Slaying the Beast of Anxiety—Part Four
Hello Good People!
Welcome to Mental Health | Plain Speak. I’m Dr. K—a psychiatrist in the Southeast, and my aim is to bring you meaningful content on mental health topics. And truth be told, I’d love to be one of the many people along your path that points you in the direction of living your best life and becoming the best version of yourself.
So, over the last few sessions, we’ve been addressing one particular topic called Slaying the Beast of Anxiety. And here are some key points from our previous talks:
Anxiety is a real thing. By definition, anxiety is a feeling of dread or worry in the face of a threat that has not or may never happen. And one other definition I like to use myself is that anxiety results from unresolved conflict taking place inside your mind. Either way, anxiety is a beast, y’all. But never fear, there are strategies for overcoming anxiety.
The strategies we’ve talked about so far for overcoming anxiety are:
managing your biology,
communicating your needs clearly and authentically to those people who have control or influence over the situation that’s causing you anxiety,
breaking overwhelming tasks into smaller more manageable ones, and
devising an effective plan for completing tasks.
Okay, if you want a more in-depth look at those strategies then you’ll need to refer back to some of the previous videos. Now, the strategy I want to talk about today for reducing stress and anxiety is this: Ditching the unnecessary.Ditching the unnecessary. Bottom line is this, people we are trying to do too much. Too much, I say. We have too many irons in the fire. It’s no wonder our levels of stress and anxiety are through the roof. So, this is my proposal for you today. I want you to pause this video and make two different lists. First, I want you to make a list of all the duties and obligations that you have on your plate. What roles do you play in life? What committees are you on? What groups do you belong to? List it all. All the things. Next, I want you to make a list of all the things that you need to get done today.
Okay, if you are back, then I’m assuming that you made the two lists. Now if you’re looking over both your lists and you’re about to have a stroke or a heart attack, then you might need to cross some stuff off your list.
So, let’s do it. Look at your list carefully consider each item. I want you to ask yourself three questions:
Is this something I can eliminate?
Is this something I should delegate?
Is this something I can defer or save for later.
You may be like Dr. K, how do I know what to eliminate, delegate, and defer.Well, for me personally, I pray. God—is this something that you have called me to do? If He says no, then I’m crossing it off my list. Now many folks out there may be like, look, Dr. K, praying ain’t my thing. Okay. I got you. I’m going to give you some other ways to whittle down your list.
Ask yourself—
Does this activity point me in the direction of my goals?
Does this activity align with my own personal values?
Is this activity helpful to me or others in a productive or meaningful way?
Is it necessary to participate in this activity at this point in my life?
If the answer to any of these is “no,” then you might want to eliminate or delegate the activity to someone who has the time, energy, skill, and desire to do it. Remember, there’s no obligation for you to do it all and to do it all right now.
You can also ask yourself—
Is this activity or role costing me my health, my finances, or important relationships in my life?
Does this activity or role make me feel bad about myself or so shrouded in negativity that it puts me in a bad headspace?
If the answer to any of these is “yes,” then you might want to eliminate that activity right now—or maybe you should have eliminated that thing five years ago. Either way, keep in mind there is no obligation for you to do it all. Just do what matters. Do what matters. One other thing to keep in mind is that an activity might be right for us, but just not right now. If that’s the case, you can simply remove yourself from the activity for now with a plan to come back to it when it makes more sense in a different season of life.
Okay, to sum up our session for today--we’ve recognized that anxiety can be a beast but that there are multiple ways of reducing anxiety levels. And one way to reduce your anxiety is to make a list of all your activities and for each item on your list ask yourself: Is this something I should eliminate, delegate, or defer?
Alright, that’s the end of the session for today. I hope this content has helped you recognize some ways that you can lower your own levels of anxiety. Now please do remember that the suggestions I offer here are not meant to be a substitute for advice from your own provider. So, talk to your provider before implementing any of these tips. And if you don’t have someone helping you with your mental health needs, consider reaching out to a professional. Folks, let’s make it our business to understand mental illness and those who struggle against mental illness. I’m Dr. K, and this has been Mental Health | Plain Speak. And remember, “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”
