I admit that I absolutely hate anxiety! It never fails that no matter how much I try to not be anxious, it finds me at times during the week. And when you think about it, its not a tangible thing…its not something that you can touch, its invisible! And it’s usually related to something that is supposed to happen in the future. So its this big invisible thing that makes you feel really bad about something that hasn’t even happened yet! WOW!
Well, anxiety is a part if life and it will find every one of us, if we’re honest, at some point. As a Certified Life Strategies Coach, I am dedicated to give you tools to help combat this big ugly invisible thing. If you need assistance in your individual and unique application to more tools that may help you with this issue, my contact is below and you can book an appointment for coaching sessions.
In case you’ve missed it, I provided a blog and video on how to fight anxiety with food (the good way, not stress eating J ) as part of my Foods That Fight Series. Today, I am going to introduce you to an acronym called R.E.L.A.X as a process for you to consider in helping you deal with anxiety. Although this is not my creation, I am applying my expertise and experience as a life coach and anxiety sufferer to the application of this method.
R- Recognize. Your first step in dealing with and managing any issue is to recognize that it is happening. I go a step further than others in this step by asking that you dig into possible trigger that may lead to anxious situations.
Here are the top three things you need to recognize in this step.
1. Leading triggers
2. Stress indicators
3. Accountability partner(s) to help you recognize triggers, indicators, and solutions to both.
E- Exercise. Studies show that exercising can divert you from the things that are causing you to be anxious. Exercise also decreases muscle tension, increases heart rate that, in turn, positively changes brain chemistry allowing the brain to release an abundance of positive anti-anxiety neurochemicals. Studies also show that the right amount of exercise protects against anxiety symptoms.
Here are three things to help you with exercise:
1. Mentally prepare yourself and dedicate time for exercising. Make it important!
2. Make sure you are healthy enough for the exercise you are choosing.
3. Accountability partner(s) to help you stick to it.
L- Letting go. There are a bunch of things that you cannot control. That’s life. You’ll need to find the things that are pointless and drama filled and let them go. Sometimes its negative people in your life. Sometimes its pride-filled quarrels or grudges. These things keep you in a prison and caged in anxiety.
Here are three things to help you with letting go:
1. When necessary, make a list of the things that you can’t control.
2. Avoid quick negative reactions that will draw you into more negativity.
3. Designate an accountability partner to help you navigate letting go.
A- Attitude. You will have to find some way to have a positive attitude. Your attitude affects the context in which you see the world and, because of this, is very important to this process. Unfortunately, I’ve seen a lot of “things” out there tell you to have a positive attitude but not much on how to actually do that. I plan to give some tips in later blogs and freebies but for now…
Here are three things to help you with attitude:
1. Know and understand the real you; good and bad.
2. Focus on the positives about yourself and get help to work out the negatives.
3. Enlist an accountability partner. I call this person a battle buddy!
X- Xtra Sleep. Sleep is a basic need in life, it’s a fact. There are different hourly needs for people but the range is usually between 6-8 hours. Sleep works wonders for the physical and non-physical parts of you. Your brain “regroups”, your muscles repair, and things can be handled better with rest.
Here are three things to help you with sleep:
1. Take a good look at what is keeping you from sleeping and fix it!
2. Plan you day in a way that allows you to be settled an hour or more before bedtime. Make sure you plan this time OUTSIDE of your hours of sleep.
3. Enlist an accountability partner to keep you on track with your sleep.
Conclusion
I could go so much deeper within this R.E.L.A.X. process but I have to keep these blogs brief. You may have noticed that there is a recurring theme: accountability partners! We are made to be in community and, just like having a spotter in the gym for safety that same principle applies to your progress. Your accountability partner may be a real friend that wants the best for you so they will tell you what you need to hear and not just what you want to hear. If you lack that friend in your life, a paid professional such as myself is a good option. Your payment and my desire to help keeps us both accountable to your progress.
Brian "B-Rob" Robinson is a Certified Sports Nutrition Coach, Certified Life Strategies Coach, Certified Personal Trainer, Youtuber, and co-founder of LEANWellonline. His YouTube channel is called thisisb-rob.