Kick the Anxiety Habit
We often talk about the kinds of habits that form in relationships. Good habits and bad habits take years to form and require consistent practice to nurture. While keeping good habits is usually only a matter of continuing to maintain them, letting go of bad habits can be challenging, requiring both active processing and continuous practice. In short, changing your habits takes dedication and hard work.
Many behaviors can be problematic, but most people don’t know that some behaviors and issues are fueled by a habitual addiction to them. For instance, many people who suffer from anxiety habitually repeat behaviors associated with their anxiety. It stands to reason then that letting go of that anxiety means changing your habits.
Kicking the Anxious Habit
Arlene Foreman, M.S. a Pennsylvania Licensed Mental Health Counselor has this to say about helping her clients let go of their anxiety habit:
Kicking the anxiety habit can only come with practice and that means homework. For instance, I give clients tapes to listen to that will help them relax. If clients do their homework assignments diligently they’ll get better faster. We work together to try to find out what kinds of changes in thinking or lifestyle might be necessary so that they can do their assignments. I always counsel patience. Habits don’t disappear overnight. Usually it will take two to four months before you experience major changes although many of the symptoms will begin to fade in just three or four weeks. You have to integrate a new way of thinking – a new way of being – into your life. You have to learn how to relax but also how to take risks. You have to learn how to reclaim your life – and something else: you have to learn how to have fun.
If you are one of the many thousands who feel anxious all the time and are wondering if your anxiety may be a habitual way of acting and reacting to stimuli, consult a mental health counselor about helping you kick your anxiety habit.
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- Unlearning Anxiety – Yes You Can
- De-Paralyzing Anxiety
- Overcoming Anxiety With Counseling
- Anxiety Disorder Treatment
- How To Control Your Anxiety
