As I have talked about many times in the past, I have struggled with anxiety since I was a child and it surfaces during exciting moments in my life.
As soon as I found out I was going to be on TV, I felt that anxiety creeping back. Because of my past with disordered eating, I used to always channel that anxiety on my outward appearance.
However, over the past few years I have worked very hard to change the negative mindset. I saw a counselor, I applied my psychology teachings, and I did a lot of inner work with myself. The change I have seen has been huge.
With this being said, there are still times in my life when I too am susceptible to negative thoughts and channeling my anxiety in a poor manner. This was evident yesterday. I was all over the place with my feelings and I definitely did not feel grounded in myself.
I always struggle with how much to reveal on this website. Do I hide my feelings because I am worried of sending the wrong message or do I share my struggles with the world in hopes that others can relate and we turn it into a learning experience?
I prefer to turn it into a learning experience, rather than hide who I am.
What I meant to include in my post last night was how I was channeling this anxiety.
When I feel anxious, instead of giving into negative thoughts…I now engage in productive activities to activate positive thoughts!
I thought I would share with you a few things I have been doing.
1) My mom sent me a poem she wrote for Operation Beautiful:
My mom is so good with words!
I love it! It never fails to make me smile. 
2) Then I took control of my anxiety and wrote myself a positive quote:
This is one of my fav. quotes of all time:
It reminds me to think of the people I love and why I love them. It is often because they have an inner spirit that radiates from the inside!!
A couple other things I did:
3. Progressive Relaxation (try it out it’s awesome!)
4. Writing.
I also made another list of negative thoughts countered with a positive thought. This technique ALWAYS works for me and I do it often.
5. Exercise.
This morning I had a great workout, including some much needed yoga!!! Yoga never fails to relax every cell in my being.
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I don’t think it is realistic to expect perfection from ourselves and that includes times when we temporarily divert off our desired path. What is important is how we deal with those times and rise above it!!!!
I may always struggle with negative thoughts creeping back into my head, but I now have the tools to challenge them and kick their butt to the curb.
I feel back to my regular self today and I feel more excited than ever.
Bring it on!!!!!!!!!!! 
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Do you ever struggle with anxiety during exciting moments (or stressful ones)? How do you overcome it?
PS- Contest winners coming soon- I didn’t forget! Ok ok I did but it’s coming soon!
{ 81 comments }
You are going to do great in your TV Interview!! Your deserve all the “celeb status” you can get! You really are a beautiful person inside and out and have inspired myself and so many other people to follow our dreams.
Have a nice day!
i love the way you choose your thoughts and articulate them so well for all of us who go through the same things!
Angela, we are so similar. I have also struggled with depression/anxiety and disordered eating. Yoga is my saving grace–I swear by it. And also the other things you mentioned–exercise, writing, counteracting negative thoughts. I think it’s great that you’re so willing to share–don’t ever stop being you!
This is such a great post, Ange! I have always had massize anxiety, too. Really bad – I am sure a worry-wart. All of your tips will really help, I’m sure!
Thanks for this post! I too have been struggling a bit lately and I decided yesterday that I was going to write a post sharing it on my blog soon. So strange…I made myself an operation beautiful note last night and put it on my mirror to help me through.
fabulous post! it seems lately when i get stressed i reach for candy. hopefully these tips will help me NOT to.
your house looks beautiful by the way. and very clean!
Good for you!! I get anxiety,too.I have to give myself pep talks sometimes:-) cc
Good luck Angela! I hope they will air your segment on CTV in Montreal!!
I’ve been struggling with anxiety problems for years now and here’s a trick that might help: remember an event when you were excited/anxious about an event but in a good way (before your wedding, as a child before Christmas, for me it’s before my husband kneeled down and proposed). Now remember how this event made you feel inside? Butterflies in your stomach, increased heart rate… these are the SAME feelings you get when you get anxious in a negative way.
The body doesn’t make a difference between an event that you perceive as good or scary: it just reacts, it gets excited.
By repeatedly closing your eyes, picturing yourself being scared and anxious in an upcoming situation, remember the time your body felt the same way and associate this feeling to a POSITIVE event.
In time, this might help shift the way your mind perceives this bodily feeling (which cannot be controled anyways). This trick is helping me a lot and like you, my anxiousness comes from a past eating disorder, so believe me, you are not alone and there is hope!
Good luck!!
I love your mom’s poem! I get anxiety too, and I like your idea of a list of negative ideas countered by a positive one. I really need to try that out.
Thanks!
Anxiety sucks!!! I hate it! Whenever I feel anxious or stressed out, if possible I take a long hot bath. If that isn’t possible, I go to my car and cry really hard. I mean, really really hard. 9 times out of 10 when I’m done crying, I’m not stressed or anxious anymore.
Angela, random question–is there a tea you would recommend that is high in caffeine? The reason is that I’m going to start working the night shift and I may need a boost some time during the night, but I’m not a fan of coffee.
What a beautiful note by your mother. I suffered from terrible anxiety in my past – so bad I almost went to the ER a few times because I just didn’t know what to do. Thank you for being vulnerable and sharing this. It’s all about finding your inner peace of mind.
I always think of one of my favorite quotes: PEACE. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.
What a great post! I don’t know one person who doesn’t have negative thoughts creep in their heam. Everyone has them… it’s learning how to deal with them that’s important.
You’re going to do awesome w/your TV interview!
with green smoothies…it helps calm the nervous system!
Enjoy!
I am glad you decided to share this with the world. we need to hear it and see how you triumphed! WAY TO GO.
I have horrible anxieties that I have been tackleing HEAD ON for a while but DEFINITELY this year. It’s been exhausting and rewarding AND LIBERATING
I am proud of ya! and yes BRING IT ON!!!
Angela, I loved this post. I, too, am a psychologist, and I always get nervous before giving presentations or leading meetings. Sometimes it is so difficult to practice what we preach, and alleviate anxiety with research-based methods!
Usually when I get nervous, I try to remember all of the times that I was super duper anxious but yet was successful in completing whatever task it was that I was nervous about. More often then not, my anxiety wasn’t even necessary because I rocked it in the end!
You are going to rock it today! I hope that you are able to somehow post your interview for us on the blog!
I am excited for all these tips, I have horrible anxiety and really struggle with keeping it under control.
Thank you for the tips-they are so helpful! I am such an anxious person by nature. I try to breathe through the stress.
I’m glad you decided to be honest and talk about your struggle with this. Many people who seem really put together and who are strong and in control are actually the people that aren’t! I know I am that person, and anxiety does take me over sometimes. I have found exercise to help IMMENSELY with these feelings. It gives me an outlet, clears my head, and gives those emotions somewhere to go. And sometimes I just need to have a quick breakdown, sometimes it is all I can do! Many people I know “in real life” would be surprised to hear that about me…you just never know what is going on with someone behind the facade.
Courtney
Adventures in Tri-ing
Thanks for sharing your tips. They are all definitely something we shouls take into consideration during stressful times.
You will do awesome with your interview
Those are great tips and love the quotes. Your mom has a way with words.
Just know that you have a positive message and be confident in what you’re saying. If you have inner confidence, that will radiate out.
Your posts always hit so close to home. It’s comforting to know that I’m not the only one out there suffering from anxiety. My mom dealt with anxiety her whole life until just recently when she started speaking to a psychologist. My brother suffers from it as well and so did my grandmother! Is it genetic? We’re such fun, happy people.. so why do we go through life feeling anxious about everything exciting AND stressful?
I give myself a lot of peptalks, listen to music, exercise, and do tons of yoga to help calm my thoughts!
yay Operation Beautiful!
and this is why you’re going to be on tv. because you’re real, honest, vulnerable, and beautiful. go kick some arse and shine woman. we’re all behind you.
There was a time when I would super duper anxious, and like you I’d place all of that nervous energy onto my outside appearance, and it led to some seriously disordered eating.
I remember there was a switching point and I had to tell myself to change, I went to a counselor and she gave me some ways to deal with it. One was to write down the situation, then write the worst that could happen, then write a more realistic scenario, then combine the two. Usually my anxiety would go down a fair bit. I’ve definitely always been good at writing stuff down. Things don’t make me quite as anxious anymore, and I usually try to deal with them in a situation-to-situation sort of way.
Badly. I’ve been focusing on my eating lately due to the holidays and it’s not a positive feeling. I need to utilize some of your methods instead of beating myself up over what I’ve ate (like the cupcake I ate this am).
I really needed something like this to read today. I’m living under a giant pile of University paper work and feeling quite anxious! Thanks!
Good luck with your media appearance
Hey Angela,
Love the sticky out tongue picture, its a great reminder never to take life too seriously =) Im off work with Swine flu and it made me smile. Thanks for posting about anxiety, its something I struggle with too, almost daily. Your a beautiful girl, who deserves every success coming her – now go rock that interview!
I get anxiety from time to time too. I usually describe it as “I’m feeling weak.” Not physically, but mentally and emotionally, I just don’t feel as strong and confident in myself and my decisions as I normally do. I hate it, because it’s a skewed view of what’s reality, but it’s hard to shake it. Those are great ways to shake off the anxiety!
This was a lovely post to read. I don’t know how to deal with anxiety, and usually my “coping” methods leave me worse off than I was before. I’m going to keep your tips in mind!
If you did not have negative emotions at times, you would not be human! And sharing these with us is a GOOD thing, despite what someone said recently. You are a really good role model and someone that many of us learn from on a daily basis. We all love your honesty!
You are gonna be great on TV! Congratulations! And think of it as a warm up to a show on the Food Network – Yeah!!!
Your mom is amazing!
I get through stressful times by organizing…the kitchen, my closet, etc. It just makes me feel SO much better. I too can’t eat when I am stressed so I know exactly what you are going through!
Good for you for working through the situation! I don’t get anxious too often but I have a friend who is constantly and she is always letting her negative thoughts get the better of her. I’ve tried recommending some of the things you mention on your blog but I guess she just needs to reach that point where she really wants better for herself.
Thanks for sharing who you are with us
For the longest time, I have used the technique of writing a list of all the silliest negative things running through my mind and right alongside them I debunk them and replace them with a more positive, rational thought. It ALWAYS works, no matter how bad the anxiety. I have done this since my early 20′s and have been able to keep any anxiety/depression at bay.
First of all, I love your mom’s poem
Such a good post! I suffer from anxiety too, and you have some great techniques listed here. Thanks for sharing with us, sweetie!
You’ll do awesome – good luck! Just remember, it’s not live, so they’ll just take the best clips
I find a lot of times if I write about my anxiety, it eases them a bit. It just gets everything that is in my head OUT!
Hi Angela! I definitely appreciate you sharing your struggles with overcoming anxiety. I can relate more than you know to channeling my anxiety to my appearance. It makes me feel better that I am not the only one that struggles with anxiety. Thank you so much for sharing!!
I definitely struggle with anxiety with all the stress of grad school and just plain life. I love progressive muscle relaxation! Our health network has put together some stress management podcasts (found here: http://health.colostate.edu/CounselingServices/StressManagement.cfm), including one about progressive muscle relaxation. I often recommend the podcasts to my patients, and I use them frequently myself.
anxiety sucks. my mom, sister and i all have it, in different forms i guess. i love your advice though.. i also try and reverse negative thoughts. i read somewhere that thoughts are just pretend things that do not exist and yet are so harmful but you can trick your brain but just saying the opposite of whatever negative thouhg youre having and then you get on a more positive track of thinking
ps your mom is so creative! just like you!
I can be a very anxious person. I haven’t found the perfect remedy yet. However, baking and talking to family always helps me calm down. Especially talking to my mom and brother, they always can help me talk through what is making me anxious and help me relax.
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