You’re anxious again. And yes — you’ve tried meditation. In fact, you’ve tried just about everything you can think of. But you’re still a wreck. So — what can you do? Do this.

Think ahead.

First of all, why are you anxious? You’re anxious because you’re not ready for what’s coming. Or, at least, you’re not sure if you’re ready. In other words, you’re worried about the future. For example: “Will I be ready for that meeting tomorrow?” Or, “What will I tell her when she asks where I’ve been?” Or, “What if I suck?” You know the drill. So you’ve got the concept, right? Anxiety is caused by a fear of the future. So the first step to getting over your anxiety is to ask the question: “What am I afraid of?” Pure and simple.

Get specific — what are you anxious about?

But what then? Because when you’re anxious, your tendency is to hide. So, you pull the covers over your head. And you eat poorly. You don’t exercise. And you stay up too late. And most importantly — you don’t actually get clear about what you’re afraid of. But just when you want to ignore your fear is exactly when you’ve got to face it. (I’m assuming you actually want to get through this anxiety. If, instead, you want to wallow in it, by all means — keep on avoiding it.) Define it. Get specific. So if you’re afraid of how that meeting is going to go tomorrow — say it out loud. To yourself, for sure. Even better — to someone else. “I’m afraid that the meeting tomorrow is going to go really badly.”

Take a step.

And then, do something about it. Even if it’s the smallest step you can imagine. Because doing something that actually addresses the fear is far better than hiding from it. So if you’re not ready for that meeting tomorrow, don’t avoid it. Take a step. You might take 5 minutes right now to define the worry, and then do one small thing that addresses the fear. And feel free to contact me at mark@marknewtonpdx.com. As a men’s life coach, I work with anxious men every day. We’ll get you through this — and give you more tools to deal with the anxiety every creative man faces.