How the secrets of elite athletes can help you overcome anxiety
“It’s all in your head…”
Your heart is pounding, your chest is tight, you can barely breathe, the room is spinning -- and you’re wondering if this is what a heart attack feels like.
Have you ever ended up in the emergency room with these symptoms only to have the doctor say “it’s just anxiety” -- and then book you with a psychiatrist?
“But,” you’re thinking “this is NOT all in my head. These symptoms are in my body too!”
Guess what? You’re right.
Something VERY REAL is going on in your body and your brain. Anxiety is a disruption in your nervous system, which governs your heart rate, breathing, immune system, digestion, hormones like your thyroid and adrenals and so much more.
I dealt with major anxiety, panic attacks and a wide range of physical symptoms for years. When I realized that doctor’s didn’t have a clue, I started looking elsewhere for answers -- and I found them in a surprising place: the world of elite athletes.
For elite athletes, their body is their main instrument and there is a massive amount of science that has gone into helping elite athletes perform at the top of their game. It turns out, the average person can also use this same knowledge base and skillset to overcome anxiety naturally and permanently. You don’t have to be an elite athlete. You don’t have to run a marathon. But if you want to, you’ll be able to once you master these skills, transform your anxiety and get your energy, your mind, your body and your life back!
Why elite athletes?
Because they’ve figured out one thing that has stumped the mental health industry
The key to undoing anxious thoughts starts in your body, not your mind.
That’s good news, because you don’t have to wrestle with your anxious thoughts ever again!
Instead, you need to learn how elite athletes use action to transform their mindset
There is a massive amount of science helps elite athletes perform at the top of their game. It turns out the average person can also use this same knowledge base and skillset to overcome anxiety naturally and permanently.
Here are three insights from the world of elite athletes that can help you get unstuck from the bottom up:
You’re not overthinking, you’re overbreathing
Elite athletes know that their thought patterns mirror their breathing patterns
If you know how to read your nervous system, you can make simple shifts to your breathing that will transform your thought patterns
If you’re reacting to symptoms, you’ve already lost
Our entire mental health system is built on reacting to symptoms.
But elite athletes know that the best defense is a good offense. You need to get pro-active about your mental health and master the skill of nervous system regulation
Find a coach and a community
Elite athletes know that coaching and community are essential to success
We learn by watching and seeking feedback and support from others who are walking the same path or have already arrived where we want to be
In Resilience,
Caitlin