The emotions and experiences we go through during those anxious moments are unparalleled. And for people who have exhibited a greater resolve to manage those moments with calm and alacrity generally end up ‘learning more’ from that episode than most of the lesser-known mortals.
The 11th May 2021 print of the Times of India, Mumbai edition featured an article that mentions a study by @HappyPlus Consulting that a whopping 54% of employees are under stress due to the worsening pandemic. And 39% needed immediate attention to managing their anxiety and stress. These numbers may not be too different even around your workplaces or personal spaces.
My experiences of managing anxiety have 5 clear paths that I have often resorted to either some of them to come out of the pangs of desperation or stressful moments. These could be helpful to you as well or better still; your share of a new path will help me navigate better and inform others too.
Path 1 – Slow down the pace of thoughts: This breakdown of the rapid tempo of anxious moments helps me think more rationally and efficiently.
Path 2 – Break down the complexity: Any task however big or small is built up of parts that consolidate into one. I tend to assemble the smaller tasks and keep building. In those ways, I am more in control of what’s needed to be done.
Path 3 – Seek help: There are many around who can lend a helping hand, who could have been in those situations before and have addressed them. This help has often come to me in the form of experts, leaders, coaches, mentors, or even friends.
Path 4 – Speak to someone trusted: There have been plenty of occasions that I just needed to speak to someone and clear my head. The anxiousness decelerates rapidly and gives you the first step towards being calm and composed. I witness this experience from my clients usually when they open up during my coaching sessions.
Path 5 – Be self-aware, stay focussed: There is no one better to manage your anxiety than yourself. Thus, the more I stayed focused on resolving the issue, utilising the awareness around my own self led to dramatic responses from within and the ecosystem.
I hope these paths adopted by me are helpful to a few. Will be very keen to hear from you on any one path that you adopted and vouch for. After all these days and months of despair, such exchanges will have our reservoirs of managing anxiety filled up always.