A Simple Path from Alcohol Misery to Alcohol Mastery PDF EBook Seb Grant Quit Alcohol Formula | Page 25

Sometimes tension and anxiety seem to build
up for no good reason. In trying to make
sense of your feelings, it is easy to think you
might be ill or, worse still, going mad. This
new worry only adds to the anxiety.
Master tension and anxiety
Tension and anxiety can build up for any
number of reasons and there is more than
one way to tackle them.
• Solve problems
If you have a definite problem or worry,
deal with it. It’s tempting to put things off.
But your problem will only be resolved
and your anxiety lessened if you tackle it.
First, gather as much information as you
can about the problem. Write down the
problem as briefly as you can. Think of as
many possible solutions as you can, no
matter how unlikely they might seem to
be. Think through the likely consequences
of each solution, then choose what
appears to be the best option. Act on
your decision.
If the problem remains, choose the option
that seems to offer the best chance of
a good outcome. Check this out with a
friend first.
Not all problems have a perfect answer.
Sometimes you make the best of a difficult
situation. However, it’s better to act than
to do nothing and worry.
• Learn to relax
Many people believe they can relax when
they watch TV each night. But this is
often not the case. Even while sitting in
a chair, our muscles may be tensed up.
It takes effort to relax properly. Being able
to relax properly is important. Look at
different ways of getting yourself to truly
relax. Simply lying back and listening to
music can be enough. But a better way
is learning how to control the tension in
your muscles.
Follow these steps to learn how to relax
your muscles:
1. Tense up one group of muscles
(say your leg muscles).
2. Notice what the feelings of tension
are like.
3. Relax the muscles.
4. Notice the different feeling when
relaxed.
5. Let these feelings and the relaxation
increase.
Do this for each group of muscles. You might
work through them like this:
• right arm
• left arm
• neck
• scalp
• face