Hey there, Friend.
How are you feeling?
If you’re quick to say ‘fine’, but anxiety is always under the surface
keeping you focused on what you’re sure you messed up,
what you’re about to mess up,
or what you think other people think about you,
that’s not fine.
There’s a lot of talk out there about affirmations and positive thinking and I’ll be the first to admit that both of those things can make huge changes for people.
But if you don’t believe the affirmations and you’re faking feeling fine,
don’t expect to feel better.
Because your brain believes whatever you tell it,
saying I’m always anxious,
No one hears or sees me, or
I ruin everything becomes your truth.
Even when you have proof all around you that none of those things is true,
you won’t see it because you don’t believe it.
Not too long ago I talked with a woman who believed she was worthless,
lazy, dumb, and a burden.
She learned to believe these things from her ex-husband and even though the marriage had ended, his voice was still in her head.
All of those mean things you might have heard on the playground,
from a sibling, and especially the things you think and say about yourself
won’t change when they are louder than the truth.
Affirmations won’t help.
Positive thinking feels toxic.
And you stay hidden away, playing small, and feeling resentful, angry, and afraid.
But, when you notice the things you say, think, and believe about yourself,
and when you focus your attention on finding evidence
for what you want to believe instead,
your brain will change!
This is called neurolinguistic programming and it’s one of the most powerful parts of working with me as your coach.
When you stop saying, I'm always anxious and start loving yourself and finding evidence that you're calm, lovable, smart, and really great and what you do, anxiety shrinks.
I help my clients find the thoughts they don’t notice, or
the things they believe that aren’t necessarily true.
We make subtle, believable shifts in how they talk to themselves,
which changes how they believe and how they act.
They quickly begin to notice they are less stressed,
that people smile at them, want their input, and believe they are valuable.
They’re less critical of themselves so they’re less critical of their coworkers, their spouse, and their kids.
They’re not sure how long it’s been since they felt anxious because they have a new way of being.
We’ll find time to talk about the things you’re saying about yourself now,
what you want to say and believe about yourself instead,
and we’ll come up with a plan on what loving yourself to manage anxiety would look.
<3 Megan
P.S. Stop letting anxiety determine what you can and can’t do. You can decide now to change how your body feels and how you respond when you're anxious. Are you ready?
P.P.S. Be sure to check out Episode 81 of the More than Anxiety Podcast to hear more about How What You Say About Yourself Matters wherever you listen. While you’re there, take a quick minute to leave a review and follow so you don’t miss a beat and help others find the podcast as well. Thanks!
