Hi,
Here is again the nlp point of view.
To make it simple, there are only two ways to feel anxious:
1) to see unconsciously something that causes the anxious feeling
2) to hear unconsciously something that causes the anxious feeling.
There simply are no more ways. I'm the latter type myself, whenever I feel anxious, I know that my self-talk is causing the feeling. To make it simple again, the way to deal with negative voices is to move them somewhere else and make them sound nicer or even ridiculous. If you happen to be the first type, simply throw away your internal images. I have posted a longer descriptions here: http://www.learningstrategies.com/forum/ubb/Forum4/HTML/000442.html
Of course your problem is first to create a state without any anxiety. And then start to notice what REALLY is going on in your head. Here's how:
Remember a time when you felt really great, maybe laughed, had not a single worry. Surely you must have felt great at least once in your life!?? Just remember it and associate into the feelings. Where in your body do you feel the best feeling. Take a moment to recognise the feeling. Now, where does the feeling start form? Your belly, your chest, shoulders, feet,...? Where ever it stats from, follow the feeling, where does it got to? You see, to feel something the feeling has to move, otherwise the nerves don't recognise anything. Anytime you have a feeling, it is sure to move somewhere in your body. Just recognise where your great feeling is moving. Follow it and notice the point where it is about to leave your body. AND HERE comes the COOL part: take the feeling and move it back to where it started from!! Feels even more great, doesn't it?! Make the feeling go through your body and back to the starting point continuously. Make it go even faster! Double the speed! Double the feeling! Double it again! And again! And again!... And FEEL SO GREAT THAT you never imagined you could feel soooooo great!!!
The exercise above is a simple way to give the mind another direction. It seems to me that now you are more directed towards your anxiety, which you don't want. Anybody can give you advice to "not to think about the anxiety", but... what to think instead? This exercise is how to do it. And I must say, that it is not the only way, but it is one of the best. Go ahead and play with your great feelings!! Go ahead and do it!
Be well, -purjo
