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Overcoming Anxiety and Fear

By Karen Vally on 25 Jan 2014



It has been my experience that many people struggle to take that first step towards change but even more find it really difficult to sustain the momentum once they've started. "Changing is much the same as blowing up a balloon - the resistance is greatest right at the beginning..." (Friedemann Schaub)

"Old grooves can be deep, familiar and slippery - especially when you forget to practise and use what got you out of them in the first place. Eventually you believe that you never changed and that all your past efforts were in vain, which is one of the biggest misconceptions of life." (Friedemann Schaub)

I'm sure that many of you will identify with this scenario: You wake up in the morning and the first thought that comes into your mind, is your list of "things to do", making you feel anxious. You spring out of bed, and kickstart your regular morning routine of showering, dressing, grabbing a quick cup of coffee and then dashing out the front door. And it's downhill from then on, with an ever increasing stream of distractions and interruptions pulling you in various directions. At the end of every day, all you want to do is to flop down exhausted in front of the TV, even though some of your "things to do" are still outstanding. Sound familiar?

"As we continue to live 'outside' ourselves and lose touch with our core, we feel increasingly ungrounded, imbalanced and out of control. As a result, we're much more susceptible to fear and anxiety...The key to making peace with fear and anxiety is to avoid getting caught in their emotional charge and to instead decipher correctly the valuable information they have to convey." (Friedemann Schaub). To break through anxiety and fear, all 3 root causes (self-limiting beliefs, stored emotions and inner conflicts) need to be addressed. Schaub is also a strong advocate of the benefits of deep breathing. One of his teachers said, "Our breath controls our mind and our mind controls our lives. So by learning how to master your breathing, you learn how to master your life."

Even though we often feel tempted to remain in our comfort zones, it is important to realise that it is an ever diminshing place to be. Being flexible, one of the most important fundamentals of change, ensures not only our survival, but also our ability to thrive and be happy. Complacency destroys flexibility by restricting our ability to recognize and respond to external and internal "triggers", causing us to remain "stuck".

Schaub, in his excellent book called, "The Fear and Anxiety Solution", recommends that we sharpen our awareness of where we've been and what's waiting for us on the other side. He suggests learning to stretch our minds beyond our present circumstances to consider new possibilities. The next step he says, is to take action by stepping out of our comfort zones, and then to create momentum, thus allowing us to expand our lives. Finally, by integrating these new behaviours into our lives, he maintains that we will " solidify our new, true, limitless identity." 

"You can't live without changing...life is a circle that continually expands, whether you are aware of it or not...It is in our nature to expand and grow; all that varies is the speed of that expansion. This means that there is no real end to this journey of emotional freedom and self empowerment...use your awareness to determine whether you're still on track, your flexibility to define new and resourceful ways of being, thinking and acting; and your power of choice to decide what is truly important to you. Then put everything into action. Just do it - again and again." (Friedemann Schaub)




 


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