Anxiety
Waiting for the other shoe to drop…
When you look around, everyone else seems to be doing okay. You’re the defective one who can’t stop your mind from going through all the terrible things that will happen to you and the people you love.
Just listening to the news or skimming the headlines leaves you slightly panicked. The list of worries never stops growing…
I’ll get fired, never get hired again, and become homeless…
I’ll humiliate myself by saying something stupid at that dinner party…
I’ll never find a romantic partner, or if I do, the relationship won’t last…
You try to get a grip on it…
In work meetings, you try your best to hide the pounding of your heart and the slight tremor in your hand. You pray no one calls on you, or if they do, your mind won’t go blank. It’s a legitimate concern. After all, you barely slept last night and haven’t been able to think straight for weeks.
When people say “hi” in the checkout lane, you nod curtly, avoiding eye contact and conversation as much as possible. You’re too irritable to engage in superficial chit-chat. That’s for relaxed folks.
Even when you function well enough to get through the day, it’s hard to live with a knot in your stomach and pressure in your chest.
From the outside, your life looks like it’s going relatively well, so why does it feel like you’re jumping out of your skin, driving 100 miles an hour, about to barrel into a concrete wall?
Anxiety can take many forms…
Chronic worry, panic, self-doubt, fear of public speaking, shyness, perfectionism…
They all affect your sense of who you are and your perception of your worth.
Whether you’ve been struggling with anxiety for years or it seems like you woke up one day connected to an electrical socket, fear in all its forms can be overwhelming.
It can take a terrible toll on your confidence and ability to enjoy life.
You’re probably tired of having to psych yourself up to do what seems to come so easily to others (things that used to be easier for you, too). Anxiety queues you to avoid these things, but…
You hate how small your life is becoming.
You’ve come to the right place.
It may feel like you’ll be trapped on this treadmill forever, but there is hope, and you don’t have to go straight to anti-anxiety medication to find relief.
I use a variety of effective therapies for anxiety, including Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and mind-body techniques such as Emotional Freedom Technique (tapping) to help you find long-lasting relief and improvement from your fears, worries, and self-judgments.
Together, we’ll identify and revise unhelpful thought patterns and self-defeating beliefs that keep you mired in anxiety, and we’ll develop and fine-tune the anti-anxiety techniques that work for you so you can actively engage again in your day-to-day life.
Sometimes, I may challenge you to do uncomfortable things so you no longer let your anxiety rule your life. But we’ll make it easier through mindfulness practices, centering techniques, and breathwork so you can calm your body and nervous system.
We might also try different routines connected to exercise, sleep, and self-compassion.
There is hope!
You might be wondering if you’ll ever stop overthinking – if you’ll ever feel relaxed and present again.
I know how that feels because I’ve struggled with anxiety myself. I know how mentally and physically challenging it can be.
But you CAN overcome this. You’ll need a different perspective on your problems and new skills to remain present, engaged, and flexible, but you CAN take back your life and focus on what matters most.
And I’ll be here with you… every step of the way!
All you have to do is reach out. Let’s talk about how I can help during your free consultation: (507) 200-0206.