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How to Overcome Anxiety
Anxiety and constant worry are an increasing problem in modern life. Many people are overcome by social anxiety in certain situations (such as parties), and other people even have periodic anxiety attacks. A common treatment for such anxiety is medications, but medications can have negative side effects and just cover over the basic problem. It’s best if you can learn to overcome anxiety by practicing simple methods that can help you to immediately feel happier and more peaceful. Fortunately, many such methods exist and can be easily learned.
Social Anxiety
I used to be so shy that, as a teen, I couldn’t order my own food at a restaurant. I would say what I wanted to my parents who would order my food for me. This was highly embarrassing. Luckily, this pain got me motivated to pursue simple ways to overcome my anxiety and shyness. Within a year, I had overcome my anxiety attacks, and had even won first place in the California speech contest for high school students. When my book, Shortcuts to Bliss, became a bestseller after an appearance on Oprah, I had the good fortune of reaching millions of people with simple methods to overcome anxiety.
One of the keys to overcoming anxiety is to get into a state of mind that feels peaceful and/or confident. In my audio course, Deeper Happiness, I provide a whole assortment of methods to overcome social anxiety and anxiety attacks. Most of them can be done in under a minute a day. For example, one simple method to overcome anxiety is to sit or stand like someone who is supremely confident. Imagine a favorite president, or action hero—such as Superman or Wonder Woman. For a few seconds, walk like they walk, and put a look on your face of total confidence and determination. Unleash your own inner Tom Hanks or Meryl Streep, as you simply act like a character in a movie that is very confident.
How to Avoid an Anxiety Attack
Acting like a confident person can help you overcome anxiety because it interrupts the pattern that leads to anxiety. Anxiety consists of two basic ingredients: how you hold your body and what you focus on in your mind. If you move your body differently than you normally do (i.e. like a confident
superhero), it sends an “anti-anxiety” message to your brain. If you also change the focus of your mind at the same time, it can act like a “one-two punch” that can knock out your anxiety and fears.
To overcome anxiety in my mind, I like to sing (inside my head) a favorite rock ’n roll song. Between walking like Superman and singing “Twist and Shout” by the Beatles, I’ve found I can overcome anxiety in about 20 seconds in almost any situation. Once, while doing a lengthy CNN interview, I noticed I was getting pretty nervous. But during the first commercial break, I walked around the studio like Superman, and sang to myself “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction”…by the Rolling Stones. The CNN staff thought I was nuts, but by the time the camera rolled again, I was totally calm and focused. Try it out sometime; you may well be amazed by the results you get if you give it a good shot.
If you want to get better at learning ways to feel more peaceful and overcome anxiety, I suggest my audio Home Study Course called “Deeper Happiness: One Month to a Lifetime of Greater Fulfillment.” This course offers a variety of methods that are both powerful and simple. By trying a variety of such easy methods, you’re sure to find some that really work incredibly well for you. You can even download three free entertaining lectures that offer great methods on how to overcome anxiety.