If you struggle with anxiety, or find dealing with pressure or stress challenging, then you likely possess most, if not all, of the following personality traits. Awareness of the areas in yourself that contribute to experiencing a life of anxiety is the first step to overcoming such a challenge. Do any of the following personality characteristics sound like you?

• You Ignore the Stress Signals Your Body is Sending

Are you someone who doesn’t listen to their body, who pushes themselves without listening for those early warning signals of stress? Do you say to yourself, “Well, I can do one more thing … Even though it’s late and I’m tired, I’ll check just a few more emails tonight … I can’t stand seeing those dishes sitting there, I better clean those.” It’s time to start listening to the stress signals that your body is sending you.

• You Live by Many Rules and ‘Shoulds’

Do you have a lot of rules and ‘shoulds’ in your thinking? Perhaps you came from a family in which there were a lot of rules and now you find yourself saying, “Oh, I should have done that better”… “I shouldn’t have laid down and taken that nap” … “I should do some work on Saturday morning even though I’m wiped out.” It’s time to stop beating yourself up with the ‘shoulds.’

• Control Is VERY Important to You

Do you have a need to be in control and for things to be in their place? It’s time to ‘let go’ and take charge of yourself, not the things, or people, around you.

• You are Competent and Have High Expectations of Self

You are probably known as a very competent, dependable and loyal person. You most likely have high, and probably unrealistic, expectations of yourself. It is when you fall short of those high expectations that you feel guilty, discouraged and end up feeling like a failure, a sort of daily reminder that you’re not good enough. It’s time to give yourself permission to not be perfect and to believe you are enough no matter what you accomplish.

• You Love Calmness

One of the genetic per-dispositions of severe anxiety is a heightened physical sensitivity to stimuli. As an infant you were more than likely highly sensitive to noise, lights, temperature and all types of stimuli and now, as an adult, it is very important to you for things to be calm. It’s time to create less stress in your life and be ok with not liking large crowds, pressure or feeling like you should be more of an extrovert.

• Your Motto is: “I can handle it”

Do you have an “I can handle it” attitude? You may rarely ask for help or delegate things to others. You try to do everything yourself. Instead of saying “No, I can’t do that,” you say “Sure I can do it.” It’s time to ask for help and not try to do everything yourself.

• You Have ‘Black and White’ Thinking

Do you see things as total, all or nothing, black or white? Have you developed a way of thinking that has you living a life with very little emotional freedom? Do you allow yourself to take risks, to be spontaneous and take chances? Black and white thinking is ‘safe’ and obliterates creativity and uniqueness. It’s time to color outside of the lines, to break out of the emotional prison of safety that comes with black and white thinking.

• You Have a Great Fear Rejection

A greater than normal fear of rejection is a bottom-line issue for those who struggle with anxiety, causing you to not take risks or assert yourself. When you are stressed out, your feelings get stuffed inside, and you become afraid of how you might look to others. It’s time to build a foundation of self-worth where you stop caring so much of what others think, and take more chances in your personal and creative life.

The good news is that even though you may have developed many of the above characteristics and ways of thinking, you are not stuck with these! You CAN change. Seek out the resources and guidance necessary to take charge of each of these 8 areas. Quiet the voice within in you that says, “Well, that’s just the way I am” and become intentionally driven to break out of your personal emotional prison.

For a No-Charge consultation with Dr. Lazaris to discover how Anxiety Coaching can help you become free of your personal fears, click here to get more information.

Also, you might want to learn more about overcoming anxiety by checking out Dr. Lazaris’ book, From Panic to Peace. Click Here to learn more.