The Antidote to Anxiety, Stress and Election Fatigue

The root for the Greek word of Anxious means "to separate" and "divide."

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When you feel anxious you feel separate, disconnected and divided. When you feel disconnected and divided you feel anxious.

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With a country divided by politics and 24/7 election coverage it makes sense why so many are feeling anxious right now. It’s what happens when you are constantly focused on external circumstances instead of inner peace.

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You feel divided and distracted instead of united and connected.

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I recently was asked how to deal with election fatigue, anxiety and stress while doing an interview for CBS news and I said the antidote begins with knowing that circumstances and events are not the cause of how you feel.

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For example, one day you are in traffic and it bothers you. The next day you are in a great mood and the traffic doesn’t. It’s not the traffic. If it was, the traffic would always cause the same response. It’s not the event or circumstance. It’s always your state of mind.

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The same goes for politics and election coverage.

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When your state of mind is low and you experience an event or watch a news clip, you feel like the circumstance has power over you and it bothers and triggers you.

When your state of mind is high, and you experience an event or watch a news clip, you know the truth that you have power over your circumstance, and you rise above.

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The more you look outside at events, news, soundbites and believe they have power over you, the lower your state of mind you will have and the more disconnected and anxious you will feel.

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The more you remember the truth that you have the power over any circumstance and that circumstances don’t have the power to make you feel a certain way unless you let them, the higher your state mind will be and you’ll feel connected, confident and courageous.

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The power is inside of you... just like I wrote about in?The Coffee Bean.

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The world is like a big pot of boiling hot water right now. So much fear and negativity.

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You can be like the carrot in hot water that becomes soft and weak. You can become like an egg and allow the environment to harden your heart and become bitter, angry and hateful.

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Or you can decide to be like the coffee bean that when placed in the hot water, it makes coffee and transforms the environment.

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You don’t have to let these events and circumstances define you. You can define your life because the power is inside of you to do so.

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A few additional tips for this week:

1. Turn off the news and go take a walk of gratitude and say what you are thankful for right now.
2. Instead of looking down at your phone so much look up to the heavens and say a prayer.
3. Focus more on your inner peace instead of outside turmoil.
4. Trust instead of fear. Trust is only a thought away.
5. Take actions that make you feel empowered. Vote. Take a stand for your principles. Don’t stress if others don’t agree with you. You can’t control how others think. Speak up if you feel compelled to do so. Just do it all from a place of love instead of fear (anger). Fear leads to a lower state of mind and love brings you to a higher state of mind.
6. Read?The One Truth. It will elevate your thinking forever.

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-Jon