A Note From Deanne
Are you revving up for the Thanksgiving holiday? I am. Several family members will be in town next week and I am hosting Thanksgiving dinner
at our house. There is a lot to prepare for six houseguests for a week, two turkeys, and twenty people over for Thanksgiving dinner.
You know how I'm going to get things done?
Two words:
Think small.
What I mean is that in this moment I'm not looking at the big picture at all. I'm focusing on this present moment only... the words I'm writing to you. That way things don't feel overwhelming, plus my enjoyment goes sky high.
This week's tip talks about how you can think small and accomplish more this holiday season. Enjoy.
Dedicated to your success,
Anxiety Tip
Think Small during the Holidays
The holidays are upon us. If you're like most people, the holidays bring added stress. There are the social and family gatherings, gifts to buy, financial pressures, and more.
Here's a way you can be proactive and reduce your holiday stress: think small. Be a small thinker.
When I say think small, I mean, occupy your mind with one thing in this present moment. One.
Not ten or twenty.
One.
Break things down into the smallest denominator, something small enough that can be done right now, at this very moment.
If you're at work, focus on the one email you're reading. Stop focusing on the eighty other emails in your Inbox waiting for you. If you're taking a walk, focus on lifting your foot and taking the current step only. Don't even think about the next step until you take this one. If you're driving your son to school, focus on this right turn only. If someone is talking to you, focus on listening to the words as you hear them instead of fast-forwarding to what you think he will say next or on what you are going to respond.
When you think small in this way, you accomplish big things. You accomplish MORE than by thinking big because you are not wasting mental energy focusing on other tasks or topics that cannot be accomplished this moment anyway. Your energy is channeled where it belongs, the present moment, where things get done and where enjoyment lies. :)
The future is simply a series of "now" moments. When you focus on the now the future takes care of itself almost magically.
It's a paradox because the smaller you think -- the more you live in THIS moment -- the more you achieve. Thinking small accomplishes big goals. Several new research studies on the effects of multi-tasking reveal the benefits of thinking small. They indicate that multi-tasking actually decreases productivity versus thinking small by focusing exclusively on one task at a time.
Throughout the day today, when you notice yourself feeling overwhelmed or frustrated, pause and think small. You'll notice a shift in your mood toward calmness and accomplish more as well.
About Deanne
Deanne Repich - Founder and director of the National Institute of Anxiety and Stress, Inc., is an internationally renowned anxiety educator, teacher, author, and former sufferer who has helped tens of thousands of anxiety sufferers in more than 40 countries to reclaim their lives from anxiety, stress, anxiety disorders, panic attacks, anxiety attacks and social anxiety.
She is the creator of the Conquer Anxiety Success Program, author of more than one hundred articles, and publisher of the Anxiety-Free Living printed Newsletter for anxiety sufferers. She is a Member of Mental Health America and the Anxiety Disorders Association of America.
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