Are you Anxious?

The conversation around mental health is inescapable. This subject is on podcasts, social media, in government schools, at the doctor's office and in advertisements. Thats because mental health is big business, with anxiety being one of the main cash cows.

During the awful times of 2020-2022 I helped many young athletes beat anxiety through consistent, difficult physical work.

There is an entire industry centered around alleviating this "condition." Psychologists, iPhone apps and of course pharmaceutical companies, insurance companies and doctors are all making money off of worried human beings.

When we experience feelings of worry, it's important to remember it is merely a physical symptom. Just like grief after losing a loved one or overwhelming joy at the birth of a new child. Anxiety is just a physical experience that occurs from scenarios in our life. We are so sedentary and weak as a species, when we experience stress, a rise in heart rate and mental acuity, we get really uncomfortable and, many of us seek medical attention, get diagnosed and go on meds. We are so unaccustomed to the feeling of an elevated heart rate, we feel like we're out of control when it happens.

I'm going to say something unpopular: Anxiety is the result of not paying the price to feel prepared.

Example 1: I'm worried about my health because I eat unhealthy food and I don't walk, run or lift weights. I'm not paying the physical price it takes to be healthy and strong, so I don't sleep well and I feel tired most of the time, this creates a loop of worry and anxiety in my mind. This causes a loop of anxiety where I think about how unhealthy I am, this makes my heart rate spike, which makes me more worried.

Example 2: I'm anxious about my career because I don't prepare for meetings, or presentations, I don't drill into the information I'm expected to know, or looking for ways to improve my company, researching my industry and competitors and contacting my customers. Because I haven't put in the time to know the game inside and out, I get rattle when I get the opportunity to share what should be my industry-leading knowledge with my fellow employees, company executives or customers. Furthermore, my lack of physical prowess prevents me from believing in myself and feeling confident at the front of the room.

Example 3: I'm anxious about performing on the field because I know I haven't done everything in my power to get ready. I haven't taken extra ground balls or swings and I didn't lift weights all offseason and now I'm physically unable to do the daily work it takes to be great at my craft. Even at practice, I can only give 50% of my attention and effort. I know many of my teammates and competitors have worked harder than I have, when my heart rate climbs during stressful moments in the game and practice, I become physically uncomfortable and emotionally unpredictable.

When we are unwilling to pay the price now with our planning and execution, we pay the price later with anxiety and worry. The world's highest performing athletes, entrepreneurs and CEO's, who have a lot more to worry about than most of us do, know this. They don't experience anxiety because they're too busy working to stay ahead and building.

Our lives are easier than they've ever been! If we're staying ready, what do we have to worry about?

People who know they're capable of doing more, and who aren't doing anything about it, are anxious as a result. If you know you're capable of doing more, this is your sign to start spending your time more wisely, getting stronger and preparing consistently....NOW.

Life is a game of chance and so is baseball. I teach my players the 3 p's:

• Prepare

• Participate

• Pray it goes your way

It's amazing to see the fear fall out of young men when you repeatedly hammer home on this concept. Once they've done everything they could to get ready, all they have to do is participate. What happens after that is up to God.

We've got one of two choices when it comes to handling the physical experience of anxiety (heart rate climb and mental chaos).

1. We can ease, stop or block the physical experience by pacifying ourselves with unhealthy distractions or medications, which add to our future anxiety, thereby making us dependent.

or....

2. We can attack everyday and work our butts off to prepare physically and mentally. When we purposefully raise our heart rate and challenge our ability to handle struggle, its like practice for life's stressful moments.

We like to say that Myndbeatz helps people control their mind, dictate their actions, perform consistently and improve their life.

We got spoken word songs to inspire you to get your life in order and teach yourself how control and manage your response to stress. Your anxiety will melt away when you take your pay the price to feel prepared. When we know are pursuing our own potential and taking advantage of every minute we have, we are able to enjoy our life without worry.

Free and Clear.