I utilize a couple of different strategies when I start to feel like I might spiral. Which one I use depends on where I’m at emotionally.
If it’s an easy fix then I might just go for a long walk in nature.
If not then I might take a mental step back and ask myself how important the thing I’m stressing about might be. If it’s not that big of a deal and I’m stressing out of habit then I list out in my head all of the reasons why it’s going to be okay. If that doesn’t work I go to phase two and I logic myself out of the anxiety.
Like this: I’ve decided to publish Tangled Moon on Amazon and Smashwords. I have this fear that it will go utterly ignored. Not low sales, even that I can handle. I’m talking about this fear I have that it will literally never sell even one copy. Ever.
I’m not sure that’s a reasonable fear. It’s probably more like a phobia. Is there a scientific word for that phobia?
Anyway, this is how I’m dealing with it. I keep reminding myself that even if my worst nightmare should come to pass I will be all right, because I still have this blog, where I have people that for some insane reason 🤣 actually want to read my stories.
So… see, I can’t be utterly ignored because I’m right now NOT being ignored. The worst that can happen is that Tangled Moon as an e-book goes belly-up, but I’m still here, on this blog. It’s okay. I won’t be any worse off than I am right now for publishing it. In fact, I will be exactly where I am right now. The only difference is that I gave my followers the option to have their own copy should they want it.
That’s all.
There, now I can calm the hell down.
*I just realized that I might have abandonment issues. 😕 Maybe better I not overthink it. 😂* It might confuse the four squirrels running the inside of my head. I call them North, South, East, and West. Sometimes I even get them to all run in their appropriate directions at the same time. 🐿️🐿️🐿️🐿️
Darcy Branwyn 
Leave a comment