The Dice — 037

Last week, a friend confided in me: “I’m finding myself battling with a pit of anxiety almost daily right now.”

I’ve known this person for twenty-five years. Life has thrown them every curveball and sinker imaginable, and yet they’ve always persevered—clawing, climbing, and pushing through the hardest moments like no one else I know. Through all their struggles and setbacks, anxiety never seemed to have them pinned. Until now.

I know that feeling too well. Not long ago, I found myself flat on my back, staring at the ceiling, paralyzed by waves of anxiety so intense I was afraid to move. There wasn’t a single catastrophic event that triggered it—just the slow accumulation of stress and fear, creeping in quietly until it hit like a freight train I never saw coming. It wasn’t dramatic. It wasn’t loud. It was quiet, crushing, and suffocating.

In Issue 35, we tackled how to manage the constant flood of bad news and protect your mind from being overwhelmed by it. Now, it’s time to go deeper. This issue targets anxiety directly—that feeling—and how to fight back when it threatens to take over. We’ll build on the last five lessons and dig into practical strategies for dealing with daily anxiety before it gains momentum and swallows your focus.

Ok, rolling a saving throw against anxiety…

“A lot of people will spend the next four years fixated on trends, fads, and momentary crises. I’m focused on what will still matter in five, ten, fifty years. Character. Discipline. Patience. The value of hard work. These are constants — no matter who’s in office, no matter what’s happening in the headlines.” Ryan Holiday is a great source of inspiration for us all right now. His article, Here’s How I’m Preparing for the Next Four Years, is full of insightful ideas, practical wisdom, and simple activities that we can all adopt to improve our resilience and response to the unrelenting, building chaos taking place now. Don’t miss his video on journaling—a practice I know and have seen have a hugely positive impact on those who do it daily.

When stress hits, your body’s natural instinct is to react fast. Our bodies are designed to respond in kind by preparing to get the ‘efff away or through whatever is causing the stress. Suddenly we’re operating on instinct—not intention. This leaves you feeling stuck, defensive, or overwhelmed. Once again a simple breathing mecahnic can help us reset and recenter.

The 3-Second Breath — Here’s how to hit pause before the reaction takes over.

• When tension rises, stop.
• Inhale deeply for three seconds.
• Hold your breath for three seconds.
• Exhale slowly for three seconds.
• Take one more deep breath if needed before responding.

This nine-second reset creates just enough space for you to respond thoughtfully instead of reacting impulsively.

When your body enters stress mode, your brain shifts into survival gear, narrowing focus and prioritizing speed over clarity. A slow, intentional breath interrupts that pattern. It signals your nervous system to slow down, giving your brain time to re-engage with logic and empathy.

Learn more: The Benefits of Deep Breathing and Why It Works

When we wake up, our brain is in a highly impressionable state, shifting from theta waves—linked to deep relaxation—into the faster alpha and beta waves associated with focus and action. During this transition, our minds are more susceptible to outside influences, setting the emotional tone for the entire day. This is why it’s best to avoid checking email or the news while still waking up. Instead, we can use this window for drinking coffee while setting our own intentions.

Morning Intention Setting — Setting your mind before the world does

Here’s how to set your focus before distractions take over:

• Before picking up your phone, take five quiet minutes.
• Ask yourself: What do I need most today?—Patience, clarity, focus?
• Write down your single most important priority for the day.
• Visualize yourself completing that priority successfully.
• Take three deep breaths to lock in your intention.

Setting an intention trains your mind to filter distractions and stay aligned with what matters most. It boosts clarity, reduces decision fatigue, and sets a clear emotional tone for your day.

Learn more: The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod

Even with the best intentions, our brain becomes vulnerable when we’re stressed, tired, or both. This is when psychological patterns like imposter syndrome, negative self-talk, catastrophic thinking can kick into overdrive, hijacking the narrative we hold about ourselves. Over time, those doubts start to feel like facts, a false truth about who we are and our real abilities. How many times have you thought to yourself, “I’m not good at this” and start to believe it? We have the ability to take control and rewrite these thoughts.

The Thought Audit – How to rewire your mindset

Here’s how to identify and rewrite those limiting thoughts:

• Write down a recurring negative belief. “I’m not good at public speaking.
• Reflect on where this belief might have started. A bad experience? Someone’s criticism?
• Ask yourself: Is this always true? What evidence proves otherwise?
• Rewrite the thought from a constructive perspective. “Every time I speak, I improve.”
• Read the new narrative aloud, allowing it to take hold.

Your brain is wired to seek patterns and reinforce what it believes. By challenging those thoughts and replacing them with constructive alternatives, you break free from limiting beliefs and open the door to personal growth.

You don’t need me to tell you how easily stress can build in the background—like static noise you’ve learned to tune out. Most of us will do anything to avoid confrontation, dodging uncomfortable conversations and situations until the stress compounds, growing into a problem of its own. Our instinct might be to avoid stress, but that doesn’t build resilience. Instead, learning to reframe stress as a form of mental strength can help you tackle challenges before they overwhelm you.

The Stress Reframing Exercise – Why stress makes you stronger

Here’s how to turn stress into a training opportunity:

• Identify a recent stressful experience.
• Write down how it made you feel—anxious, frustrated, overwhelmed.
• Ask yourself: What could this stress teach me? Patience? Adaptability? Focus?
• Write down one small action you could take to address the challenge directly.
• Reflect on how facing the challenge head-on changes your response to future stressors.

When you intentionally engage with stress, your brain learns that discomfort isn’t dangerous—it’s a signal for growth. Reframing allows you to build resilience and turn adversity into strength.

Learn more: Reframing Your Reality: Part 1 By Tara Boyle

We’ve become so used to our attention being pulled in so many directions that being still and silent—just you and your thoughts—is not easy. For some, it feels uncomfortable. For others, impossible. We’re now wired to look for stimulous and distraction. Despite the efforts of Depeche Mode, we’re tuned to avoid the silience. When you’re surrounded by constant noise, finding stillness can feel unnatural. Learning to practice silence—neigh, enjoy the silence—allows us to create a space for reflection, creativity, and clarity.

The Stillness Challenge – How to find mental quiet

Here’s how to engage with stillness intentionally

• Find a quiet, distraction-free space.
• Set a timer for 5 minutes—no phone, no music, no screens. No screens!
• Sit comfortably and focus on your breath.
• If your mind starts to wander, gently return your attention to your breath.
• After the timer ends, jot down any thoughts or feelings that arose.

Intentional stillness allows your mind to declutter and recalibrate. It strengthens focus, fosters emotional clarity, and encourages creativity by creating space for deep reflection.

Learn more: Stillness Is the Key by Ryan Holiday

Published in Tacoma, Washington while listening to the often overlooked Duran Duran album Liberty from 1990.