Anxiety Explained. Is It Really A Gift?

You may not believe this right now, but your anxiety is actually a gift. It’s letting you know whenever there is something out of alignment in your internal reality.

Speaker: Thais Gibson

See we are living in uncertain times and it’s a common and natural, emotional response to feel anxiety in response to uncertainty. But anxiety is still a solvable problem. And in order to solve any problem, we first must be able to isolate exactly what that problem is for us in our internal space.

See, if you don’t have any context for what anxiety is and what your root causes are, you’re going to feel very helpless to it. But there is always a cause. It’s just often occurring at the subconscious level. So sometimes we’re not aware of it. And what your anxiety is trying to do this entire time is poke at you and prod you awake. So you can start looking beneath the surface at what those root causes are.

Imagine that you’re a child and you have this huge fear of a monster under your bed. So every day you come into your room and you go running to your bed and jump over it. So the monster can’t grab your legs and then maybe one day you work up the courage to just look under your bed and you see, “Oh my goodness, there’s nothing there. All these things I’ve been afraid of and avoiding this entire time and trying to repress and stay away from when I actually looked, there was nothing to be afraid of.” This is exactly how anxiety works. Anxiety is actually a symptom of a buildup of unresolved problems bubbling beneath the surface in your subconscious mind, your brain is designed to complete life experiences and it’s trying to bring these unresolved problems to the surface through the emotion of anxiety. It sees a lack of resolution of problems as an impediment to survival.

Imagine that thousands of years ago, you’re trying to make your way through life and survive. You can’t afford to have unresolved problems and our brain structures haven’t changed that much over the course of thousands of years. Our brain is still trying to do the same thing. It’s trying to get us to take a really clear look at anything that’s holding us back in our lives and create proper strategies and solutions to work through them. I want you to imagine you’re going throughout your day right now and maybe you’re late to work and you start fearing that your boss is going to be angry at you, or your colleagues are going to judge you. And then you get to work and you get busy and you kind of forget about those fears, but they get repressed into the subconscious. And then you go about the next thing during your Workday.

Maybe you turn in something incorrectly or you make a mistake and you have this new fear that arises. See, we can go through the course of our day and have all of these fears that are coming to the surface, all of these perceptions and stories, and if we don’t work through them and create resolution for them or think them all the way through, they just get stored in the subconscious and they become that monster under your bed. And that monster will get louder and louder until you go in there and you take a look and create resolution. So think of our anxiety as being the emotional residue of built-up unresolved problems that are accumulating throughout the course of your day. And that anxiety is a monster trying to yell at you, trying to bring those problems to the surface so you can solve them and survive.

So there are always two things going on. There’s pain and then there’s suffering. Our pain is our unmet needs and our suffering is the story we tell around the unmet needs. It’s what we make the unmet needs mean. So to resolve anxiety, we have to change our thinking and we have to meet our needs.

I want you to imagine you wake up and you watch the news and you think everything is out of control. I have no control in my life. This chaos is never-ending. See, these thoughts in passing are the story of your life. The story you tell around your unmet needs and when you have these passing thoughts throughout the course of your day, your subconscious mind buys into these passing thoughts and it sees them as an absolute truth in that moment and it creates an emotional response accordingly. Think of it for a moment.

Changing Thinking and Meeting Needs

What feelings do you feel when you think thoughts about your life being out of control and chaos being all around you? In that single moment, you’re living in a reality where you truly have no control over your life and more chaos truly is never-ending.

Your subconscious mind believes all the thoughts you think as if they are completely real and valid. And how does your anxiety build up throughout the course of your day, if you have 50, 60, 70, hundreds or thousands of thoughts throughout the course of your day like this? See we have to deal with a couple of things. We have to change our thinking and we have to meet our needs.

If you’re changing your thinking, you might say something like, “Yes, there’s a lot of uncertainty right now, but I trust that I can grow and adapt. In fact, I always have.” And when you want to meet your needs around this, you would go, “Okay, I feel like I don’t have a need met for control. How can I create control in my life? Maybe I can make a schedule for myself, set intentions for my day, or I can observe and reframe my thinking to gain more control over my emotional state.” 

Do you see we just keep changing our thinking and we keep meeting our needs? These painful ways of perceiving your reality, focusing on the problem instead of finding a solution. This is what’s out of alignment and anxiety is that monster. It keeps speaking to you, trying to prompt you to change your thinking and to meet your needs. It’s trying to communicate to you the entire time. Anxiety is this gift. It’s asking you to pivot in your internal reality, asking you to adapt so that you can get your needs met and release the story you’re telling yourself by changing your thinking. So what happens next? Maybe you think of your work and the things you’re behind on and you give that painful meaning.

You tell a painful story there. Maybe you say to yourself, “My boss is going to think I’m not good enough. What if I lose my job? What if I’m not performing? What if I’m out on the streets and can’t pay my bills?” Well, here’s the next part. Your subconscious mind communicates and speaks in images. It sees you in that moment not performing and imagines your boss firing you, thinking you’re not good enough and you see yourself out on the street. It doesn’t hear the “What if.” And so what happens? Your emotions respond accordingly, yet again. That anxiety comes back in as feedback to communicate to you. Look at this painful movie, the story you’re telling in your mind. Look at the pain it’s creating. Change your thinking. Meet your needs. We need to question these narratives playing in our mind. 

Can you know this is even completely valid and true? Or are you putting yourself through this movie in your mind and emoting accordingly all day? We need to change our thinking and meet our needs. So changing your thinking. How am I actually performing? You know, what are my strengths? Are there things that I’m doing well? Can you focus on some of these things instead of just hyper-focusing on the negative and meet your needs? If you feel like you are falling behind, what conversations do you need to have? How can you grow or improve?

See, your subconscious mind is designed to focus on these worst-case scenarios to prepare for them like it’s doomsday and try to keep you safe. But this doesn’t help your anxiety. This creates more anxiety because anxiety is that feedback asking you to change your thinking and meet your needs. So we must consciously choose to focus our energy on finding these solutions by doing these things instead of just feeding the problem on autopilot. And if you can do these two things consistently, you will change your anxiety and your relationship to it once and for all. So this entire time your anxiety has actually been on your side trying to help you change your thinking and meet your needs.

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Are there differences between how introverts and extroverts think? Science says yes.

So what are the differences? It’s not necessarily what you may think. Contrary to popular assumptions, introverts are not necessarily shy – though studies have shown they tend to be deep thinkers. Many introverts enjoy the social aspects of life, yet simply tend to feel overwhelmed in large groups or when being sociable for extended periods of time. In fact, the brain activity of introverts and extroverts are slightly different in surprising ways.

As an introvert myself, I found the insights learned from associated studies of the brain to be both fascinating and illuminating.

THE SCIENCE BEHIND WHY INTROVERTS AND EXTROVERTS THINK DIFFERENTLY

A psychologist named Hans Eysenck conducted research in the 1960s and theorized that introverts have a higher level of what he called “arousal” and were more easily stimulated. His theory also pointed out that, generally speaking, introverts’ ability to process information per second is higher than extroverts.

Extroverts tend to require a higher level of external stimulation to feel awake and alive. So they have a greater sense of risk-taking, seeking out challenges and social situations to provide that stimulation.

On the other hand, introverts seek out solitary time in order to avoid over-stimulation from external sources. They prefer to spend time thinking about, pondering, and analyzing experiences.

Researchers conducted a study in 2005 which linked the difference in personalities and brain activity to dopamine neurotransmitters, where introverts and extroverts responded differently to this “pleasure and reward system” in the brain.

In 2012, another study discovered that introverts most often have larger and thicker gray matter in their prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain linked to abstract thought processes and decision-making. Researchers learned that extroverts had less gray matter.

None of these studies indicate that introverts are smarter than extroverts. The difference is not linked to levels of intellect. Introverts merely respond differently to various situations and circumstances. They become more easily overwhelmed, and tend to spend more time thinking deeply about situations rather than getting out in the world and “doing.”

Introverts simply do not actively seek out the same level of external stimulation, preferring to be lost in their own thoughts.

Here’s an inspirational video to help calm your mind when your thoughts are leading to a feeling of being overwhelmed:

“We are formed and molded by our thoughts. Those whose minds are shaped by selfless thoughts give joy when they speak or act. Joy follows them like a shadow that never leaves them.” —  Buddha

TIPS FOR GETTING THE MOST OUT OF DEEP-THINKING HABITS

While the deep-thinking habits of introverts can sound like a good thing, there are pros and cons associated with that. Here are some points for introverts to consider in order to find the greatest balance between the “thinking” and “doing” aspects of life:

Mind Your Thoughts

While spending so much time in your head, as an introvert, you may tend to think things “to death.” This can take a couple of paths: (1) If thoughts lean along negative lines, you want to be mindful of what thoughts you’re allowing to dominate your mind. Re-frame negative thoughts in positive ways. (2) You may think yourself in circles when you need to make a decision.  If that’s the case, your thoughts may be getting in the way of moving forward in a productive way. Take a step back from analyzing every possible outcome and do a heart and gut check. In these cases, it can be best to let your intuition lead the way so that you actually move forward in a way that feels best (setting your conflicting thoughts aside).

Partner “Thinking” with “Doing”

Rather than spending time lost in thoughts while being sedentary, go for a walk or get in the habit of doing your best thinking while being active. Physical activity has a calming effect on the mind. It will help to manage any stress that comes along with circling thought patterns.

Meditation

Meditation can be beneficial and calming so that you’re not lost in your thoughts so often. This is especially true when your thoughts are sending you in circles or adding stress to your life. Meditation will serve the need for solitary and relaxation time, while also centering you in a beneficial way.

Overall, tending to think deeply is an amazingly wonderful attribute. The tips above can help ensure all of that introverted deep-thinking is truly beneficial, rather than leading to any stress associated with “over-thinking.”

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If you’re like most humans on Earth, you have times when you feel “not good enough.” Maybe it’s an occasional thing, or maybe it’s how you feel most times. In either case, when you’re feeling like you’re not good enough or wishing you were different – a better version of yourself – remember this: You are not alone in feeling that way. And you are not only good enough, but better than you realize. 

I’ll share a personal story that still affects me – one where I’m still learning from this single message. When I was much younger, still in high school and trying to figure out who I was in relation to others, I discovered something that turned things upside down for me. As an adult, it sticks with me as a reminder about how things can appear in the bigger picture.

I had always felt awkward, and I didn’t feel that I truly fit in with others. Rather than being open or connecting with others, I kept interactions at a surface level.

I was too fearful to let anyone know the real me.

So I threw myself into everything I could as a way to focus on anything but me. I joined the yearbook committee, community service committee, drama club, joined the track team, entered talent shows and sang my heart out, painted, and was near the top of my class academically. I dedicated myself until I excelled at everything I could attach myself to. You would think I felt amazing.

I thought that by excelling in outward activities, I could feel worthy and “good enough” for others’ attention.

The funny thing? I later learned that OTHERS viewed me as “standoffish” and they thought I was too good for them! Rather than endearing myself to others in trying to feel or be good enough at all (and still feeling inadequate), others were turned off or intimidated or unsure about connecting with me at all.

“We are each gifted in a unique and important way. It is our privilege and our adventure to discover our own special light.” – Mary Dunbar

Appearances matter – but not in the way you might think. I was “appearing” to be great and amazing and “good enough” by all the wrong standards. I projected an image of having it all together and being “successful” to my peers, when inside I felt entirely differently.

It’s great to strive to be the best version of YOU possible. But what I learned is that being authentically ME is what endears me to others (and myself). Loving myself – awkwardness, insecurities, triumphs, talents, challenges, and everything in between. Because we are not alone in feeling “not good enough.”

We connect more deeply with others when we trust that it’s okay to be honest about who we are. When we are fearless in our approach and embracing our own authenticity – good, bad, or mediocre – wherever we happen to be on a given day in that moment – and the next – every day.  You ARE good enough. And we are all works in progress.

Here’s a thought-provoking TedX Talk video about removing negative self-talk and increasing mindfulness:

STRATEGIES AND REMINDERS FOR CULTIVATING FEELING & BEING “GOOD ENOUGH”

Below are some strategies and reminders to help move you from thinking you are not good enough to realizing how amazing you truly are.

1. Nurture Your Inner Child

We first develop our identities as children. But if you were not loved and nurtured in a way that supported a healthy self-loving attitude and understanding, your inner child needs to be healed. Take some time to consider what your inner child needs as if he or she were a real child – sitting in front of you and needing love and encouragement. What would you say to that child? Give your inner child all of the love and care you would give to any child who needed it. By doing this, you are building the inner foundation you need to grow and shine most brightly.

2. When You Feel Not Good Enough, Remember: We Are All Works in Progress

When you see others you deem as “successful,” remember that appearances are not always what they seem. We generally see in others only what they project, so until you really connect with someone at deeper levels, surface assumptions are most often limited and incorrect. Refrain from comparing yourself to others and bring your attention back to yourself. Focusing on your own progress and choices will be more far effective and authentic.

3. Accept and Embrace Who You Are Today – In This Moment

In order to be the best version of ourselves, we first need to be honest about who we are today – right now. So strip it down to the core without illusions. Spend time thinking about who you are, what you value, and every little thing that makes you unique and special. Perfection is overrated. If we were all “perfect,” the world would be a very boring place. It’s our very imperfections that add character and delight others. So accept yours and own them without excuses!

4. Rethink How You Define Yourself

As you think about how you define yourself, consider these thoughts as replacements for any outwardly-focused definitions or negative ones:

Spirit. Energy. Love. Limitless. Pure potential. Shining light. Fearless. Authentically ME.

When you use these strategies and reminders, you can more easily embrace your own authenticity and begin (or continue) your journey of self-discovery and self-love.

You ARE better than good enough – you are spirit – you are love – you are limitless!

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Life is like a book and every new chapter brings with it a mixed bag of feelings, emotions and experiences.

While some experiences give bring us joy and happiness, others make us anxious, sad and depressed. It’s like a roller-coaster ride with continuous ups and downs, but that’s what makes it interesting, isn’t it?

When life gets overwhelming, instead of facing everything with a positive attitude, we tend to stress over bad experiences, difficult situations and unfavorable circumstances. This creates panic and tension within, and suddenly we are no longer the person we used to be.

We forget our good habits, our natural style of living and start to embrace negativity. That’s where depression starts to set in. If not treated early we can end up stuck in a depression loop.

Yoga for Anxiety and Depression: 6 Poses to Boost Your Mood

Yoga, the age-old science of life is undoubtedly one of the best ways to overcome those miserable feelings and adopt a positive attitude towards life. The physical benefits of yoga are numerous and so are its mental rewards.

For those who are able to maintain a daily practice of yoga – depression, anxiety, stress and fatigue are only distant memories.

So, let’s look at 6 yoga asanas which should be practiced on a regular basis to ward off anxiety and depression.

1. Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana)

Lie down your back.
The arms should rest by the side and the palms should be down.
Fold your legs from the knees, making sure that a few inches of gap is there between your feet.
Now lift your back from the mat and ensure that the thighs remain parallel to each other.
Stay in the position for as long as you can and gently release.

Apart from being a great reliever of pain from the back, Setu Bandhasana helps to alleviate stress, anxiety and depression.

2. Child Pose (Balasana)

Kneel down on your mat.
There should be a gap of a few inches between your knees.
Bend forward such that your forehead touches the mat.
Bring your arms stretched out in front.
Stay in the position for a couple of minutes and gently release.

Balasana is a well-known pose for relieving negative mental build-up. The asana also helps to stretch the hips and lower back helping the body to relax.

3. Downward-Facing Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

Stand on all fours in such a manner that your body forms the structure of a table.
Let out your breath and slowly straighten your knees and elbows lifting your hips.
The idea is to create an inverted ‘V’ shape with your body.
Your feet should be in line with the hips whereas your shoulders should be in line with your hands.
Press firmly on the ground, tuck your tummy and look at your navel.
Stay in this position for as long as it is comfortable and gently release.

The benefit of this asana is that it promotes fresh blood flow in the body. The cervical spine and the neck are also stretched to a good extent which results in the release of stress from these areas. Thus, the entire body feels calm and anxiety is reduced.

4. Upward-Facing Dog Pose (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana)

Lie face down on your yoga mat.
Place your palms on either side close to your chest.
Straighten the arms; lift the legs and torso from the mat (a few inches).
Keep the top of your feet pressed firmly on the ground.
Head should be kept straight or upwards and the shoulders should be away from the ears.
Maintain the pose till the time you are comfortable and release slowly.

The asana is best-suited for milder cases of depression but is better at relieving fatigue. The physical stress that is captured in the back is easily released with the practice of this pose.

5. Standing Forward Fold Pose (Uttanasana)

Stand in a straight position with hands by the side of your body.
Take your arms to your hips and bend forward.
Your chest and head should touch your thighs.
Now take your hands down and grab your ankles.
The thighs should be straight.
Maintain the position for a few breaths and release.

The tension from the neck, shoulders and back is removed with the practice of this pose. The functioning of the nervous system is also improved with its daily practice.

6. Plow Pose (Halasana)

Lie down flat on the back with the arms resting by the sides.
Lift the legs such that they make a 90 degree angle with the ground.
Now take your hands to your hip and lift the hips close to the chest by using the hands as support.
Now slowly take your legs over the head and place the toes above the head on the ground, firmly.
Thighs should be kept straight and remove the hands from the hips and keep them straight, stretched out forward with palms down.
Stay in the position for at least a minute and release.

Another pose great for reducing strain, felt in the back. Halasana is also good for calming the brain and keeping your mind relaxed.

Use this poses often to increase your health and mood, beat depression and get the most out of life.

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Eckart Tolle is one the leading spiritual teachers in the world today. Born in Germany, educated in England & now residing in Canada.

Eckhart Tolle is a #1 New York Times bestseller with, The Power of Now having sold over 5 million copies. Eckhart teaches us how to leave the analytical mind and recognise our false sense of self, which we believe to be the ultimate controller of our lives.

Eckhart teaches us..

“You are not your thoughts.“

Having suffered from crippling anxiety for many years. It wasn’t until the age of 29, that Eckhart Tolle experienced a spiritual breakthrough in the middle of the night, which was the catalyst for his spiritual journey to begin.

Eckhart Tolle has spent decades studying and deepening the understanding of his own breakthrough, Eckhart uses simple language to explain complicated shifts of perspective and thought process, which when utilised have the potential to improve our lives dramatically.

Listen closely as Eckart Tolle explains this simple process for becoming present to calm your racing thoughts.

Transcript | Eckhart Tolle – How To Silence Voices In Your Head

When we told you Eckhart would be coming on Super Soul Sunday. We heard the collective digital cheer online, you told us you had questions for Eckhart and he happily agreed to take a few. Laura one of our Facebook followers, wanted to know, how to calm the voice in her head. She writes “I feel like my mind is racing an enormous speed and at night it’s even worse.”

“How can I stop the constant stream of consciousness in my mind.”

Good question, many people will be thankful for that question. So first of all the question implies that you know that your mind won’t stop. If you are totally immersed you’re so identified with your mind, even the thought that your mind won’t stop, doesn’t even occur to you because you become your mind.  You don’t know that it is your mind, that won’t stop. So Laura that’s a big, that’s.. you’re ahead of the game. The fact that Laura knows that her mind won’t stop is a good thing.

It’s a good start, so when you hear the thought “Why can’t I stop my mind.”

Don’t believe it, because you can stop your mind.

How?

You can choose to take your attention away from thinking, and the first thing you do as you lie there in bed, you ask yourself, can I feel the energy inside my hands? In other words, can I feel that my hands are there without touching anything, can I feel that there’s an energy inside my hands and after a little while most people can.

There’s a slight tingling or liveness that you can feel when the energy goes in there and that’s an enormous step that you’ve already taken, because immediately thinking will slow down. Because it no longer has your whole attention. Got it. Then see, can you incorporate the whole body. Can you sense your legs and arms? So why does that work and not just, Laura saying to herself, let me think about something else.

There’s no anchor then for presence and the mind has such momentum that you won’t be able to stop it.

You need an anchor for presence

And the inner body as I call it is a wonderful anchor for the state of presence. Laura I hope you got that too, that’s why you just can’t say, “Okay I’m gonna think about something else.”

Yes, and then.. You have to actively choose.  Not about something else, just go into the body and then thinking slows down, you might even stop completely for a while, and the amazing thing is what before was an unpleasant dreadful sleepless night, within a few minutes can actually be transformed into a very pleasant experience of feeling the inherent and aliveness in your whole body, and you lie there..

Because, and then you recognize “Oh I have slowed down.”

You have slowed down

The mind will do very little when you’re really in the body, there’s not much thinking anymore.

So another Facebooker wanted to know, this is closely related to what Laura said, “How does one clear one’s mind of bad memories?” Can you clear your mind of bad memories?

Well not as such, but you can recognize that bad memories are thoughts that are rising in your mind and when you recognize that these are thoughts arising in your mind.

You don’t need to identify with the thoughts any longer. So memories for example, of something bad that happened to you. Yes.

It’s not happening here and now

It’s already happened. Yes. It’s done. Yes, so memories are thoughts that arise. They are not realities.

Only when you believe that they are real, then they have the power over you. But when you realize it’s just another thought arising about the past then you can you find a space.. A spacious relationship with thought, so thought no longer has you in its grip.

I call it sometimes.. I hope if people really get that. Yes. That would be a gift for somebody whose tortured by the past. Yes, another aspect of that of course is guilt, which has to do with something one did to someone or something that they failed to do, but should have done. And so guilt arises.

But of course, who you were then..

No human being can act beyond their level of consciousness.

At that time, you acted like that..

The awareness was not there, to act differently. Now the awareness is there, and the awareness is who you truly are.

Well I think a lot of the reasons.. Anytime I’ve ever felt guilty it’s because I kind of knew better, I knew better and didn’t do it.

You know there’s nothing worse I think than being upset with yourself and you’re upset with yourself, not when you make a mistake for me. I’m upset with myself when I make a mistake that I could have prevented.

But you didn’t.. [Laughter] But you didn’t so live with it.

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The holiday season is a magical time. It’s a time to reflect on the year that was while spending time with loved ones and generally be merry.

It can also be a time of stress. Perhaps you and your family don’t get along so well. Perhaps you have a lot of work to get done and your boss is riding you to get it done before you get to take a break.

The reality is that for lots of people, the holiday season can be kind of stressful!

If that happens to be you, here are a few simple strategies you can use to help you navigate the silly season with grace.

3 Simple Strategies to Help You Stay Calm Over The Holiday Season

1. Deep Breathing. | Stay Calm

In the busyness of the silly season with all the rushing around we do, sometimes we forget to breathe properly. When we breathe deeply our nervous system settles and we turn off the bodies stress response. Breathing deeply supports our body so that we can then achieve a relaxed, clear state of mind.

Many studies have proven that by breathing deeply, you can activate your parasympathetic nervous system and experience feelings of calm.

Try this simple exercise to deepen your breath.

• Inhale slowly and deeply through your nose. Drop your shoulders down from around your ears. As you breathe in place your hand on your belly and feel your tummy rise.
• Exhale slowly through your mouth. As you blow air out, purse your lips slightly, but keep your jaw relaxed.
• Repeat this breathing exercise for several minutes until you feel your body settle

2. Meditation. | Stay Calm

Sure, when you are busy the last thing you want to do is sit down and breathe. Great news! You don’t have to. Meditation can come in many forms, from a simple walk in nature to a full-on dance in your lounge room! The point is to bring yourself into the present moment, to breathe and allow yourself the time to regather yourself so that you can continue your Christmas shopping or deal with your crazy relatives.

Of course, if you prefer, you can practice traditional meditation too. 5- 10 minutes a day will do wonders, particularly at this time of year.

3. Gratitude. | Stay Calm

With all the busyness around and the never-ending to do (or to buy) list of this time of year sometimes we can forget to take stock of what we have. Set up a daily gratitude practice over these holidays and remind yourself every day of all the things you already have. It will remind you not to sweat the small stuff, and help you enjoy what is meant to be a joyous and blissful time of year.

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Neuroscientist Explains The Best Way To Stay Calm When You’re Stressed

When stress kicks in, it can leave you feeling completely out of control. As it turns out, this isn’t just because of the actual situation that is causing your plans to go astray. During high-stress situations, the brain releases cortisol, which is the hormone largely responsible for activating the ‘fight or flight’ response that keeps you out of physical danger. Part of this ‘emergency response system’ aims to shut down all the parts of your thinking mind that are responsible for rational, logical ideas so your body has the adrenaline it needs to run away quickly. This is why everyone from a new teenage driver to a well-polished executive has the same ‘deer-in-the-headlights’ look when their car keys are lost.

Since this stress response originally evolved to keep you safe from life-or-death situations, the brain isn’t capable of forming a decent plan of action once cortisol is released, even if there’s no real threat to life or limb. Here’s the good news: Award-winning neuroscientist Daniel Levitin has gifted 2 savvy strategies to counteract this ‘fight-or-flight’ response so that you can maximize your ability to fend off stressors and keep your life flowing smoothly.

The best way to stay calm when you know you’ll be stressed | Daniel Levitin

Organize Better, Not Longer

You probably know that staying organized is crucial to a well-balanced life. Yet people get busy and chores tend to pile up. So rather than focusing on picking up every piece of clothing or lining up the hand towels in a perfectly straight line, instead focus on finding a spot for items that are easy to misplace. This works so well because spatial memory is geared towards locating items that are stationary, so if you leave your laptop, phone, and keys in the same spot every day, life becomes much more manageable.

Try a Little ‘Prospective Hindsight’

Psychologist Gary Klein coined the phrase prospective hindsight to describe a unique power of the mind. This inherent wiring allows you to use your imagination to create a detailed plan of action for stressful life situations that may arise by acting as if you are already knee-deep in them.  But rather than being immersed in the feelings of stress, you can step back and observe how your stress got triggered in the first place. Here’s the kicker: by ‘playing pretend’ you are 30% more likely to pinpoint issues that may arise for any given scenario than if you just tried to brainstorm the issues. For instance, if you imagine that your car keys are actually lost, you’re more likely to think of all the ways that this can happen, and can therefore find a proactive solution that will help prevent these circumstances.

“Getting organized can get us to the next level in our lives.” – Neuroscientist Daniel Levitin, The Organized Mind

Use this video to guide yourself into a state of inner stillness and learn the best way to stay calm:

Learn How To De-Stress & Live In Presence

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Eckhart Tolle is one of the most prominent spiritual teachers in the world today. Born in a small town in Germany in 1948, three years after the end of World War 2.

For most of his life, even Eckhart Tolle himself had no idea of his future ascension to the summit of spiritual guidance. He described his childhood as unhappy. Alienated by a hostile school environment, in a country still reeling from unprecedented devastation.

At age 13 Eckart Tolle moved to Spain, his father insisted he did not need to attend high school, instead Eckhart chose to study literature, astronomy and various languages at home. During this time Eckhart Tolle read several books by German mystic Bô Yin Râ, Eckhart commented that these books affected him “very deeply.”

At age 19, Eckhart Tolle moved to England and for three years taught German and Spanish at a London school. Troubled by “depression, anxiety and fear”, he began “searching for answers” in his life.

In his early twenties, he decided to pursue the answers he hungered for by studying philosophy, psychology, and literature. Eckhart Tolle enrolled into the University of London. After graduating he was offered a scholarship at Cambridge University.

The Night That Changed Everything

One night in 1977, at the age of 29, after having suffered from depression for most of his life. Tolle says he experienced an “inner transformation.” That night he awakened from his sleep. Suffering from unbearable dread and thoughts of suicide. Eckhart Tolle experienced a life-changing epiphany.

Recounting the experience to Oprah on Super Soul Sunday, he says,

I couldn’t live with myself any longer. And in this a question arose without an answer: who is the ‘I’ that cannot live with the self? What is the self? I didn’t know at the time that what really happened was the mind-made self, with its heaviness, its problems, that lives between the unsatisfying past and the fearful future, collapsed. It dissolved.

The next morning I woke up and everything was so peaceful. The peace was there because there was no self.

Just a sense of presence, just observing and watching.

Eckhart stopped studying for his doctorate. For around two years after this experience he spent much of his time sitting “in a state of deep bliss,” on park benches in Russell Square, Central London, “watching the world go by.” He stayed with friends, in a Buddhist monastery, or otherwise slept rough on Hampstead Heath.

His family thought him “irresponsible, even insane.” A 2012 interview article states that he saw the name Eckhart on one of a pile of books in a dream, and knew he had written the book. Soon after in real life he ran into a psychic friend who called him Eckhart out of nowhere, so he changed his name. Eckhart went on to author
The Power of Now and A New Earth. Collectively his books have sold over 20 million copies! How a man can go from contemplating suicide to helping millions of people across the globe is truly inspiring.

How Eckhart Tolle Brought Himself Back From The Brink Of Suicide

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As Tony Robbins said, “What you focus on is what you feel.”

If you focus on all the negative in your life your mood will match your thoughts.

On the contrary, if you focus on positive things in your life, you can light up your life!

The problem is that our minds are wired for negativity.

Of the 40–70,000 thoughts per day 70% are negative according to Psychology Today.

You have to actively work to get out of a bad mood. If you are suffering, quite often it’s because you are focusing on the same negative thoughts repeatedly.

Here are three guaranteed ways to get out of a bad mood fast.

1. Change Your Physiology | How to get out of a bad mood

If you change the way your body moves, your physiology, you can instantly change your mood.

If you’ve ever been to a Tony Robbins seminar you would of witness this phenomenon first hand. You are constantly moving, jumping, dancing, and changing the way your body moves.

Tony Robbins understands that physiology is the fastest way to break a pattern of thinking the same thing over and over again.

If you change your body, you can change your thoughts. If you change your thoughts, you can change your mood. And if you change your mood, you can change your life!

To change your physiology get to the gym, do some breathing exercises, take a brisk walk in the sun or take part in a sporting activity.

This will alter your physiology, allowing your mind a much greater ability to change your thoughts, breaking the cycle and have you feeling better instantly!

2. Write in a Gratitude Journal | How to get out of a bad mood

This sounds simple, do not discount it. This strategy is practiced by 1000’s of the worst most successful people. Try it with true heartand see for yourself.

As Neal Donald Walsh said, “The struggle ends when gratitude begins.

 It’s physically impossible to be angry and grateful at the same time.

Gratitude ends suffering instantly. The next time you’re angry, sad, anxious, frustrated or stressed focus on one thing you’re grateful for in your life. It could be your significant other, your dog, your friends, your parents or anything else.

Write it down in a gratitude journal, make a note on your phone, or leave a voice memo to yourself. According to Psychology Today, shifting your focus to something you love and appreciate will:

1. Open the door to more relationships
2. Improve your physical and psychological health
3. Enhance empathy and reduces aggression
4. Help you sleep better 
5. Improve your self-esteem
6. Increase your mental strength

Practicing gratitude on a regular basis will get to focus on the abundance in life, not the lack of that is bringing your negative thoughts (and suffering).

3. What You Give You Get In Return | How to get out of a bad mood

As Tony Robbins said, “The secret to living is giving.”

It’s easy to forget how others live around the world. Less than 1% of people in the world earn over $100,000 annually. Yes, six-figures means you earn more than 99% of the 7 billion people in the world.

If you’re feeling down and sorry for yourself, go out and help someone else because there are plenty of people that are doing much worse than you. It’ll be a quick reminder how lucky you truly are.

Not only will volunteering help change your state but you will also help others in the process.

Ten years from now you’ll laugh at whatever’s stressing you out today. So why not laugh now?

Life is short…quit wasting time and make each day count. If you want to learn how to get out of a bad mood fast remember the big three ways.

Change your physiology, practice gratitude, and give back to those who are less fortunate. 

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Use these 3 Steps To Take You From Anxiety To Joy

1. Quiet Your Mind’s Chatter So You Can Hear Your Own Wisdom.

It’s easy to look outside yourself for answers. When we’re sick we go to the doctor. When we’re troubled we seek a person or experience that will snap us out of our funky mood. We look to experts to teach us, enlighten us, and lift us. There’s nothing wrong with this until or unless we ignore our own inner wisdom. Some people don’t even know it’s there. But we all have it.

Call it wisdom, intuition, a deep knowing, instinct. Learning to quiet the mind’s chatter so you can hear your own wisdom is a first step that may take you from anxiety to joy.

I use the word “may” here deliberately. It may take you from anxiety to joy. This has been my experience, but it may not be yours. Ferret out your own answers.

Chances are good that slowing down and quieting your mind will help with this process. It’s difficult to hear your wisdom while running around your life like a squawking, headless chicken. Stop moving. Sit in silence. Or do the opposite. Go for a walk. Figure out what quiets your own mind. Yoga and dance help me. Especially creative, conscious movement, where I pay attention to my body as it moves through space. Even sitting in a chair or restless in bed, if I bring my attention to my body, my mind quiets.

Spiritual teacher, Eckhart Tolle, says if you’ve having trouble sleeping, bring your attention to you hands. See if you can feel the energy in them. You might notice a slight tingling sensation. Explore that energy, your life force. This focuses the mind, which makes it harder to wander. A wandering mind may not be so uncomfortable, but sometimes, unbeknownst to us, our minds race. They let loose like cannon fire, exploding everything in our paths and we are left wondering why we feel depressed or anxious.

Our feelings come from our thoughts. If we’re anxious, it’s not because of our circumstances—however that may appear to be the case—it’s because of our thinking about our situation. So, again, quiet your mind. Experiment with proven strategies, such as mediation, exercise, or focused attention doing something you love. My mother called knitting and baking therapy. That was her meditation. Being fully present in any task is a form of meditation—and medication—and will likely deliver you from anxiety to joy.

2. Don’t Take Your Thoughts So Seriously.

We are like fish in water with our thinking. Fish aren’t aware of the water they swim in. We “swim” in our thoughts without realizing we’re thinking.

Most of our thinking slips by us unnoticed. Often we believe our thinking and take it as fact, rather than thought.

But if a thought is negative or destructive, it behooves us to recognize it for what it is: a thought. Negative thoughts are normal. We all have them, but we don’t need to cling to them. There’s an American proverb that goes like this: “Let go or be dragged.” This is relevant when considering our thinking.

Ask yourself, “Is this a helpful thought? Does it uplift me? Will it help me create more of what I want in my life? Does it come from a place of love? Or does it stem from insecurity or fear?

Will it—if I take it seriously, thereby endowing it with power—bring me something I want? If the answer to this last question is no, then don’t invest your belief dollars in that thought. Contrary to how it may seem you are not your thoughts. You have thoughts, but it’s not who you are. You are an essential, wise, eternal, worthy, loved, knowing soul. It’s helpful to remember this when you’re anxious. Once when I was about to take a trip, I told my husband I was feeling anxious and scared, but that deep down a part of me knew I was fine and it was all going to be okay. “Well, hang out with that part of yourself,” he told me. So I did. And my anxiety dissolved into joy.

3. Be A Good Traveler. Life is nothing if not a journey.

How do you want to go through it? Do you want to bitch and moan the whole way, drive yourself (and others) crazy with complaints? Or perhaps you envision a more graceful passage? My grandmother, a world traveler, used to say, “If you want all the comforts of home, stay there. Sometimes this makes sense, except when the “comforts” of home are illusory.

We feel safe and protected in a bubble. But any bubble can burst, and what if we carry our bubble with us wherever we go? What if we are protected no matter what? What if we’re way larger that we imagine? What if we have the capacity to let go of our worried, fearful thinking? What if we can slough off our judgments, stop fighting proverbial windmills, and settle in with whatever aches and pains come our way? What might life look like if we were to accept the things we can’t control, accept life on its own terms. Trust more. Fight less. Go with the flow. Be an amoeba. Surrender our metaphorical spines. Shape-shift.

You’re not as solid as you think. And neither are your thoughts. We are constantly changing, traveling. Loosen up. Love the changes. Let go. Shake yourself. Do the hokey pokey and turn yourself about—that’s what life’s all about. —The dance, the turning this way and that, the early bird catching its worm, the small, quiet voice within. An unexpected view that takes your breath away. The kind gesture delivered by a stranger. Infinite, everyday beauties.

What if we’re making up our anxiety with an overactive imagination? What if your anxiety is no more real than a monster on the bedroom wall of a child who has just awoken from a bad dream? A story each of us creates in our own minds. A compelling illusion that seems real.

What if anxiety is nothing more than a story based on insecurity and fear?

It’s time to lay that narrative down, find a way to weave a different yarn. We don’t need to create more joy, but rather, move beyond the thinking that keeps us from it. Joy is our natural state. The only thing that keeps us from it is our own thinking.

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