In article Emotional Management and Motivation: A Case Study of Underrepresented Faculty The importance of evoking proactive behaviors that led to positive outlooks as a way to ensure that they would be able to focus on their responsibilities. “You get to your office there are many things in your head bothering you… and so working on those issues in advance and trying to solve them instead of letting them accumulate and get worse.” This could be applied to any work setting. Also at home. Because let’s face it, no one wants to just start screaming at their family, friends, coworkers, random strangers, roommates, etc. When they do you can believe there’s a reason.
So there’s something that’s causing you to tense up, start hyperventilating, sweating, feel like you have to walk on eggshells, keeping you awake. The Mayo Clinic says there are 11 things you can do.
1 Keep physically active. Ther goal is to be active most days of the week. Start slowly and work your way up on the amount and intensity. (As someone who also deals with physical pain, rest when you need to. Listen to your body.) The other day when I felt the familiar pains of a migraine starting, after resting for a bit, I took a shower and the pain stopped, thank goodness. A migraine is a bad headache. Cause unknown. Think of a bad hangover without having touched a drop of alcohol.
2 Avoid alcohol and recreational drugs. If need help, see a health care provider or support group. (There’s no shame in asking for help. It’s not a sign of weakness. It shows you’re willing to make improvements to your life.)
3 Quit smoking and cut back on caffeinated drinks. As someone who has done both you do it as well, if you really want to and set your mind to it.
4 Use stress management and relaxation techniques, such as yoga and meditation.
5 Make sleep a priority. (As someone who had insomnia, it’s crazy important and beneficial.) If having trouble sleeping, talk to your healthcare provider.
6 Eat healthy. (Crap snack cakes are tasty, yet not good for you.)
7 Learn about your disorder. (Showing my age a bit, yet GI Joe cartoons ending by saying, “Knowledge is half the battle.”
8 Stick to a treatment plan. Take medications as directed. Keep therapy appointments and complete any assignments your therapist gives you. Consistency can make a big difference, especially when it comes to taking medications.
9 Identify triggers.
10 Keep a journal. To help you and your mental health care provider with what causes your stress.
11 Socialize. Don’t isolate yourself from family and friends. (Just not with those who cause you to tense up, start sweating, etc.)
The article An Exploratory Case Study of Mindfulness Techniques in a High School Band Program During the COVID-19 Pandemic, says mindfulness practices can assist students with test anxiety and performance, behavior and self-control. Integrating mindfulness for undergraduate college students has also produced positive results regarding stress management. The pandemic was a big hot mess that revealed a lot about life in America. Factors like how many people were unhappy with their work, pay, work life balance and relationship status. Basically life overall. It showed us (I’ll only speak for myself and my fellow Americans) what we wanted to change and how badly things needed to improve. If it happened more subtly, would we have done anything?
Mindfulness is defined as the practice of maintaining a nonjudgmental state of heightened or complete awareness of one’s thoughts, emotions, or experiences on moment to moment basis.
Seth J. Gillihad, Ph. D. says in his article, “What If I Find Out That I’m Broken?” a common fear people have regarding therapy is they wonder if they are “crazy” or being “less than.” Being viewed as an impostor that therapy couldn’t fix.
What we don’t have yet want.
Feeling a sense of control: Per Emotional Management and Motivation, Scholars have argued that the degree to which individuals feel in control of their work-life influences their intrinsic motivation and predicts their psychological health. The more control one feels, the fewer feelings of burnout and inauthenticity. If they feel controlled by their work or environment, then they feel less intrinsically motivated. “Remaining silent” indicates how inauthentic behavior can restrict one’s autonomy because an individual is compelled to behave inauthentically to conform to the feeling rules of academe/society.
These show how our work/job can influence our emotions. At work, at home and within ourselves.
Article Managing Anxiety A Therapist Common Factor. Talks about those who deal with their emotions through disclosure of some form of expression have fewer emotional problems.
What you’re feeling is valid and matters. What’s important is how you handle your feelings. It is all right to cry, scream, anything that lets you express your feelings in a healthy and non-violent manner.
Dr Gillihan says going to therapy is a sign of what is right with you, not what’s wrong. It shows that you are willing to overcome the societal stigma that comes with hesitation to seek help.
What else can you do to manage your anxiety in addition to going to therapy, and being physically active more? Have hope according to Dan J. Tomasuloi, Ph. D. How?
By setting and achieving goals. Clear goals help you get work done. This works if you feel like you don’t get anything beyond your need to-do list done.
Being around positive people. I have exhausted myself by being a nay-sayer. It drains you of your energy.
Focus on the present. Work on improving yourself and your skill set.
Be reflective and confident. Forgive yourself. Learning from mistakes means viewing failure as an opportunity rather than a measure of self-worth.
Keep a positive outlook. It works. Don’t let your circumstances define your emotional responses. Look for the good. You were recently dumped. Did you really like that person? Really?
Reinventing yourself 
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