Motivations 4U

 Do you have racing thoughts and anxiety? It’s hard to focus on anything else when anxiety takes control of your mind. You’re filled with worries and uncertainties. You can’t calm down or rest. Fortunately, there are ways to control anxious thoughts, and it just takes practice to master the techniques.   Try these tips to control your anxiety:   Distance yourself from the worrisome thoughts. Learn to look at your anxious thoughts in a different way.   ○       The key is to reshape how you think about things.   ○       When you get an anxious thought, immediately identify it as a sign of your worry and not reality.   ○       Labeling your thoughts correctly raises self-awareness and makes it easier to control them. It also gives you something else to focus on instead of constant worry.   Ask yourself questions. When you get an anxious thought, stop and ask yourself these questions:   ○       What is the real reason for this anxious thought? What

TV commercials encourage you to have a drink to relax. However, the relationship between alcohol and anxiety can be more complicated than that. Many adults can safely drink in moderation. For others, alcohol may cause anxiety or aggravate pre-existing conditions.   There are several reasons why alcohol tends to disturb your peace of mind.   Embarrassing yourself at an office party may be an obvious danger, but there's also a molecular explanation. Alcohol causes changes in your brain chemicals, including gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which is involved in regulating anxiety.   Your brain adjusts to the sedating effects of alcohol but may have trouble balancing itself again when your blood alcohol content starts to fall. That could leave you feeling more anxious than when you started, and that uneasiness may last for a day or more. Prolonged heavy drinking often contributes to anxiety.   Lifestyle changes and professional help can make a big difference if alcohol an