Anxiety is a feeling of fear of what is about to happen. An upcoming job evaluation, a first date, a presentation or an examination can cause apprehension. The good news – it’s a secondary emotion easily mastered.
It’s normal to feel anxiety. Successful people aren’t immune to it. Some would even say it is essential to our personal growth. Feelings of fear only become a concern when these persist and interfere with our regular routine.
So how do people with high emotional intelligence deal with anxiety? We’ll let you in on a few tips which you can apply in any stressful situation.
Watch Out for Signs
When we are anxious, we don’t exhibit the same signs. It’s different for each person. Here are some:
- Rapid Heart Rate
- Shallow Breathing
- Feelings of Dread
- Nervousness
- You feel a knot in your stomach
- Sweating
- Restlessness
- Nail-biting
So, which of the above applies to you? We sometimes aren’t aware these are happening when we’re anxious. The next time you are apprehensive, take note if you’re experiencing any of these signs.
Take Deep Breaths
Yes, it works! Calm yourself down. Taking deep breaths for a few seconds works for some. For others, a full minute or more is better. What this does is slow your heart rate and relax your muscles. It also helps you think more clearly.
Find Out Why You’re Anxious
We’re so involved with many things each day we can lose sight of what we are apprehensive about. The cause could be buried beneath minor stressors that pile up.
For instance, people go to work with high-stress levels because of the many things they have to accomplish. It’s not that they are unhappy with their job. It’s just they dislike specific tasks like making a presentation.
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