Anxiety Recovery And A Positive Mindset

Anxiety Recovery and a Positive Mindset?

Must you be a positive person to get better? What is there about anxiety recovery and a positive mindset? Is that a thing? Do you have to accept positive vibes only? Remove toxic negativity? Vibrate and manifest correctly? Is this all required to really recover?

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The Highlights

We are constantly surrounded by messages about positivity, especially in the mental health and personal development spaces online. You know the deal. Manifest positive outcomes! Choose positivity! Walk away from the negative! Vibrate positive energy!
Do you have to be this kind of person – a positive, vibrating, manifesting optimist – to get better?
NO. Might it help to have a positive outlook? Sure. But I do not believe its required nor do I think its even that important.
I say often that we do not get to pick our emotions. We can just decide to think or emote our way into a positive situation or state of being. Sorry but, if anxious people could do that, they would be doing that and this podcast would not have to exist.
In this episode I examine the concept of self-efficacy. How do you see yourself and your ability to handle life? Do you feel like you are able to handle things and meet challenges, or do you see yourself as weak or incapable? Self-efficacy is closely related to that sense of competence I talk about all the time. Competence is one of the “three C’s” of recovery (along with courage and confidence).
I content that it is far more useful to work on building your sense of self-efficacy and competence than trying to be a positive person while your life feels nothing but negative.
We build a sense of competency and self-efficacy not through thinking or feeling, but through ACTION. We do things we think we can’d do and we allow ourselves the chance to show that we are capable and can handle life – even when challenging or difficult.
These experiences – these actions – help change the way we see ourselves. We begin to see ourselves as more able to meet the challenges of recovery.
Would it help to be positive while you do this? Sure, but don’t demand it. That’s not fair or realistic.
So where do anxiety recovery and a positive mindset come together? They come together AFTER the doing. Feeling more competent and having an elevated sense of self-efficacy tends to make it much easier to see yourself, your situation, and life in a more positive light.
Want to be a positive person? First act, even when that acting is difficult and scary. Learning that you CAN do it can really help you feel more … positive.