Do you think of yourself as someone who could learn new skills – such as pottery, a new language, karate, computer programming … Or do you think of yourself as the “you” that you are now – “This is who I am. I’m never going to change.”? These two attitudes are sometimes referred to as a Growth Mindset and a Fixed Mindset.
In reality, it is not simply one mindset or the other – there is a scale of attitudes that range from extreme growth mindset to extreme fixed mindset.
Now, I am not saying one attitude is good and the other bad – we are all different. It’s just that if your mindset is too fixed about your level of anxiety, then this may just be holding you back from getting back control of your life.
If you have the attitude – “I am an anxious person – this can never change”, then it is likely that it will never change. Your subconscious will simply not be looking to change. Whereas, if you have the attitude – “I am anxious now – but there is no need for me to be like this for the rest of my life”, then the subconscious is free to look for avenue that will lead you to a calmer life.
The first step in doing anything about your anxiety is to realise that you can change. Life can be better. It will not change by magic, and different things will help different people. You have to look for the solution that suits you best.
I help people with anxiety every day using the power of hypnotherapy – but that is not the only way forward. There are plenty of things you can try for yourself – but the first step is to realise that you can change.
And Finally …
If you feel you need help getting on top of your anxiety, you can contact me and I will be happy to answer any questions you might have about how hypnotherapy can help.
Picture courtesy of the Mental Health Foundation