Overcoming Anxiety when Starting Something New

Anxiety. Just reading the word can make one anxious.

You get a new idea, right, and you want to begin working out the details of the project. You begin doing your research about the idea and now you’re getting real excited about how big the whole thing could be. One day passes. Maybe a few days, even. But now all that excitement is turning into late nights where you can’t sleep just thinking about the idea. “Will it work?” “I shouldn’t even get my hopes up.” Every time you think to do more research, your heart starts beating a bit faster and you’re panicking and getting hot flashes and just plain overthinking. The Anxiety has set in.

Now, dealing with anxiety can be tricky because sometimes we end up making it worse instead of better, but it can be done. It has to be done! That’s if we actually want to move forward with any pending plans and projects.

Following these few steps will hopefully eliminate most of the anxiety we have when beginning something new (I say most because if there is not even a bit of nervousness when starting something new, are you actually human? LOL) but it will help deal with the underlying fear that is actually causing the unease.

Disclaimer: As we all know, everyone is different and deals with things differently. What may work for me in these tips may not work for you. Let me know how these tips may or may not have helped in the comments below!

Plan Ahead

We’ve all seen or heard this somewhere before. For instance, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail” or “Plan! Plan! Plan!” There is always so much emphasis placed on planning ahead and being prepared to take on the project at hand. Why? Because it works!

One quote by Idowu Koyenikan that goes, “Opportunity does not waste time with those who are unprepared” will help you put things in perspective during the planning periods. Meaning, no matter what your idea may be, if it is not well planned for execution, your opportunity may surely pass you by.

This stage of planning begins with a journal (or means of jotting notes) that will be used solely for this new project or phase in your life.

When starting this blog, I bought a journal that not only matched my style, but that pushed me to actually write in it! Do not buy a journal you don’t find motivational or aesthetically pleasing to you. Make sure it has a quote or image you like or is your favorite color. And if you’re artistic you could even get a blank journal and create a design for you, by you. (I know some may prefer typing and keeping all their notes online, so whichever matches your preference is what you go with.)

In these notes, your going to start by writing out the actually idea or project or plan. Whatever it is, (even an incomplete thought) just write it down piece by piece. That’s how you put it all together. And be very real with yourself. Your expectations, budget, any research you may have done, others doing the same thing, etc. Just know the purpose of what you’re doing, the goals you have, and how you expect to achieve these goals.

Then you just break each of those ideas down further and expand on them. For example, with SToR, I knew I wanted to start off as a blog THEN an online bakery (THEN wherever God leads me LOL). I wrote it all down but set dates in my planner that I could achieve each goal by, realistically. As of now, I don’t have the skill and time to start my online bakery, so I practice until the date I set (TBA!!!) and perfect the desserts I want to specialize in until that date. I also wrote down most of the important research I found about starting a successful blog based on the successes of other bloggers. I did the same for other successful bakers.

When breaking the ideas down further, I wrote down recipes I wanted to perfect, design techniques, blog posts I wanted to write and even sketched out title images for Pinterest and Instagram. This took A LOT of weight off my shoulder when building my website because now I knew how I wanted the layout to be and the theme that would match the vibe I’m trying to portray to my audience.

This planning stage is crucial and never actually ends no matter what your idea is, especially if you want your project to continue to grow. The more you plan, the easier it will be to see those plans come to fruition.

Explore These Feelings, Don’t Suppress Them

This tip is key when dealing with any nervousness or anxiety. It can even be used when dealing with a number of other emotions we deal with. Stop feeling like you’re the only one this happens to. This causes people to suppress their nervousness instead of dealing with it. Instead of talking to someone about it, even.

Explore your anxiety by reflecting. Why are you even nervous? What could you be afraid of? Failing? Change? There are so many possibilities. Without expressing and exploring your feelings, you could end up giving up due to frustration, confusion, having too much on your plate, anger, fear, etc.

By reflecting upon yourself and why you feel this way, you can decide how to deal with it and move forward with your pending plans.

Another suggestion would be to share those feelings with someone you’re close to, or even another journal. (I Love journals lol it’s a problem). Share your plans with yourself or that person and that can help you sort those feelings out. It may even make you feel like you’ve taken those feelings off your shoulders.

This way you can take a deep breathe, let it out and go back to finalizing your plans and starting the work. Suppressing your feelings will do nothing but give you more unnecessary worry.

Just Get Started!

The reason why starting on the new project may seem so difficult is most likely where the underlying fears causing the anxiety is coming from. It’s one of the worst fears there is because everyone has it: The fear of FAILING!

Rip that band-aid off and just start. It’s kind of like stage fright. You’re so nervous to get up on stage and do your line in the play (hypothetically of course) but when you finally begin to sing or act, you realize the nervousness just floats away.

It’s the way our minds work. Once we begin to do that which we are afraid to do, we’re no longer afraid to do it!

Use everything you’ve written and sketched down. Everything you spent time planning. Put it all together and get to work. This is your idea and dream so only you can see it through. Of course if you need help, ask for it!

Once you start, you will do wonderfully and just continue to increase your knowledge. Don’t be afraid to fail and learn from those mistakes instead.

Self Care and Time Management

Once you’ve gotten started it’s very important to keep on top of yourself. Taking breaks to care for yourself is not a sin! In fact, it’s much needed. These are a few things you can do to take a breath every once in a while and plan your time effectively. Thanks for reading! Love you Sweetly, Royals!

• Do something you Love- Whether this is playing games, reading, playing an instrument, painting or whatever enjoying what you love looks like! Take your mind off the project at hand and enjoy the little pleasures God has blessed us with in life. This way you can go back to working on your project with a refreshed mind!
• Spend time with family and friends- Take time out to spend time with your friends, family, and partners. Just being around your loved ones will take a load off you. Share what you’re going through with someone you trust. (You never know who’s been through your situation before and overcame!)
• Listen to Music- While you work you can play soothing music that takes your worries far away. Or you could even play energetic music, stand up and get down! Do you!     [Add Music to our Collaborative Spotify!]
• Alone time- Buy a couple of masks or your favorite desserts (love me some sweets!) and just pay for a movie or read a book in the tub. This will make you feel like the world around you is miles away and you’re the only person that matters.
• Prayer and Meditation- I cannot stress how KEY this is. Prayer can really take you from feeling down, lost and overwhelmed to feeling light and in control again. Meditate on some of your favorite scriptures that will motivate and uplift you. Have a conversation with God and tell Him all your worries! He’s got your back.

Thank you so much for reading Royals! I felt this was a befitting first post because I sure know what a nervous and scared wreck I was! But I worked through it and feel more ready to take on the World! So, whatever the new project or dream may be, I know you’ve got this!

Remember to comment down below about how you implemented these steps and connect with the Fam! We all need motivation from one another! Love you Sweetly, Royals!

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Remember to follow me on Instagram! Check out my Pinterest account for some inspiration and motivation! Feel free to add your favorite uplifting music to our collaborative Spotify playlist!

2 “Then the Lord answered me and said: Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it.

3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, it will not tarry.” ~Habakkuk 2: 2-3 NKJV

#NoAnxiety #JustGetStarted #StaySweet