Book Series 44: Techniques That Change How You Talk About Anxiety

How can I prepare myself to better handle my anxiety?

If you were able to read my last blog post, we went over the Rosenberg Anxiety Reset™, and before we jump in to this next week, I want you to take a moment and go over how using this technique helped you. If you weren’t able to go over last weeks blog, I would encourage you to do so! The methods you learn will be carried into this week in regards to how we approach your anxieties, and how you can use this reset method to change the way you treat your anxiety.

There are a number of questions people ask themselves that provoke feelings of anxiety. I think of them as the “Can I? Do I? Will I? Am I?” questions:

– “Can I really pull this off?”
– “Can I achieve what I want to achieve?”
– “Do I have what it takes to succeed?”
– “Will I be able to deliver a good presentation?”
– “Will I do a good job?”
– “Will I be well liked?”
– “Am I going to be able to complete this project?”
– “Am I okay?”

When you prime your brain with questions, your brain naturally does its best to answer.

What’s important for you to know is that these types of questions foster and increase doubt, and doubt, in turn, increases the experience of anxiety. Doubt leads to a loss of personal power, a lack of a sense of resourcefulness, and less confidence.

The strategy for addressing these anxiety-maintaining questions is to turn them into statements instead. Make declarative sentences simply by switching the order of your words:

– “Can I?” becomes “I can.”
– “Do I?” becomes “I do.”
– “Will I?” becomes “I will.”
– “Am I?” becomes “I am.”

For instance, rather than asking “Will I do a good job?” turn that question into a statement and say to yourself: “I will do a good job.” And if you ask a variation like “How will I…,” change that question into a statement like “I will find a way to…”

Don’t let your anxiety define how you go through life. You deserve to live the life you love, and by changing the language that you use when dealing with anxiety, you can prepare yourself to better handle these kind of challenges.

This weeks action step:

At least twice over the next couple days, I want you to look in the mirror and practice these statements. Tell yourself “I can, I do, I will, I am”.

I’d love for you to respond on my facebook group if you feel comfortable!!

Join my group on Facebook LOVE MY LIFE and let me know.  Feel free to share my series with your friends or colleagues as well!

To A Life You Love,

Dr. Joan Rosenberg