The Good, The Better, and The Beautiful
Because many of us have been through a painful and traumatic past, it is beneficial to us to dent the vicious cycle of anxiety by learning to see the world in a rational, more realistic light:
SUGGESTIONS:
Sit down every day for a few minutes, allow yourself to relax with the method you prefer best, and imagine a beautiful place you have been. Notice all the colorful details you can see ("adding" them in is perfectly acceptable) and just observe how beautiful, peaceful, and serene this place in your mind really is.
Go outside and sit on the patio, in the backyard, or someplace else that is solitary and peaceful. FOCUS on the beautiful things you see all around you: flowers, trees, desert scenery, mountains, ocean, forest, clouds, the blue sky...
Take a walk around the block, go swimming, or hike up a mountain. This is great exercise, too, but make sure you slow down to enjoy the beauty that you see all around you. Specifically, FOCUS on all the beautiful, pretty, natural things that you see.
Visit a museum, an art showing, or go camping or hiking to a natural sight or place you find to be both peaceful and beautiful.
While you drive around town, drive in "slow driving" mode (slow talk to yourself if necessary so that your driving is not tension-filled and stressful). Deliberately notice and FOCUS on the nice and beautiful things you see: beautiful yards, landscaping, flowering trees, an outstanding flower bed, a unique business establishment, interesting architecture, and all the natural physical beauty that surrounds you.
Yes, in each and every case, the central message is to stop and smell the roses. This is a lesson all of us need to learn -- for our own enjoyment, peace, and tranquility.
The more we deliberately FOCUS ON the good, the better, and the beautiful, the more our minds turn toward realistic (more positive) perceptions of the world. Literal brain changes occur that are "measurable" over time.
We all know there are good and bad things in the world, and there are millions of shades of gray. So...
HERE WE HAVE A DECISION:
A. We can decide to surrender to our "old" conditioning and continue to view the world as evil, hostile, and threatening, or
B. We can gradually open up to the world and deliberately focus on the nice, peaceful, gentle, beautiful things that are really all around us.
This is one more technique to help change our thinking about ourselves and the world. As we see the world as brighter and more manageable, we begin to see ourselves in a more peaceful and positive light as well.
You deserve to enjoy life and be happy.
You deserve to see yourself more realistically and positively.
There is beauty in almost everything and the more and more you focus on the good, the better, and the beautiful, the more and more your perceptions of the world and of yourself will change.
Our History and Our Mission
The Anxiety Network began in 1995 due to growing demand from people around the world wanting help in understanding and overcoming their anxiety disorder. The Anxiety Clinic of Arizona and its website, The Anxiety Network, received so much traffic and requests for help that we found ourselves spending much of our time in international communication and outreach. Our in-person anxiety clinic has grown tremendously, and our principal internet tool, The Anxiety Network, has been re-written and re-designed with focus on the three major anxiety disorders: panic, social anxiety, and generalized anxiety disorder.
The Anxiety Network focuses on three of the major anxiety disorders: panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and social anxiety disorder.
In 1997, The Social Anxiety Association, a non-profit organization, was formed and now has its own website.
The Social Anxiety Institute, the largest site on the internet for information and treatment of social anxiety, has maintained an active website since 1998. Continuous, ongoing therapy groups have helped hundreds of people overcome social anxiety since 1994.
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