The Nasty Grip of Anxiety

Anxiety. If that word resonates with you I don’t even have to go into all the feelings that it brings on.

Unnecessary feelings, but never the less they are alive and real for many. Most the time dog owners rub it right off on to our own dogs as well.  After all, our own dogs do in fact reflect our behavior.

If the word anxiety doesn’t resonate with you. Good for you! Stoked for you.

Those who do feel anxiety on a regular basis this is the year to get rid of it once and for all.  It is like worry, which is a total waste of time.

As a dog trainer it is obvious when an owner comes to me and says their dog has separation anxiety or fear aggression. However, it is usually not apparent to the owner.  It is a realization to the owner that it can actually be about them.

You do emulate the 5 things you hang out with most.

You see, we spend much of our time covering it up, not addressing that it’s a real issue. We stay the same. In fear. In anxiety.  That ugly nasty grip stops us from doing so many things we hold as dreams and aspirations.

When it comes to coaching people without dogs, sometimes it is actually harder to read. Again, dogs have no filter and tell all. So without the mirror of a dog’s behavior it becomes even easier to hide behind.

The Way To Anti Anxiety

Wouldn’t it be great if I could just lay it out here and have it resolved once and for all?

Anxiety is a complex problem but the truth of the matter is we must address it to do anything about it. We must first admit that it affects our lives. And for those who can already admit it, we need to move on to doing something about it.

Or…. guaranteed it will get worse over time. What you think about you become.

So here is a quick and fast answer to get your started to no more anxiety in 2012:

GO INTO ACTION.  It’s a natural anti anxiety remedy that works.

Let me give you an example.

This morning I was outrigger paddling in the Ocean with 9 other people on our crew. We had paddled out for about a half hour, came around a point off of the pier here in the magical, healing, yet very powerful waters that surround the Big Island and… WAHOO… big swell.

What that means for those who don’t paddle is the little tiny canoe in comparison to the great big Ocean starts rocking and rolling and becomes in great danger of going over.  It means the front end of the boat was completely covered with water and our job was to keep paddling to come out the other side and get back on top of the water.

I found myself beginning to freak. I had already started all the “what if’s” in my mind. I already had me and all of my crew flailing around in the water, trying to find our paddles, trying to grab an overturned canoe to flip it back over, trying to not get bashed by big waves or the boat while bailing the water out before we could get back in.

My comment out loud was, “Oh shit, I’m sorta scared.” One of my paddle crew sitting at the front along aside me who is strong just like I am when it comes to paddling, said in the midst of it all just after I made the comment, “Don’t think about it. Just paddle.”

Guess what? It worked! I just paddled. Smoothly, with rhythm.  I became calm in the powerful  water and used it to my advantage to keep moving forward.

The realization later is once again the lesson came about how to deal with anxiety, how to get rid of anxiety.

Do something. Go into action. Don’t waste the time spinning out about all the “what if’s” Move. Take action.

In my experience, it works for people and it works for dogs. It is a habit one has to practice though if you happen to be afflicted by the nasty grip of anxiety.

The Anxiety Busting Virtual Tour

Yes, a blatant promotion coming your way. And know I don’t promote anything I don’t truly believe in.

Anxiety is one of those things people tend to put on “wait”. Wait and see if it goes away. Wait to see if things suddenly change. Wait to see if the New Year will make it better. Wait to see if the love of my life comes along and makes it better. Wait to see if when I lose weight I will feel better. Wait to see if the anxiety gets better.

Wrong answer. Wait.

The only way to get rid of anxiety, to change it from entering your life and literally stealing your plans to live happily away is to DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

The Anxiety Busting Virtual Tour starts Jan 23. Get on it. Check it out. And have yourself the best 2012 ever.

*Note to dog owners who are looking for help with what seems to be a dog anxiety problem:  This is for you!  If you understand anxiety you can help your dog.  If you don’t understand anxiety, considering the lack of communication methods we have with our dogs, it will be a difficult fix!

Thanks for reading.  My hope is to give you inspiration and thought provoking ideas to take your very next step in creating your own paradise from where you are now!  Please subscribe to Big Island Dog and follow me on Twitter.   Retweets are cool too.

As a 9 time Ironman finisher, change maker, author and creator of  5K Training Guide | Running with Dogs and K9 Cross Fitness Classes in Kailua Kona Hawaii I encourage you to make that change you want so badly today!