Summary:
For some people these times are uncertain, there is a lot (or too little) to do or it is not clear at all on what to do. This can lead to anxiety, nervousness, stress, or tension. This article gives you six tips for more peace of mind and a more precise overview of everything you want to do in a day.
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As I write this, the roof of our house is literally and figuratively coming off our house! It is busy.
The contractor called me last week to ask if he could start building a new roof. That is six months earlier than planned! I’m happy with it, but it meant that we had to come home from vacation earlier to prepare everything.
There are also e-mails to be answered, workshops to be prepared, appointments to schedule, a blog to be written, content created for social media, and numerous household tasks (such as supervising the renovation). This weekend it made me nervous.
Are you nervous, tense, or anxious too? Do you also have a lot to do after your vacation? (Or very little?) Do you feel insecure? Are you overwhelmed with all the input? Below, I give you six tips for more peace of mind, overview, clarity, happiness, and confidence.
Breathe
Often nervousness or anxiety comes from overthinking, worrying, or the idea that you’re out of control. Nothing at all happens other than the increase in your heart rate.
The first step towards more calmness is to bring your heart rate down again. You do that by breathing!
A technique that I often use is the five-second breathing technique. It is also called the four-second breathing technique or “sniper breathing.”
You inhale for five (or four) seconds. Then you hold your breath for five (or four) seconds, and you exhale all of your air into your lungs (and abdomen) for five (or four) seconds. Then hold your breath for two seconds before inhaling for another five (or four) seconds. Do this 20 times, and you will find yourself feeling calmer. This technique can help if you have to give a presentation, have an awkward conversation, or have trouble falling asleep.
Talk
It helps to talk to colleagues, friends, or a coach about your nervousness or tension. Then don’t just talk about the problems but try to find out the facts (is it true?). Then try to find solutions (can someone else help you? Can it be done at a later time? Can it be done differently?). If you keep thinking about the problem, you tend to overthink it, and that creates tension and anxiety. So talk to someone about the facts and possible solutions.
Write
To let go of anxiety, I suggest you write about it. Describe how you feel, why, and what the solutions are. Trouble writing? Read this blog about the 5-minute journal. By writing, you are letting go, and you can also find out what you can and what you cannot control. It can start raining at any time, and my house has no roof now. Unfortunately, I cannot determine the weather. I can prepare a canvas. Writing and talking help for more overview and clarity.
Plan and take action
Once you’ve calmed down, come up with solutions, plan, and take action. Call your client, write an email, or start a task. We are often overwhelmed by the size of a chore. For me, that is still the case after six years when writing a blog. When I have chosen a theme and the parts, I already experience peace. Even though I still want to write, translate, format, and publish most of it. Are you looking for more courage to act? Then read this blog for more courage.
Look for things that calm you down:
- Take a walk (in nature) and leave your phone at home
- Limit impulses (turn off notifications on phone and computer)
- Postpone actions (eg “I still have to pay that bill”) by writing them down and doing them later.
- Listen to music that motivates you (here’s my music to perform at peak level)
- Use other words such as “challenge” instead of “problem”, “I want” instead of “I have to”. It seems that your veins widen so that more blood (oxygen) flows through your body. Your veins are more likely to narrow when you think about problems and things you have to do.
- Drink more water and tea. I love coffee but it doesn’t help with nervousness.
- Sleep regularly (and take a power nap). Go to bed on time, read a page, breathe and sleep for about 8 hours.
- Do the things that bring you more happiness and joy (here I have 100 ideas for you…!). If there is joy and happiness, then there is less room for fear and nervousness.
- Hum or sing (a mantra). It always calms me down, it gives me clarity, self-confidence and I experience more love.
- Smile. Despite the same challenge, I always feel better when I smile. An additional advantage is when others see your smile, they often smile back. That helps me to feel better as well.
Live Your Why
Many times we get nervous because we feel like we are out of control because it happens to us or as we think that we are victims of all our problems. There will be more peace and positive energy when you are of service and contribute to something in which you believe. That doesn’t mean there won’t have to be any challenges in life, but you do know why you’re doing it. By writing, supervising a renovation, and helping clients with coaching and training, I live my Why. For more information on your WHY and how to find it, read this article.
Your Why is your unique contribution and its effect on your environment. It helps for more peace, joy, direction, and clarity. Do you want to discover yours or your organization? Contact me today.
What do you to experience more calmness? Let me know in the comment field below. The other readers of this article and I are looking forward to reading from you!
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