EP3: Sorting Your Worries
June 4, 2025
What is Your Anti-Kryptonite?
June 18, 2025
Without anxiety, you could not avoid or mitigate danger. With too much you are exhausted and unable to function. If you were a car, anxiety would be a signal on the dash, not the steering wheel, or the gas pedal. The goal is to manage your anxiety levels so that you are the one in charge, allowing you to balance your energy levels and make choices about the direction you are going. This is not easy when you are bombarded by media that demand constant outrage and high alert. Your power lies in managing your own mental state so you can care for yourself, be a part of your community, and contribute to the causes that matter to you.
When your anxiety increases to the point that it is interfering with your peace of mind and ability to focus on your goals, consider these steps:
Set Boundaries
Find ways to stay up to date without being consumed by the media demand that you stay in a heightened state of alarm. Read rather than watch news. Pick outlets that give you information rather than prescribing your reaction. In Sorting Your Worries (link) there are ideas about letting go of the problems that are not yours to solve. You don’t have to know all the negative things that happen every day. You don’t have to watch it all go down. Keep your news intake to a manageable level.
Build and Maintain Your Energy
Excessive anxiety saps energy. Pay attention to what builds your energy. A little anxiety or anger can spur you to action. That kind of energy is a quick burst that fizzles out. Notice what fuels you over time. Connection, mission, and passion are part of the recipe, the things that matter to you. Other elements include rest, art, food, exercise, and connection to nature. You have your own recipe for long-term well-being.
Manage Your Anxiety in Ways That Work for You
In Breaking Free of the Cycle of Anxiety, and in this series, you have several suggestions to try out. This is not a do-it-yourself project. Ask for support from those around you. Depending on your needs, you can also schedule a time with a therapist, see a doctor about medication, or reach out to support groups. If one approach doesn’t work for you, try something else. You have the right to care for yourself. Make it a habit to check in with your anxiety and shrink it as needed so that it doesn’t sap your energy.
Listen to your anxiety and focus in on a few action items that are central to you, your community, and the causes you care about. Always start in the center with your needs. Now put them on the calendar. Spend time, money, and resources building your strength and ability. This is your steering wheel; it allows you to direct your energy toward the goals you have set. Taking care of your energy includes going at a speed that makes sense for you. Talk about your goals with others so that they can support you or participate in your bigger projects. As you develop the habit of checking in with yourself, setting boundaries, and managing your anxiety, you will be better able to focus on what matters to you.
Peace,
Laura
