Working to reduce anxiety right when it strikes is nowhere near as hard as it seems, and you could be living life the way you want to faster than you know.
Anxiety can hit at the worst times, and sometimes it can come over you when you least expect it. Being able to spontaneously reduce anxiety is a learned skill, and you can do it with some careful practice and self-control.
If a situation comes up that gets you anxious or uncomfortable, mentally taking a step back and really thinking about where you are, and what you are doing will set you up to be able to handle what is coming your way. But over thinking will sabotage what you're trying to do completely -- quickly assessing what is around you, or what is going to be around you, and recognizing that it is not as threatening as you are perceiving it to be is the key.
It's far too easy to slip from "quickly assessing" to "over thinking," but if you don't focus on the 'what if's and instead focus on 'what is' then it will become much easier. 'What if' can only snowball into further speculations, most of them irrational. 'What is' gets rid of those speculations, and instead you feel more certain of what is going to happen and therefore, less anxious.
Thinking about something that makes you anxious beforehand isn't going to reduce anxiety, it is only going to increase it. Thinking beforehand is speculating, and when speculating on things that make you nervous, you are much more likely to emotionally exaggerate or even over-react.
If the above doesn't help, consider faking your comfort to project the image that you are confident -- sometimes that's exactly what you need to do in order to kick your anxiety. Pretend you're comfortable, pretend it's not a problem, and pretend that your anxiety is a thing of the past. Over time, it will not only reduce anxiety, it will also eliminate your anxiety, and that's the overall goal.
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