In this episode, we dive deep into understanding peace with anxiety. This episode provides a comprehensive overview of the various facets of peace with anxiety, shedding light on the misconceptions, interpretations, and practical steps toward finding inner peace. Tune in to gain a deeper understanding of what it truly means to make peace with anxiety and discover actionable steps to start your path toward inner peace.

1. FREE ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠High-functioning Anxiety Survival Guide⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
2. Check out the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠High-functioning Anxiety Blueprint
3. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ask me your anxiety-related questions⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for a future episode.
4. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠1:1 Reset & Reclaim Hypnotherapy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Program. A 4-week journey to help you gently break down the Eldest Daughter conditioning that’s been running your life, and reclaim your voice, your needs, and your sense of self.
5. Subscribe and Leave a Review

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠DISCLAIMER⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: All content here is for informational purposes only. This content does not replace the professional judgment of your own mental health provider. Please consult a licensed mental health professional for all individual questions and issues.

You're listening to the Peace with Anxiety Podcast.

I am your host, Irene Evangelo, anxiety counselor and clinical hypnotherapist.

I'll be coming to you every week to share actionable tips, simple strategies and useful resources to help you break free from high function anxiety.

We'll be covering how to recognize and understand your anxiety, strategies to change your thoughts and feelings, ways to implement long lasting change.

If you are trying to overcome people

pleasing behaviors, navigate anxiety, living in self doubt or something else keeping you stuck, then you are in the right place.

I know that you are ready to get to the next level of your life feeling free, calm, confident and in control.

So let's get started.

Hello and welcome back to episode five of the Peace with Anxiety podcast.

So today I wanted to talk to you about what it actually means to make peace with anxiety.

And as you know, it is the name of my podcast.

And over the last four episodes I have mentioned the word peace multiple times.

And I'm sure at least one once you stop and ask yourself, what does that even mean?

Why would I ever want to make peace with anxiety?

I just want to get rid of it.

Well, on that one I have to say that if you listen to my previous episodes, hopefully you've started to maybe getting curious about your anxiety and maybe a little bit more open to the idea that anxiety might actually not be your enemy.

And if you have no idea what I'm talking about, I would encourage you to go back and listen to episode one of this podcast where we're talking about what anxiety is and where it comes from.

But in a nutshell, anxiety is a normal, natural and common experience to a distressing event that is trying to warn you of a real or imagined threat.

So with that in mind, let's just dive into what exactly means to make peace with anxiety.

And there are often misconceptions surrounding this idea and I want to go through three of them.

So the first one is that peace with anxiety means never experiencing anxiety ever again.

However, in reality, experiencing occasional anxious thoughts and feelings is a natural part of being human.

Peace with anxiety doesn't mean eliminating anxiety altogether, but rather learning to coexist with it in a way that doesn't control or dominate our lives, and learning to manage and navigate anxious thoughts and emotions effectively rather than expecting them to disappear entirely.

Another misconception is that some people believe that peace with anxiety means always feeling calm and relaxed.

While finding moments of calmness is essential, it's unrealistic to expect to feel this way all the time, especially when Living in an anxiety inducing environment.

Besides, this overlooks the fact that anxiety fluctuates over time and in response to different situations.

So, peace with anxiety involves learning to embrace these fluctuations in mood and anxiety levels as normal and develop resilience in the face of them rather than expecting a constant state of relaxation.

Now, finally, another misconception is that peace with anxiety requires ignoring or suppressing anxious thoughts and feelings.

However, attempting to push away or deny anxiety often leads to increased distress in the long run.

And sure, you might be able to excel at work, be always available to everyone and be super efficient.

But by avoiding feeling your feelings of anxiety, you will eventually end up burnt out, feeling physically, mentally, emotionally from all the perfectionist, the people pleasing and the overworking.

So peace with anxiety involves acknowledging and accepting anxious thoughts and feelings without judgment.

It means learning to live with anxiety while developing healthy coping strategies to manage it effectively.

And this approach allows you to cultivate a sense of inner peace even in the presence of anxiety.

And now, peace can take on various meanings depending on the individual and their unique experiences with anxiety.

For some people, peace with anxiety involves finding a sense of inner calmness during the chaos of anxious thoughts and feelings.

It is the ability to cultivate a serene and controlled mental state even when faced with challenging or overwhelming situations.

And practicing mindfulness, meditation or relaxation techniques are just a few ways to achieve this inner calmness and reduce the impact of anxiety on your daily life.

Now, for other people, peace with anxiety centers around developing emotional resilience and the ability to adapt to stressors.

So rather than striving for a state of constant calmness, they focus on building the skills and resources needed to bounce back from anxiety inducing situations.

And this approach involves cultivating a growth mindset, learning from setbacks, and developing healthy coping strategies to navigate the ups and downs of life.

Now, for some others, finding peace with anxiety comes through acceptance and integration of their anxious thoughts and feelings.

Instead of resisting or fighting against anxiety, they embrace it as a natural aspect of their lived experience.

By acknowledging and accepting their anxiety without judgment, they can reduce the power it holds over them and find greater freedom to live authentically through self compassion, self awareness and honoring their emotions without being defined by them, they not only reduce the anxious thoughts and feelings, but they are able to make better choices because of the warning nature of anxiety.

So I really want you to understand these different meanings.

And of course there are many more.

But by understanding them, it will help you to recognize that there is no one size fits all definition of peace with anxiety.

Each person's journey towards peace is unique and it is up to you to explore and honor what peace means to you personally.

Whether it is finding inner calmness, building emotional resilience, or embracing acceptance, or all of the above, the path to pace with anxiety is as diverse and individualized as the people who walk it.

So I would encourage you to pause this recording, grab a pen of paper, and do the work with me of defining your meaning behind peace with anxiety.

And if you do this, if you do the writing, you are going to get results that are specific to your situation, your circumstances, and this is what we really want.

And just to get you started, I'm gonna give you three questions that you can ask yourself.

So first question is, what does peace with anxiety look like to me?

And for this one, I want you to think about your own experiences and imagine what peace with anxiety would look like in your life.

Consider specific behaviors, emotions, or situations that represent peace to you personally.

By defining your own vision of peace, you will be better able to understand your goals and motivations for addressing the anxiety.

Question number two how can I embrace acceptance and compassion towards myself?

I want you to spend some time and explore your relationship with self acceptance and self compassion when it comes to anxiety.

Consider how you currently relate to your anxious thoughts and feelings, whether there are opportunities to cultivate greater acceptance and kindness towards yourself.

And by practicing self compassion and acceptance, you will be able to promote a more supportive and nurturing internal dialogue which can guide you to your journey towards peace with anxiety.

And finally, question number three.

What values and priorities are important to me in life?

For this question, I want you to reflect on your core values and priorities in life and how these intersect with the experience of anxiety.

I would encourage you to consider whether your current actions and behaviors align with these values and whether there are opportunities to make adjustments that promote greater peace and fulfillment.

Because by connecting with your values, you can cultivate a sense of purpose and direction that supports your efforts to make peace with anxiety.

And also today, I wanted to explore with you the powerful concept of acceptance and commitment and how it can help you find peace with anxiety.

So acceptance plays a key role in overcoming anxiety because it helps to break free from the cycle of struggle and resistance.

When we resist our anxious thoughts and feelings, we unintentionally give them more power over us, leading to increased distress and suffering.

However, when we practice acceptance, we create space for these thoughts and feelings to exist without judgment or attachment.

This doesn't mean that we passively resign ourselves to anxiety, but rather it allows us to respond to anxiety with Clarity and compassion, reducing its impact on our lives.

So if you answered the previous three questions and now you're wondering, how can you develop acceptance in your daily life?

I have three suggestions for you.

One powerful technique is mindfulness meditation, which involves observing our thoughts, thoughts and feelings without getting caught up in them.

By bringing awareness to the present moment, you can develop a more accepting attitude towards whatever comes up, including anxiety.

And if you're able to set aside a few minutes every day to focus on the present moment without judgment, here's a very simple way you can do this.

So start by finding a quiet and comfortable space where you won't be disturbed.

You can sit or lie down in a relaxed position and close your eyes if comfortable, and then bring your attention to your breath, noticing the sensation of each inhale and exhale.

When your mind inevitably wonders which is normal, gently bring your focus back to your breath without judgment.

And while doing this, notice any thoughts, emotions or sensations that come up for you, and then allow them to come and go without getting caught up in them.

And as an extra tip, after finishing this practice, you can always just write down of your thoughts and feelings that came up and keep a record of them and see how you're improving over time.

Another helpful practice is called cognitive diffusion, which basically involves distancing yourself from your thoughts by recognizing them as passing mental events rather than absolute truths.

And here's how you can practice cognitive diffusion.

So when you notice an anxious thought coming up, acknowledge it without getting entangled in its content.

Then label the thought as just a thought.

And you can use phrases like I'm having the thought that or My mind is telling me that.

Imagine your thoughts as passing clouds in the sky, observing them as they come and go without attaching to them.

And then remind yourself that thoughts are not facts and they do not necessarily reflect reality.

And finally, engage in an activity that shifts your focus away from the anxious thoughts.

And you can do this by going for a walk, listening to music, or engaging in a hobby.

Lastly, I would encourage you to identify your core values and commit to taking small, meaningful actions that align with those values even in the presence of anxiety.

By focusing on what truly matters to you and taking steps to live in accordance with those values, you can build a rich and meaningful life, regardless of any anxious thoughts or feelings that may come up.

And here's how you can practice a value driven action.

So take some time to reflect on your core values such as honesty, compassion, creativity or connection.

Then identify specific actions that reflect each of your values.

For example, if one of your values is connection.

You might reach out to a friend or family member to offer support, or spend quality time together and commit to taking small, manageable steps towards your values, even if they feel challenging or uncomfortable.

And remind yourself that living authentically and in alignment with your values is more important than avoiding discomfort or anxiety.

And finally, it is very important to stop and celebrate your efforts and accomplishments, no matter how small they might seem.

So as we come to the end

of today's episode, I want to take a moment to recap what we've covered today about the concept of peace with anxiety.

So we talked about three common misconceptions about peace with anxiety, challenging the notion that peace means the complete absence of anxiety, constant calmness, or ignoring anxious thoughts and feelings.

Then we explored three different interpretations of peace in the context of mental health, highlighting that peace can involve finding inner calmness, developing emotional resilience, or embracing acceptance alongside anxiety.

We offered three questions to ask yourselves to define what peace with anxiety means to you personally.

And I hope you took a moment to really think about them, because understanding your own definition of peace is key to navigating this journey.

And finally, we offer three practical exercises to cultivate inner peace despite the presence of anxiety.

We talked about mindfulness meditation, cognitive diffusion, and values driven action, and these are real tools you can use in your everyday life to cultivate that inner peace.

So give them a try and I would love to know how they worked for you.

And finally, I just want you to remember, finding peace with anxiety is a journey, not a destination.

And it does look different for everyone.

It's okay to stumble along the way, it's okay to ask for help when you need it.

And most importantly, it's okay to believe that peace is possible even in the midst of anxiety.

So thank you for joining me today and I'll catch you on the next episode of the Peace With Anxiety Podcast.

Until next time, take care of yourselves.

Thank you for listening to the Peace With Anxiety Podcast.

If you found any value in today, I would really appreciate if you would

leave me a review and share this

episode on your Instagram story.

Tagging me in Irene the anxietytherapist.

Also, make sure you subscribe to this

podcast so you don't miss an episode.

All the links are found below in the show notes.

Thank you for listening and I look forward to seeing you the next episode.