Sometimes we create our own problems through sheer force of habit. For example, if you don’t consider yourself a good writer, your first reaction to writing a school essay may involve fear, anxiety, and worry. If your classes involve report or research-based writing, your main reaction may be to put off writing until the last minute. For the next few minutes, let’s look at how procrastination plays a role in making your fear, anxiety, and worry more painful than it needs to be. What benefits do you get from those three emotions? Why is a set of answers so easy for you? Finally, we will see how a little tweaking will make it easier for you to overcome fear, anxiety, and worry and ultimately turn fear, anxiety, and worry into your best friends, and yes, it really can happen!
First, there is fear. You’re afraid of failing, afraid that (whatever it is) isn’t perfect and you’ll have to do it again. Fear that someone will see it and post it on the internet as “one of the stupidest things anyone has ever done, written, said, etc.” Do not realize that you are even afraid. If you could accept fear, perhaps the first change you would make would involve actually learning to write with authority. Get over the fear and find a good book or e-book on how to type wild words fast. Of course, once you’ve written something, you’ll want to start working on editing.
The self-criticism that comes with editing leads us to the next worrying answer: anxiety.
You’ll feel a twinge of anxiety if you have to write a report, no matter how many weeks are left before the deadline. The best thing you can do is face your fear. But facing fear only breeds anxiety and worry (which we’ll cover in a moment). This time, it is anxiety or stress that builds up in your gut (solar plexus) and makes you forget to write down the deadline. You may be so stressed when you think about writing that article that you attack your friends, family, and classmates for no apparent reason (at least to them). Your middle name becomes “Road Rage Monster” and people stop inviting you to parties.
If this is you, it is extremely important that you get out your planner and put a big red circle around the due date. Then create a schedule to write two sentences, or two paragraphs, or two pages, per day. The time frame will, of course, depend on the amount of time you have left to complete the document. Finally, write something immediately after making a note in your planner. Actually, do something to start the task. To take action!
Once you start working on the task, you may begin to experience a third emotion: worry. Your stress and anxiety have been relieved by writing a to-do list while you work to meet your writing deadline. The bad thing now is that you’re suddenly worried that you won’t be able to do all the things on your “to do” list. At this point, it’s time to be honest: are the things on your “to do” list really humanly possible? Give serious consideration to both the amount of time you have left to write the report and the other things going on in your life. When writing a report is not your usual activity, you will have to rearrange certain things in your life to finish the writing. Make a few thoughtful schedule readjustments and worry could miraculously turn into courage and self-confidence.
Fear, anxiety and worry may exist in your life. Ultimately, it’s up to you: do you decide to ignore the fear, give in to the anxiety, and do nothing but worry? Or do you acknowledge the fear, accept the anxiety, and work your way through it? Whichever path you decide to take, you will have to take action. Maybe you have tried to perform this type of action before and failed. That is no reason to give up. Overcoming fear, anxiety, and worry begins with the decision to find ultimate success by doing what you must do. Ultimately, success or failure is up to you.
