Anxiety is just a stress response. With a simple technique of mindfulness you can bust it.
Video:
Podcast:
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Share with:
Video Transcript:
John Paul: Hi. John Paul Fischbach, the CEO and Chief Alchemist here at the Auspicious Arts Incubator with another Hot Tip this week. The response to having our guest Liz O’Brien in the studio was so awesome we’ve invited her back so welcome back.
Liz: Thank you, it’s great to be back.
John Paul: The theme this week is anxiety. Because that is a big deal. Lots of artists have anxiety.
Liz: Lots of people have anxiety and for artists who are going to be producing something that others will view and assess anxiety I’m sure occurs at any point. It might stop you starting or it might derail you partway through or it might stop you being able to get to completion.
John Paul: Where does it come from? What is it?
Liz: Anxiety is actually really normal. It’s part of the stress response and the stress response is not a bad thing. The stress response is a physiological response in the body when it’s aware that something is dangerous or risky or something that’s got a lot riding on it. It’s a normal way to kind of get a bit. It like stage fright or butterflies so there’s nothing wrong with it unless it stops you being able to function.
John Paul: That’s it. The anxiety stops us from completing, stops us from starting, it paralyzes us.
Liz: Yes or makes you run away and do something else like make a millions cup of tea.
John Paul: That never happens to me.
Liz: Surely not.
John Paul: What do we do about it?
Liz: The simple thing to do when you recognize that you’ve got anxiety dont beat up on yourself because it’s normal and just say okay, that’s what this is. I’m feeling anxious about it and I’m using it to avoid getting started or to completing and then because what happens as part of the stress responses your heart rate will often go up and your breathing gets shallow and you might sweat a bit and your brain gets a bit fuzzy or frozen depending on which it is for you. The simple strategy to use is a mindfulness one which is just to stop and take two or three slow, deep breaths. Instead of distracting actually become present because the default is to just well, I’ll just deal with something else over here.
Actually come back to yourself, come back to being present in the moment and take a few, slow, deep breaths and your heart rate will settle, your blood rate will come down, you’ll start to feel calmer and more settled and focused and give yourself something physical to focus on. It might be holding a hot cup of tea and feeling the temperature of it, noticing the steam rising, taking a sip and tasting whether it’s visual or fragrant or whatever it is but when you connect with your body you slow down and eventually turn off the stress response and what that allows you to do is to become still and focused and when that happens and then you’ll notice it because your breathing is all settled again and you’ll start to feel calmer. When that happens then pick up the pen or whatever it is and go back to what you were doing or start what you were avoiding and you’ll actually find that you’ve got a state of relaxed alertness which will let you perform.
John Paul: There you have it. That’s the answer. Breathe, stop, breathe, focus on something concrete.
Liz: You might notice the soles of your feet or a cup of tea but yes, something physical.
John Paul: Great so did you like this Hot Tip. Be sure to subscribe to the next one and tell a fellow artist about us. If you want real, practical help and support to thrive an artist check us out at AuspiciousIncubator.com.au.
Â
Share with:
