thinking this way?
~Do I need to continue thinking
this way?
~What can I learn from this?
~What is a better way of looking
at this?
Asking questions of yourself may
not be easy at first, as your mind is not accustomed to thinking
in this fashion. But with diligence, you will learn to allow
your thinking to open up revealing much more about yourself than
you were previously aware of, but it's there.
Also useful method to help to reveal
your inner thoughts is to meditate on it. Meditation helps to
calm and quiet the surface chatter that keeps you distracted
and separated from your inner thoughts, allowing for their rediscovery.
Another beneficial self-improvement
activity is to clarify, establish and define a solid foundation
for yourself. Just as a tall building cannot be stable without
a strong foundation, neither can a successful life. You can solidify
your place in the universe, discover your purpose, align with
intention, and establish a vision and a personal mission. You
can clarify your core values, your potential, your strengths
and how you will support your purpose.
With establishing a solid foundation
for yourself you will elevate your self-concept, self-esteem,
self-confidence and self-motivation --it's how to relieve stress,
anxiety and depression. You will be able to grow and change without
excessive fear, doubt and worry.
Continuous self-improvement with
a positive attitude leads to happiness, positive thinking and
unlimited possibility.
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