This is from the Essential Elements “oldie, yet still a goodie” archives, originally published on October 3, 2010.
The same thing frequently happens to me on Sunday nights. As I’m finishing up tasks that needed to get done over the weekend and planning for the upcoming week, the anxiety starts to set it. Anxiety about what I didn’t get accomplished during the weekend. Anxiety about the week to come and everything on my to-do list. Anxiety about having anxiety.
I bet many of you reading this are nodding along in agreement. Even when we’re fortunate enough to be doing everything that we love (which should always be the case, but sadly isn’t for everyone), it’s nearly impossible to avoid feeling the pressure that comes along with commitment and responsibility.
Here’s a quote from Seth Godin I’ve saved that I want to share with you as you’re kicking off another week:
“Anxiety is nothing but repeatedly re-experiencing failure in advance. What a waste.”
Kind of puts anxiety into perspective, doesn’t it? I intentionally keep this on my to-do list in Evernote so that I’m reminded to take a step back and chill the heck out every time I look at that list and start feeling anxious.
Consider doing something similar. Write this quote on a Post-it note and put it on your desk or computer. Or, if this quote doesn’t do much for you, find a similar one and refer to it when you’re feeling overwhelmed. When stress and anxiety levels soar, subtle reminders that help us keep our cool can make a world of difference.
Do you do anything particular when you’re feeling anxious or stressed? Are there any quotes/words of advice similar to Seth’s that you carry with you?