Accept that conditions like anxiety may be chronic rather than curable, and focus on mitigating them through various strategies to make life much easier.
Treat yourself like a thoroughbred horse by prioritizing sufficient sleep, maintaining a careful diet, engaging in aggressive exercise, practicing meditation, and considering medication if recommended by a doctor. This holistic approach helps manage difficult conditions like panic and anxiety.
Rather than trying to cure anxiety, accept it as a chronic and manageable condition, understanding that this acceptance can be a significant mindset shift and help you identify what is happening when symptoms arise.
When negative thoughts or worries arise, practice witnessing them without actively engaging, recognizing them as just thoughts, and affirm to yourself that “this will pass” and “I can handle it” to manage anxiety in the moment.
Approach your work, especially in performance or creative fields, with a mindset of service to others, focusing on the audience’s experience and needs to overcome self-doubt and enhance your performance.
Actively try to “live in someone else’s skin” by understanding their experiences and hardships with compassion and love, which helps break down barriers and fosters deeper connection.
Reflect on personal experiences of suffering or those observed in others to gain perspective, which can inspire strength and help re-engage your sense of service when facing your own challenges or self-doubt.
Engage in walking meditation by observing your surroundings while moving, as this practice helps you stay active and clear your mind simultaneously.
Regularly reflect on your mortality not as a morbid exercise, but as an enlivening practice that helps you appreciate life more fully and avoid taking things for granted.
Shift focus from unknown afterlives to the immediate positive impact you have on others in the present, recognizing the abundance available to share and the opportunity to make each other’s lives better here and now.
If experiencing performance-related anxiety or panic attacks, consult a doctor about beta-blockers, which are non-narcotic medications that can block physiological symptoms like a racing heart rate without causing drowsiness.
When looking to increase your daily meditation dosage, adopt an incremental approach to avoid becoming overly ambitious, which could lead to unsustainability, feelings of failure, and abandoning the practice altogether.
Despite the inconvenience and potential dread, attending a meditation retreat is highly recommended at any stage of practice, as it can lead to the biggest leaps in understanding and the most profound experiences.
While shorter retreats are better than none, consider aiming for a 7 to 10-day meditation retreat, as profound experiences often begin around day four or five once mental chatter significantly reduces.
For those looking for a meditation retreat, consider Spirit Rock (north of San Francisco) or the Insight Meditation Society (Barre, Massachusetts), as both are highly recommended for their phenomenal teachers and reliable experiences.
If you have questions about your meditation practice, such as how long to sit daily, talk to a meditation teacher after a class or in an individual relationship for useful guidance and discussion.
Take steps to identify what is happening when you suffer, and crucially, understand that you are not alone in your struggles, as this realization can be a significant source of comfort and help.
Employ music as a powerful tool to connect with others, offer comfort during times of suffering or grief, and facilitate healing, whether through singing to a loved one or performing for an audience.
Be aware that if a diabetic female is experiencing significant stomach issues, it could be a symptom of a heart problem, as atypical symptoms can occur in this demographic.
Consider supporting or engaging with organizations like Musicians on Call, which brings live music to hospital bedsides, or Melodic Caring Project, which streams concerts to quarantined children, to provide comfort and connection through music.