Human emotional energy either contracts or expands. When your energy is contracting, you feel negative emotions such as fear and anxiety, anger and sadness. But when your energy is expanding, you feel positive emotions like excitement, joy, love and power.
In this article, I’ll focus on anxiety vs excitement. Anxiety is the contraction state where you think you don’t have any power, possibilities are limited and things will probably go badly. Excitement is the expansion state of being energized for action and creating new possibilities.
Whether you are anxious about public speaking, sharing your ideas in a meeting, meeting new people in a group or interviewing for a job, anxiety can be a doorway to energy, expansion and excitement. The secret to using anxiety is in how you focus your attention into the tension.
Try this. Sit or lie down comfortably. Take a few deep breaths and follow the air as it goes in and out your nose. This will allow you to place attention in your body. Then, instead of focusing on your tension and thinking it is bad, focus on the tension and feel it fully. That is, feel the tension and go deeply into it. Dive your mental focus into the area of your body where you sense the most anxiety. Follow it down to the bottom of the feelings and suddenly a shift happens! The tension dissolves and an internal space opens up that now feels free and energized.
You will most likely jump up from your chair or bed and race to accomplish something. I usually get great ideas as soon as the tension of anxiety shifts to excitement. Amazing!
The deal is not to feel the fear and do it anyway. The real magic is to feel the fear, feel the fear and keep feeling it until it shifts into excitement and then you will be energized to do the thing because you want to.
Sandra Zimmer works with high achievers who are struggling with communication and who may be uncomfortable speaking in groups. She helps them transform the way they express who they are so they feel confident to share their ideas, insights and expertise. Sandra has developed the Zimmer Method for Authentic Communication. Her method guides people through an experiential process that connects them to their natural abilities to express themselves when they speak, present, perform, sell or persuade.
Sandra is the president of Sandra Zimmer & Associates, Inc and the founder of The Self-Expression Center in Houston, Texas. She holds an M.A. in Theater from The University of Houston, a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Texas and is a Certified Lessac Voice Teacher. Additionally, she has more than 30 years of experience in the field of self-awareness.
Sandra Zimmer can be contacted at The Self-Expression Center, www.self-expression.com, sandra@self-expression.com and 281-293-7070.
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