Weekly Ponderings #36: Struggle w/analysis paralysis?
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I used to suffer from anxiety a LOT. Don't get me wrong, I still have my anxious moments, but it's nothing like it used to be because I now have tools to be able to move through my anxiety vs letting it paralyze me.
One thing I started doing a couple years ago that helped me reduce my anxiety a lot was:
I started saying yes (quickly) to the things that I wanted to do and no to the things I didn't.
Seems so simple. Maybe even silly that I’m writing about it because why is this even notable?
Yet how many of you are currently doing the opposite?
Committing to activities that you don’t actually want to do or events you don’t want to go to, making certain choices because you think you’re “supposed to”. Maybe you’re not even making the decision and are stuck in a paralyzed state because you’re afraid you’re going to f*ck up and make the wrong decision.
Not only are you draining yourself of your physical and mental energy trying to keep up, every time you do this you’re subconsciously telling yourself that you’re not a priority. That how you feel and what you want doesn’t matter.
I spent so much of my life doing things because I was "supposed to" that by the time I was an adult I didn't know what I actually wanted. I questioned every move I made and whether it was the "right" one. I lost my sense of self.
If this is you, get back to the basics. Practice saying yes or no quickly with little decisions, like how you start your mornings, what you want to eat or drink, what you wear, what workout you do, or how you spend your Friday night.
By doing this every day, you start to build up evidence that your needs matter and that what you want is important. You get in touch with yourself and what you actually want. You gain confidence in your decisions. And you learn how to act in alignment with your desires.
Making these decisions quickly is key - it forces you to really tune into what your body is telling you and go with it. So much of your anxiety comes from the misalignment between your mind and your heart - what you think you should do or want vs what you actually want. Tune into how you FEEL and take action.
Give this a shot and let me know what you think ❤️.
Do something for yourself tomorrow,
Jess