Avoidance isn’t a solution
According to Alicia Henry, a psychotherapist and wellness coach in New York, “anxiety and avoidance go hand in hand.” So, if you can’t work out because you don’t feel, good it’s understandable, but if you avoid doing your workout just because you are afraid, then it is not a solution to solve your problems.
“Remind yourself that while avoidance may offer temporary relief, it will ultimately land back where you started; feeling frustrated and powerless,” Henry added.
In addition, you should label your anxiety. “Continue to name the emotion until the intensity begins to fade,” said Thomas McDonagh, a San Francisco-based clinical psychologist and founder of Good Therapy SF. For instance, “I am experiencing pre-workout stress right now.”
“Research shows that verbally labeling an emotion decreases the activity of the amygdala and other brain areas associated with emotions,” he said.
