The Panic Zone
Have you found yourself a bit anxious about money lately?
The thought of unpaid bills or the task of trying to squeeze in some more time away from work has left you feeling a bit freaked out and totally overwhelmed.
You may find yourself taking that age old advice to just put your head down and get more done. The problem is as you keep working harder more work is showing up and the rainbow at the end tunnel has turned into three more appointments and 100 more emails to respond to.
Instead of being driven to get ahead you may be driving yourself head first into a panic zone.
How can we avoid slamming into the panic zone when relating to money?
The first step is to pay attention to the three following zones that we all live in and identify where you are:
The Comfort Zone – This is a safe zone and in this zone we know what we like and what to expect. The challenge is we may repeat habits with money that don't serve us and keeps our finances stagnating in the same place.
The Learning Zone – This zone gives us the ability to grow and expand as we learn new skills and we create a new relationship with our finances. This helps us form new healthy strategies.
The Panic Zone – This is where we are no longer learning. We either begin to withdraw, become aggressive, or completely shut down when relating to our finances.
Although stepping out of your comfort zone may not be easy, it will serve you to get into the learning zone even if it means you may hit your panic zone every now and again.
There is something quite empowering to observe the voices of defensiveness or paralysis around finances without taking permanent residence in the land of worry and panic.
Monday Mindfulness
Notice when you've surpassed your learning zone and you've landed right in the middle of your Panic Zone when relating to thoughts about money this week.
April 2nd, 2007 at 3:19 pm
Panic doesn’t even begin to describe the terror of financial bondage I have been feeling. However, I sat down with my husband yesterday and we discussed the “worst case scenario”: bankruptcy. Not that we are even close to that, but it caused us to look the worst in the eyes and challenge the thought instead of being frightened by it. Sometimes challenging our greatest fears gives us the energy we need to realize that the worst is not going to kill us. Our relationship is and will be intact no matter what, and we were able to realize what’s truly important: relationship, not money. It gave us renewed strength to wake up this morning with hope instead of grief. That’s freedom. Not bondage. Amen!
April 2nd, 2007 at 3:30 pm
Although I've often been refered to as "crazy" when I share that Jeri and I discussed the possibility of a someday divorce during our premarital counseling, Julianna has a great point. Whether it is money or mairrage discussing worse case scenarios can help to open the door to fear instead of propel us deeper into it. Once are fears our out in the open they no longer have the the fuel or strength to take us downward. And from here new possibilities, creativity, and innovation can happen that would have never been possible with crushing fear present.