Expecting Rain or Clear Blue Skies
By Sandy Schroeder
Weather questions can reveal a lot about our state of mind. When we give in to negative thoughts, it's easy to expect rainy, cloudy or smoggy weather and all sorts of negative consequences.
If you are always expecting a storm or incredible heat wave, you may also be anxious about all sorts of things at work, at home, or out in the world.
But positive views can help to reverse things. When you think positive, you may even be glad to see the rain to reduce drought conditions or just to refresh your mind and the plants and trees.
Thinking Positive to Avoid Anxiety
Most of us know if we are positive thinkers or negative skeptics, but it might be well worth it for our well-being to keep our thoughts as positive as possible. Here are some tips from Real Simple on how to recognize anxiety and do something about it.
Anxiety Looks Like This
- Fast heart rate
- Sweating
- Rapid breathing
- Periods of exhaustion
- Feeling very worried
- Being consumed by negative thoughts
How Anxiety Limits Us
Everything becomes less clear - Daily tasks at home or on the job may run together as anxiety consumes some of your energy and distracts you from the work in front of you.
You look and feel grumpy - When anxiety sits on your shoulder, it's easy to snap at friends and family and wear a long face. I can always tell where my friends are when they answer the phone. They may sound up and positive or very down and irritable.
You may seem disengaged - When your mind is prowling through your list of worries, stress levels soar and everything else takes a backseat.
Thoughts of failure rush in - When anxiety gets a grip, it's easy to ignore positive feedback and assume the next deadline will be missed, a family member will become ill, or your finances will take a bad turn. At the same time, you may be surrounded by contradictory information that says everything is OK, but the negatives win out.
What to Do
If you can relate to anxious negative thoughts, this may be the perfect time to try meditation, make sure you exercise every day, get outside early every morning, and start eating a healthier diet.
At the same time you may try some new breathing exercises, and reach out to funny friends as you remember what it's like to laugh.
Cut yourself a lot of slack as you turn things around. If you still feel anxious and negative, you may want to talk with your doctor to find a therapist to work through some of the issues.
To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Lakewood, Calif.