To overcome anxiety and stress “I believe in being strong when everything seems to go wrong. I think the happiest girls are the most beautiful. I believe that tomorrow will be another day and I believe in miracles”, Audrey Hepburn. And it is that the actress gave us a few inspiring quotes to face a bad day. And that’s exactly what this topic is about. From motivational and very practical keys –we assume that you already know the theory about how important it is to reinforce self-esteem to learn to overcome insecurities and situations that generate anxiety and stress and that complicate your day-to-day Because, as explained by Idoia Berridi, life coach and author of the book Love method. The 6 steps to living with self-esteem, happiness and success, “when I truly love myself as I am, I can trust that, whatever happens, I have myself. I will take care of myself and do what is necessary in any situation to feel good”. A phrase that contains a great truth but whose end is not always easy to reach. That is why we have spoken with Berridi to develop a practical and motivational decalogue that you should follow in your day to day to make your life easier and reinforce your self-confidence.
When you get blocked, breathe and smile
Stress blocks. For this reason, in order to turn around those situations in which anxiety paralyzes you and you don’t know what to do to move forward, Idoia Berridi recommends stopping, consciously taking four breaths, relaxing your face, neck and jaw, and smiling. “Breathing consciously, in a relaxed and deep way, avoiding thoughts, just concentrating on how your body breathes, helps you get out of the mental and energetic loop in which you are stuck”, tells us the expert, who also insists on how to put on a smile Light, “automatically relaxes and takes you out of complaints and negativity. You change frequency, state.”
Write down 20 qualities in a notebook
This is another practical exercise that can help you rediscover yourself and strengthen your self-esteem. It simply consists of writing down 20 qualities that you can recognize about yourself and that, as the expert says, “you can put in your resource bag.” A suitcase that, according to Berridi, is necessary for our happiness and development. “If I recognize my qualities it is easier for me to feel worthy of getting what I want, with more self-esteem.”
Ask for the opinion of those around you.
Although you have to do the previous step first, once it’s done, it’s also gratifying to ask someone very close to give you feedback on the qualities they recognize in you. Ask to be completely honest. “This exercise is usually very favorable. It is surprising to hear the qualities that others recognize and see in us and that we did not realize or value ”, explains the life coach.
Faced with a situation that is beyond you, dance
Public speaking, a work meeting that worries you. There may be many situations in your life that create insecurity and can even become small moments of panic that paralyze you. To defeat them and come out stronger, there is one thing you can do right before those moments, dance. “It may seem crazy, but doing it before, for example, speaking in public, can help to let go, move the energy and thus make everything flow easier,” explains the expert. And she remembers this mantra. “In the end we have come to play or to live in this theater that is life. This experience is not so important, it is fleeting and you can make a world out of it or take it away and have fun”.
Do not talk badly
Acknowledging our mistakes is healthy and necessary. But not criticize ourselves excessively. That is why it is essential to be understanding with ourselves, not to talk badly or tell us harsh things. Banish from your vocabulary and your thoughts such negative phrases as ‘I’m not worth…’ or ‘I can’t do it’.
More almonds and less sugar
Idoia Berridi is also a nutritionist. That is why she insists on the importance of food in our emotions and in our thoughts. “For the nervous system and in stressful situations, we need fatty acids, B vitamins, magnesium and antioxidants. Group B vitamins and magnesium are found in whole grains and nuts. But today’s society is precisely moving away from the integral and is consuming refined cereals”. For this reason, and because sugars, preservatives and dyes keep us from well-being and balance, the expert recommends eating almonds or fruits instead of sweets and eating fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains and nuts.
Identify your insecurities
Identifying the obstacles and negative beliefs that torment you every day is the first step to start changing. And to be able to identify those insecurities that prevent us from progressing, it is necessary to take a moment for yourself, to relax and to be able to observe what is happening to you, what you feel and what is happening with that certain situation that is difficult for you and it is that Barbara de Angelis already said: “Women need real moments of solitude and reflection to balance how much they give of themselves.”
You need 21 days
There are many coaches and psychologists who claim that it takes 21 days to change a habit. For this reason, inspired by this idea, Idoia proposes this, think about those thoughts that are limiting us and that creates insecurity and transform them into positive affirmations. That is, instead of saying, “I think I’m not enough for you,” say, “I’m fine, I’m unique and special, and I have a lot to offer.” And, as the expert tells us, repeat it like a mantra over and over again. “But feeling that it is real, visualizing it for at least 21 days in a row”. And add another practical recommendation. “You can help yourself with images or phrases that you place in places that you frequent to support that statement, what you want to believe in.”
Yes to inspiring people, no to toxic people
We must stay away from toxic people and listen to people who inspire us and connect us with love and with the best of ourselves.
Learn to dialogue with your fears
When I ask Idoia about the keys to overcome fears, the expert answers me emphatically. “I don’t feel like it’s about overcoming fears. Fears are in us trying to tell us something, to avoid suffering, it’s about understanding why this fear is in me, what it wants to tell me. And it is that the expert proposes us to dialogue with them and interpret them as something different that takes us out of our comfort zone and favors us. “Fears will accompany us throughout life, fulfilling their mission to protect us, so it is better to live with serenity and acceptance and not pretend that they do not exist. Just like sadness, joy or anger do their job.”
