If you're feeling anxious, try these eight short sentences to calm your anxiety

It will come as no surprise to many that the prevalence of anxiety disorders is increasing due to our evolving cultural and social issues. With the imminent fear for our health from diseases such as the Novel Coronavirus, rising crime rates have left many of us feeling vulnerable and fearful, and find ourselves thinking anxious thoughts about the future. Anxiety disorders are caused by a complex set of risk factors, including our genetics, brain chemistry, personality and life events.

If you're feeling anxious, try these eight short sentences to calm your anxiety

We have limited control over our own lives and what happens in society. The resulting uncertainty often leads to unstable thoughts and feelings that create helplessness and despair. We can question the world around us, feel disappointed and frustrated with ourselves, while desperately searching for ways to stabilize ourselves in a chaotic environment.

The way we communicate with ourselves has a major impact on our mindset, motivation and behavior, which in turn affects our ability to feel competent in the face of uncertainty and ease anxiety. The way we express ourselves and our ability to reframe and transform can also have a positive impact on our mindset and perceptions. It may be the deciding factor in whether we take direct action or acquiesce to resist, avoid, ignore or distract from our lives.

Consider saying these things to yourself when you feel anxious:

1. "It's a way of protecting myself. It's a big part of my life."

Here, you acknowledge that your mind (and body) truly cares for and loves you. It's doing what it thinks is best, trying to protect you from danger, injury and discomfort. But it doesn't always know how to decipher what's dangerous and harmful, can sometimes be relentless in expressing its views, and doesn't always recognize the benefits of experiencing discomfort, such as building resilience and developing and strengthening coping skills. In other words, it has good intentions, but not always the best delivery. Underneath it all, it can help remind yourself that your mind comes from a place of love, care and nurturing.

If you're feeling anxious, try these eight short sentences to calm your anxiety

2. "Life is always changing!"

Things can and will happen spontaneously in a different way than you want or expect, which causes you to immediately shift gears and recalibrate. It's understandable that it can leave you feeling disappointed and upset. When you resist change, it increases the pain and often makes you feel even more annoyed because you are frustrated with yourself and the situation.

In order to let go of resistance, become more flexible and open to change, the phrase "Life is always changing" can help remind you that this is a turn of life that you can work with, not just against.

3. "At the moment, I'm different"

When we say this, it means we are out of control or unable to handle anything. But here, you purposefully and deliberately decided to lose your mind. You are reminding yourself that you can't believe everything you think because your thoughts are often irrational, unpredictable and disastrous. You choose to act and react based on your values and the person you want to be, not based on thoughts and feelings that sometimes lead you wrong.

If you're feeling anxious, try these eight short sentences to calm your anxiety

4. "Letting go brings me closer to freedom."

The idea of letting go can sometimes cause fear because of a lack of control or uncertainty. Here, however, you redefined it as leading to personal freedom.

"Letting go" involves letting go of the narratives we tell ourselves, such as how we view ourselves, others and the world. When you think something is "bad," "wrong," or "undesirable," you are forced to push it away, wish for something different, and have preconceived thoughts and feelings. These rigid and limited ways of thinking and acting hold you back and may prevent you from progressing and changing.

5. "I matter."

This brings you closer to recognizing your values and what's really important to you, and that you're not just your anxious thoughts and feelings; You own them, but you're not defined or limited by them. It goes from identifying myself as "I am anxious" (I am my anxiety) to "I have anxious thoughts and feelings" (I am more than just my anxiety).

If you're feeling anxious, try these eight short sentences to calm your anxiety

6. "I choose to grow."

You will increase your awareness and responsibility, and constantly strive to increase your self-confidence, confidence, self-love, self-confidence, and self-efficacy. Making a commitment to the growth you choose to invest in can be both empowering and personally fulfilling. You will decide how committed you are to the process and what actions you need to take to complete it successfully.

7. "Failure is feedback."

We don't always get it right -- in fact, we can't, because we're imperfect people. It is often through our trials and tribulations, mistakes and life experiences that we learn our greatest life lessons. It's the mechanism that ensures we grow and mature -- if we let it.

However, we can sometimes be held back by our fear of failure because it may cause discomfort. We may become so afraid that we don't even give ourselves a chance to prove it. Seeing failure as feedback will enable you to recognize the inherent benefits of "failure" so that you observe, notice, and carry feedback with you on your journey so that you learn directly from it, rather than relying on familiar and comfortable lifestyles and play-acting.

If you're feeling anxious, try these eight short sentences to calm your anxiety

8. "There's always a trade-off."

Everything comes at a price. We often have to give up something to get something, or be willing to accept discomfort to accomplish change. It's a natural phenomenon in our life. Whether you want to take an adventure or start something new, or you may be going through a major or minor life transition, you may need to accept trade-offs. Anticipating, accepting, and expanding your willingness to adjust to trade-offs will make it more likely that you will move forward no matter what comes your way.

Feeling anxious is natural and expected, especially when there is so much stress and uncertainty around us. You can choose how you communicate with yourself and how you choose to act on behalf of your thoughts and feelings. Be proactive and work together to reframe, refocus, and redirect information so you can live a calmer and more self-fulfilling life.