New Year, Same Anxiety? Managing Your Anxiety Surrounding The New Year
New Year, Same Anxiety?
Are the pressures of a “new year, new you” getting to you?
Are you worried about thinking, planning, and executing on a consistent basis? Can you follow through all the new year's resolutions to improve in your career? It can be hard to present as your best self every day. Especially, in your relationships, losing weight or gaining muscle, etc., etc., the list goes on and on. It seems like everybody is revved up and ready to go.
But, for those who struggle with anxious thoughts, this is a trigger-filled nightmare. Why? Because you are acknowledging things will change within the new year. This can often bring a sky-high list of questions, doubts, & negative thinking. Many times, this brings up questions such as: “what if this or that goes wrong?”
How to Learn Effective Ways to Embrace Change
Having a predictable routine is important to many who experience anxiety. Yet, life, as we know it, is not always predictable (2020 & 2021 have proven this to all of us). So, here are a few helpful tips to decrease your anxious thoughts and embrace change this new year.
Make space for change
As your anxiety has taught you to “expect the worst,” it will be important to expect change and make room for it. For instance, you may be setting your routine for the new year. When doing so, make space for days where the routine does not happen at least once or twice a week. Call it your “get out of jail free card” or whatever you’d like to call it. Why is this important? Well, there will be days when your infant doesn’t sleep which means you don’t sleep. plus, there may be days when you have to complete last-minute important tasks. Or, you may wake up feeling ill and unable to keep up with your routine. For those unexpected curveballs, it’s important to mentally give yourself that “get out of jail free” card. Avoid forcing the “let’s guilt trip ourselves all day” card. Making space for unpredictable changes helps us learn that sometimes they are more beneficial than we may think.
Get out of jail free card
Managing your anxiety will need you to give yourself a pass on the days when life isn't going as planned. So, try not to beat yourself up on an emotional level or guilt-trip yourself. Instead make room for the days where you’ll need to pull out that get out of jail free card is necessary.
2. Learning to say “that sounds great, I’m going to think on it and get back to you within a few days or a week”
The pressure of giving someone an immediate answer is nerve-racking. Even worse is making a big decision during times of emotional heightened states. Learning how to say “that sounds great, I’m going to think on it and get back to you within a few days or a week” is one of the greatest things we can develop. Yes, there may be people that push back on this. Watch for these, because they are the ones that we need to set up this boundary with the most. Once you do this, sleep on it, ask yourself the important questions. Determine your decision then inform them of your decision. Remember, you must stick to it, your peace is important.
3. Research
When embarking on a new change, one way to reduce anxiety is to do your research. Fear of the unknown is normal. But it's reduced by researching, reading, learning, and educating ourselves. Whether it's about a new job or promotion, new lifestyle changes, or new relationships.
4. Remembering the things we can and cannot control
It’s important to practice techniques such as mindfulness and grounding techniques. It helps us learn how to reframe our thoughts, mind, body, and emotions. That is one of the most powerful things we can learn how to do. A simple way to start this is by asking yourself “what can I control about this situation in front of me?” “What do I have zero control over about this situation in front of me?” Write it down and make a list, review that list, do the tasks that you can control, and leave the rest.
Begin Online Anxiety Treatment in Orlando, FL
Managing your anxiety is often easier said than done. But, you don't have to start the new year alone. A caring therapist can help you practice these tools and cope with anxiety. We offer support from our Orlando, FL-based online counseling practice. Ready to start your therapy journey?
