So, what’s the dragon “in your wallet?” Here’s the good news about worrying—it is your brain’s attempt to protect you. 

The downside is that worrying creates anxiety. It is an emotional response to fear. It can be paralyzing and floods your thinking process so you are unable to make solid choices.

Knowing that, here are several ways to minimize worry:

Identify where the worry (floating anxiety) originates?
What is the immediate action you can take to minimize it? The antidote across the board is ACTION! Why?

For example, if you are concerned about accidents on a road trip, have your car checked in advance, like tire pressure and fluid levels. Just taking the action, is calming.

When you self-coach and take action, you change the perspective of the issue. It’s that simple. A coaching exercise is to see at least three perspectives, positive or negative, and then choose the one that serves you. This is a fun and revealing action to take with your team or family.

Ever had analysis paralysis—where you must make a decision and can’t or fear crawls all over you? Sometimes a grinding loop hijacks your brain and exhausts you. It sucks all your energy even when you want to make a change.
Take a deep breath.

Call out the feeling by name (I know that sounds weird but once you name it, you can start to manage it!) Self-talk is healthy. You hear the sound of your voice that overrides the sound of the little voice in your head. This is a useful tactic to overcome procrastination.
Once you raise your awareness of what’s going on, you can start to move forward. For example, when I start to clean out my desk drawers, I know I’m avoiding something. Identify what behavior is your “tell.”

Coaching can be a useful tool to fight the dragon of fear.

If the anxiety persists and deepens without signs of letting up, please see a health professional.

Please let me know your strategies for self-coaching.