Anxious Thoughts: Positive Goals

For over a decade, my goal was to have less anxiety. So every second of every day, I did the things that would help me feel less anxious: meditation, therapy, self-help books, audio seminars, more therapy, breathing, all that good stuff. It helped. But I was also aware that even though I was focused on having less anxiety, I was still focusing on my anxiety. 

When I started doing improv, it introduced me to this other emotion called joy. One I’d forgotten, or didn’t know I had. We got along quite well. I noticed when I was laughing, I didn’t feel as anxious. Which was my goal! Same goal, different path. So now, instead of always trying to feel less anxiety, I do things that help me feel more joy.

Sound fun? Here's 365 ways to get you started.

Anxious Thoughts: New Year's Edition

The new year comes with a lot of pressure to be “better.” Earn more money, be less anxious, not eat the whole cake in one sitting. It feels like being enough isn’t good enough. There’s nothing wrong with growth, or goals, or resolutions, but always pushing to be better can often feel worse. So when you set your goals for 2021 (to dunk on a basketball net), know that they’re exactly that, goals. They’re not things that need to happen, or need to change, for you to be worthy and enough.