The First Step to Overcoming Anxiety
Summary
- When you feel anxious, like during a flight, accept that it's okay to feel uneasy.
- Instead of trying to stop the anxiety, bring something you love, like your favorite book, to focus on.
- Plan ahead for situations where you know you'll feel bad; decide what you'll do instead of avoiding the feeling.
- Aim to replace the behavior that comes from anxiety with a positive action, not just to do nothing.
Video
How To Take Action
I would suggest starting small when learning to accept uncomfortable feelings like anxiety. So, if you feel anxious on a flight, remember it's perfectly normal. Bringing your favorite book might seem simple, but it's an effective way to deal with your nerves. This way, instead of fighting the anxiety, you focus on something enjoyable and familiar. It's like having a friend with you.
Before heading to a situation that makes you nervous, like flying, make a plan. Decide what positive action you'll take. Maybe it's reading that book you can't put down or listening to a podcast that makes you laugh. Write this plan out, so you're ready.
And remember, it's not about doing nothing when anxiety hits. It's about doing something that makes you feel better. Replacing the worry with a positive activity can really help. It's like if you're afraid of the dark and you decide to sing your favorite song whenever the lights go out. You’re not just sitting there being scared, you're doing something that makes you feel good. So next time you're feeling anxious, think of it as a chance to do something you love. It's all about changing the action, not the feeling.
Quotes by Leila Hormozi
"Identify the one situation in which this happens most frequently and then write down your plan"
– Leila Hormozi
"It's not that we want to stop and do nothing, it's that we want to replace your behavior with something else"
– Leila Hormozi
"Instead of saying sit on the plane and deal with your anxiety"
– Leila Hormozi
"They say I want you to bring your favorite book on the plane and I want you to read the book the whole time"
– Leila Hormozi
"The task is to read the book on the plane, not to not feel anxious"
– Leila Hormozi
Full Transcript
what would you say is the first step to start working on accepting feeling shitty and not trying to avoid it for somebody who gets anxious when they fly on a plane instead of saying sit on the plane and deal with your anxiety they say I want you to bring your favorite book on the plane and I want you to read the book the whole time and so the task is to read the book on the plane not to not feel anxious identify the one situation in which this happens most frequently and then write down your plan of not stopping of voiding it but what you're going to do instead it's not that we want to stop and do nothing it's that we want to replace your behavior with something else