Skip to main content

Piercing angst - a thought or two on how to overcome short bursts of angst

Have you ever woken up with that odd tightness in your chest?  That feeling that gnaws at you, tugs at every fiber and strand of your day?

That happens to all of us - frankly.  It gives us a fantastic choice: how will we cope and how will we respond?

A few thoughts when that does come up:

1)  Wallow a bit, it's ok.  Those feelings are trying to tell you something, so why not listen?  It's okay to ruminate and wallow for a bit, so long as you're aware of being in those cycles.

2)  If you are not aware, then dust off the coping mechanisms.  It takes a bit of practice to know that you're in the spiral of emotions trying to take you down.  We have to be able to catch ourselves - the idea is to catch yourself as often as possible, but, of course, without judgment or attribution.  See the tension.  See the angst.  Go on - just feel it, see it, acknowledge it.  You may even feel a slight bit of relief just acknowledging that it's there (as opposed to trying to run).

3)   If you have to run, then run.  Not figuratively - literally.  Go outside.  Go do something physical.  Exert yourself for a solid hour, if you can.  You'll feel light years better.  You may even process through some of the emotional sludge that refuses to move in the midst of the angst-ridden day.  

4)  A reminder - not all days will be like this.  Tomorrow may, but the next day might not.  I assume you have some family or friends around and I compel you to fight for them.  Fight to be the best version of yourself that you can possibly be.

5)  Return to home base.  Your breath will literally save your life, time and time again.  Let it.  When you need to reset and recharge your system, it is your breath that does the work.  Do the breath work and let it fuel your recovery from this acute angst.

Popular posts from this blog

The Power of Allowing Yourself to Fail

I don't know about you, but I really hate to fail.  I am willing to do almost anything to avoid failing.  I hate it.  I am willing to do things I otherwise wouldn't want to do, only if it means I can avoid failing at something.   It's not so much about not getting what I want, however.  I think, in isolation, I can grapple with that outcome and figure out what to do next. The thing we seem to be afraid of is failing in front of others.  We worry about what they'll think of us and our reputation.  Our reputation is our brand, after all. But maybe instead of thinking about this in terms of a binary "pass, fail" set of options, what if the reputation is a set of options surrounding what you do about failure.  And maybe you were putting entirely too much pressure on yourself to achieve one outcome over another.   And so that  is our struggle, our call to action.  Fail - fail to allow yourself to grow.  Fail - fail out of ...
Read more

The happenstance of failure - there is a rhyme and reason to the universe

Diagnosing the intersection of time and failure -  Failure comes in many forms. It can be the result of poor choices, lack of effort, or simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It can be a small setback, like a missed deadline, or a major catastrophe, like a failed business venture. Regardless of its scale, failure often carries a heavy emotional burden, bringing with it feelings of disappointment, regret, and even shame.    However, failure is not an end point. It is an opportunity for growth and learning. When we examine our failures with honesty and self-reflection, we can identify our mistakes, understand our weaknesses, and develop strategies for improvement. In this way, failure can be a catalyst for personal transformation, pushing us to become more resilient, resourceful, and ultimately, more successful.    What even is happenstance? - Happenstance, also known as serendipity or chance, is the occurrence of events by accident rather than design...
Read more

When you create something bigger, your failures are given context

The first chunk of my life was dictated for me.  I went to school and I was told what to do in school.  I got a job and I was told what to do at that job.  I went to college and I was told what to do in college.  I found a better job and I was told to do in that job.   My success in those different contexts was some milestone, goal, or achievement that was given to me by those different contexts.  I didn't have to think about what the goal was - it was merely given to me.  In some sense, that's great - I appreciate that someone was training me. But the problem is that no one told me that I was merely being trained.  Without necessary communication and context, I kept drifting through the days thinking another goal or milestone would magically appear. Well, it didn't.  And it took me a few years to figure this out - more than I'd like.   What did I learn in the process? That you must set those goals for yourself - even if those ...
Read more