As a former drama student, I battled with creative anxiety throughout my entire four years at college. In fact, freshman year I rarely got called back for any performances because my anxiety took control during auditions. Working on creative projects was a bit better yet there was always that negative and overthinking voice in the back of my head that worried about all the possible outcomes of how it could turn out.
And I’m not the only one… with research continuing to support the growing link between creativity and mental health disorders, creative anxiety is a very real and prevalent issue among creatives today. Why?
It’s because our imaginative brains that conjure up things like music, paintings, or choreography can also get stuck with repetitive negative thoughts and worries.
It’s not all doom or gloom though! We have an amazing ability to rewire our thoughts through a process called neuroplasticity. AKA : making us in the front seat of our anxiety ( not it!) The tools and research I’m about to share with you is so powerful that by the end of my senior year, I was getting several audition call backs and shining through creative projects. During my exit interview, the head professor told me how confident I had become throughout the four years. All this to say that: your anxiety doesn’t have to reign over your creative pursuits. Whether you are a dancer, writer, actor, photographer, content creator, you name it. You have the ability to trust in your creative process with resilience, ease, and confidence.
1. Stop rehearsing failure
I just give myself permission to suck…I find this hugely liberating.”
John Green
Understanding our anxiety can help us to overcome it. Co-founder of the enlighting podcast called Impact Theory, Tim Bilyeu, describes anxiety as us “rehearsing failure.” Looking at anxiety this way was life changing for me because it encouraged me to start envisioning my future creative endeavors in a more different and positive lens. Bilyeu tells us that noticing your thoughts can put you into an “action oriented state”. Simply doing that that will reduce anxiety instead of maximizing it. For example, when you start to notice yourself spirling into an anxious state ( I’m never going too… like them) replace it with motivating thoughts ( I’m inspired by…, I want to get that good,) Because no matter how much you worry about a situation the research tells us: anything we put effort into will have improvement.
2. Diaphragmatic Breathing
If you’ve experience anxiety then you know it isn’t just a mental thing. We can physically feel it in our bodies as well. That’s where the magic of diaphragmatic breathing comes in. You can tense sensations best by learning how to breathe efficiently from the belly ( aka diaphragm breathing). This is because it tells your body to relax and slow down vs shallow chest breathing which is associated with the flight or mode that can trigger anxiety. Studies show that it:
- Aids in relaxation
- Improving muscle function
- Increases amount of oxygen in blood.
- Reducing blood pressure.
- Reducing heart rate.
Click here for a quick 4 minute video where Emma McAdam, Marriage & Family Therapist, (Therapy In a Nutshell ) walks you through how to correctly do a belly breath & why it’s so great as an anxiety coping method.
3. Recognize physiological hooks
“Any man could, if he were so inclined, be the sculptor of his own brain.”
Santiago Ramón y Cajal:
An empowering fact to know when battling with creative anxiety is that we can control our neurochemistry. Yes, you can actively change the structure your brains no matter how old. This can be reassuring to know that our anxiety isn’t something that you just have to learn live with. For example, turning on a song we love or looking at old photos can initiate feelings of happiness and excitement if only for a moment. Studies even show that even faking a smile you change your neurochemistry. Our brains have an astounding capacity to rewire itself to take in all kinds of grow and change!
4. Anxiety = old friend
Did you know that anxiety and excitement are basically the same chemical reaction in your body? Emma McAdam, Marriage and Family Therapist, describes it as “adrenaline triggering that sympathetic activation preparing you for action.” So, our anxiety isn’t necessarily a bad thing. When regulated it helps us avoid danger and be prepared. For example, studying for a test you have coming up or putting your seatbelt on in a car. I love how Tim Bilyeu calls his anxiety an “old friend” meaning it’s a normal part of life that keeps us safe. When we view our anxiety as our old friend it can help us to disordered anxiety manage it more effectively. And by taking the sensations of our anxiety head on ( example, continuing to go to auditions, writing a chapter of the novel) your brain makes new neuro pathways releasing less cortisol, adrenaline, and other stress hormones in the situation.
Related : 5 Gentle Reminders When You Feel Anxious
5. Exposure hierarchy
“Nothing diminishes anxiety faster than action.”
—Walter Anderson
Exposure is the best thing you can do to beat creative anxiety. I know…easier said than done. That’s why in order to take yourself in an action oriented state when you’re anxious about a new creative endeavor, break it down into manageable steps. Emma McAdam, Marriage and Family Therapist, suggests to set a new rule for yourself (ex- I will do this even if it makes me anxious, until my anxiety decreases by half). Start slow by simply imagining the situation ( finishing a novel, launching that new project, submitting new art pieces) then go from there. It can also be helpful to write down why you’re willing to experience a creative anxious situation because of all the amazing opportunities it will open up in your life.
Until next time,