Anxiety Management for Construction Professionals
Despite knowing some good anxiety management practices, I still get anxious all the time. Especially in the mornings. Like clockwork, I wake up worrying about what I need to get done for the day. Before my feet hit the floor, I’m wondering things like: Am I waking up early enough? What do I have going on today? Am I prepared for everything? Will I be able to get it all done? Am I working hard enough?
If I’m conscious enough, I take a big breath in through my nose and release it out of my mouth. That helps a lot. I’m lucky I woke up today and get to do something I love.
Then, a few times a week, I walk into my living room and sit on the floor to meditate. Sometimes I turn on music, other times I don’t. But I always start by taking a deep breath and settling into the present moment. Some days it’s easy and I can clear my mind right away. I like to imagine my anxiety as a dark cloud in my brain. As I breathe in and out, I picture the dark cloud leaving and being replaced by a bright light. As crazy as it may sound, my brain feels physically refreshed after releasing those negative thoughts.
Meanwhile, other days, no matter how deep the breaths, it’s hard to shake that cloud. I keep thinking about what I have going on for the day, or if I’m doing everything I need to be doing to reach my goals. At some point, I usually break through and realize I’ve been stuck thinking about things I can’t control. That usually helps to clear my mind at least a bit. Just focus on the breath, Matt. All else will be okay.
No matter what, I end up at least 1% more refreshed after each meditation practice. That is a small win.
Then, throughout the day, those waves of anxiety rear up again and again. Ahh another item for the to-do list! Look at all these emails! I have wayyyy too much going on. Again, I take a deep breath. Again, it helps. You can do this, and everything is going to be fine. Telling myself that helps too.
By the end of the day, I’m usually feeling accomplished. Even if there is more to do tomorrow, at least I got a lot done today. Anxiety is low and I settle in for the night. Only to almost undoubtedly go through it all again tomorrow. Life is suffering for the sake of my own personal growth. I like to remind myself of that sometimes.
Why am I sharing all of this with you?
While this may sound like a sad story about the impact of anxiety, it’s actually meant to be a happy one because I used to get caught in those anxiety loops and let them ruin my day. No matter what I did, I didn’t feel satisfied, or I believed I just wasn’t good enough. Through breath and meditation, I’ve learned to notice my anxiety and then manage it. I’ve changed my perspective from I can’t do this to Of course I can!
And one thing I have noticed from working with ambitious people is that the ones who believe they are capable of greatness usually end up getting there. Meanwhile, the ones who have self-limiting beliefs struggle and fight to reach their full potential.
I’ll say that again: Your greatness often comes down to believing you can be great.
It doesn’t mean you won’t get anxious. It doesn’t mean you won’t think self-limiting beliefs. Heck, it doesn’t mean you will always succeed!
But it does mean that your mind is ready to take on all those challenges and more. It means that every day you can wake up and attack the day. It means you can overcome more than you realize.
So, I share all of this with you because I hope it reminds you that you can take over your Anxious Brain and turn it into your Conscious Brain. You can believe in yourself and use your breath and positive thoughts to overcome anxiety. You can make it to that place of greatness that you are struggling to get to right now. The first step is putting more belief in yourself.
Don’t try to be perfect. Don’t avoid failure. Don’t beat yourself up. Just be you, breathe, believe in yourself, and go get what you want.
I hope that helps someone out there.
Spark Notes:
Morning anxiety hits hard, but breathing and mindfulness help me manage it.
Meditation allows me to release negative thoughts and feel refreshed.
Self-belief is key to overcoming challenges and reaching greatness.
A calm, conscious brain turns stress into opportunities for positive decision-making.
Believe in yourself, embrace imperfection, and go after what you want in life.
