Tip# 4 – Find SMALL or BIG Purpose to Eliminate Your Worries
Lesson 5 Module 1
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When you are dealing with anxiety or worry it is important to go from your HEAD (thinking) to PHYSICAL WORLD (doing) since actions drown thoughts of any kind.
The key is to pick an activity with various degrees of complexity that you can focus on every day or 3-5 times a week. You can also include chores or any unfinished projects from the past that you have neglected.
For example, you may need to fix a car, a house or clear out a garage. It can also be related to working on some kind of gift or volunteering to contribute towards a cause you believe in.
If you have a demanding job, you may be short on free time to volunteer. What you really want to do is write a list in a descending order of the most easiest activities to the most undesirable. Doing the easiest activities first will get the ball rolling so later you can tackle even the most undesirable activities.
MAIN RULE: If you are doing more intellectual work then you need to switch to physical work and vice versa. For instance, if your job involves physical labour then try to do something more intellectual either by yourself or with a group of people. Like reading a book, listening to a podcast, going to a seminar, learning a new language and so on.
The problem with stress is that it makes you tired and then you do not want to do anything. When this happens, they key is to try to reduce distractions and bad habits and still do something productive even for 30min.
High Activity + Minimal free time + Low Sleep = LOTS OF NEGATIVE THOUGHTS
If you change any of the variables in the equation then the amount of negative thoughts will be different.
NOTE: please understand that SLEEP plays a big role in how well your brain functions.
If you want to have a better sleep than read these two books:
1. Sleep Smarter: 21 Proven Tips to Sleep Your Way To a Better Body, Better Health and Bigger Success
2. Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams
The one thing you want to do is to AVOID the equation above which leads to exhaustion and a drop in productivity. You really want to squeeze in as much rest as you can but more importantly sleep.
One more point on why you want to be busy, is because it creates a FEELING like you are moving forward.
1. Opportunity – represents you identifying an activity that could move you forward in life. Of course, you would need to have some skills to execute this activity properly, otherwise it is not for you.
2. Action – the challenge you experience during the execution of this new activity should be tolerable, otherwise you would quit too early to see any progress. By doing the new activity you would also eliminate TIME WASTING because that is what you would be doing otherwise.
3. Feedback – When you are doing this new activity, you should have some metrics to tell you how well you are doing. Of course, you would feel a certain way but feeling is only one of the metrics at your disposal. You could set specific goals to reach or compare your progress to someone else at your level of skill development.
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