Sruti Kanabar - Purposeful Goal Setting when dealing with anxiety

It has been four months since the UK went into lockdown and despite us going into the next phase or two, we have a long way to go. As a coach living in Leicester, the fairly recent localised lockdown has created some further uncertainty for small business owners and the locals alike.

I have had my own journey of depression and anxiety in the past eight years and can say managing anxiety is still a part of my daily routine. So how does one still set goals and take purposeful action when they either have a mental illness or are feeling anxious because of the current pandemic? Here are some questions for you to reflect on.

How are you feeling right now?

With what is going on, you may be feeling a variety of emotions, angry, sad, anxious, happy,  and the list goes on. For me it has really helped to label the emotions I feel accurately. This meant going beyond the umbrella term of anxiety, for example, pinpointing when I was feeling afraid, stressed, vulnerable, confused, worried, cautious, or nervous. All of these fall under the umbrella term of anxiety (David, 2016). 

So, what is that you are actually feeling? What is causing you to feel this way? These are all great questions to help you become more ‘emotionally agile’ and embrace change more effectively.

This process has helped me greatly, I have gone from saying I was feeling tired when I felt a lot of sadness eight years ago to now understanding what makes me feel vulnerable, rather than going into a state of feeling anxious about feeling anxious. Something I am sure a lot of you can relate to.

What is within your control right now?

When facing such a pandemic it can feel very overwhelming, with the constant updates, the changes around working from home and keeping your family safe. I remember how on edge I felt during my first essential visit to the supermarket. However, it is important to remember that we can only control our own behaviour and we do not have to figure everything in one go to take action.

Do you find yourself imagining dreadful scenarios of what may happen?

Personally, I can empathise with you because that state is still familiar to me too. However, I choose to stay out of it as much as possible because I have realised that reality can be so different if we focus on being in the present moment and use our imagination for what we want to happen instead.

What defines you as a person?

Is it your illness, your problems, your mistakes, your thoughts?

Or is it your personality, your perspective, your life experiences, your goals, your attitude, your habits, your hobbies, and passions?

My life started to become even more beautiful when I realised it was the latter which defined me as an individual and then managing depression and anxiety became secondary for me. I stopped using suffering from anxiety as a reason to not be the best version of myself and to pursue my dreams. I got the help that I needed; and even though it can be a painful process at times, it is worthwhile on the other side.

What would you like to achieve within the next 3 months?

So now you have a better awareness of your current state, what do you want to achieve in the next three months? 

Is it to be more proactive to change within your business? Is it to have a better work-life balance during the pandemic? What are the next steps for you to be, feel and do even better?

As they say a goal without a plan of action is just a dream, so what is next?

I hope I have encouraged you to get the help that you need. Whether you feel that you may need the help of a counsellor, therapist, or a coach, it is important that you take the appropriate action right now.

If you believe that you are in a position to bridge the gap between your present and future, then coaching may be the intervention for you. A coach can assess where you are with your mental health journey and establish if they can support you. 

Sruti Kanabar is the Founder of Purposefully Coaching, supporting women healing from depression and anxiety with Reinvention, Resilience and Reconnecting to their purpose in life. 

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