4. Make Positive Changes. Address the areas of your life that aren’t in alignment for you with concrete action. Replace things that feel destructive or draining with things that feel empowering and fulfilling. JP Collins says finding a new career and introducing a healthy diet and exercise regimen were essential to treating his anxiety. “Having anxiety is like building a house on sand,” he says. “When it’s stormy outside the house falls over and you have to put it back up again. All we’re trying to do is to reinforce the foundation. It doesn’t mean the rain doesn’t come again, you’ll still have stress and strife in your life, but it won’t take you out for a month, it might just give you a bad day.”
5. Give It Time. Restoring alignment to your life isn’t a quick fix. It will take time, and trial and error, as you gradually learn what makes you feel more fulfilled and clear out what doesn’t. The good news is, once you begin to live in a state of alignment, it will be difficult for you to revert to a state of misalignment again, as you realize how good life can feel when it is calibrated to your specific needs and desires. “Less anxiety, more life,” JP Collins says. “I want people to live more.”
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This article originally appeared on Forbes.com