6-Second Sunday: On anxiety, net worth, and the most important muscle in your body

Happy 6-Second Sunday!

Here are 6 ideas I’m applying that take 6 seconds to skim and 6 minutes or less to read…

Overview

1. Struggle I’m Facing: Welcome back Anxiety!

2. Idea I’m Embracing: The best things are free

3. Workout I’m Doing: 6-minute muscular endurance hits (with videos)

4. Practice I’m Performing: Net Worth Tracker (with template)

5. Muscle I’m Training: The diaphragm (with video + e-book)

6. Quote I’m Rereading: Just start

Let’s dive in.

Struggle I’m Facing: Welcome back Anxiety!

I find myself in another transitionary period.

Although my conscious mind is doing great, my subconscious mind isn’t happy with me. He takes vengeance in the form of anxiety. When it strikes, It feels like I have a 40-pound weight sitting on my chest.

Here’s what I’m telling myself to calm my subconscious and tame its anxiety:

Anxiety is your body lying to you. It’s like the friend who is always worried and stressed and causes everyone around them to be the same because of their bad energy.

It’s always worse in your head than in reality. Our minds our evolutionarily hardwired to think worst-case scenario. Most of the horrible outcomes we imagine are as low in probability as winning the lottery.

Life is short, you aren’t that important, and there’s nowhere to be but here. Taking myself too seriously is the cause of many of my problems. I will live and die and be forgotten about. Embrace the ambling path of life and don’t be in a hurry to arrive anywhere.

Idea I’m Embracing: The best things are free

The best things in life are free. 

Family and friends that love you. A fit and healthy body. A calm and organized mind. A good night’s sleep. The respect and admiration of others. Getting to do work you are passionate about.

These things cannot be bought. They must be earned.

The next best things in life are inexpensive. Most people above a base level of income can afford them.

A cup of coffee. A good book. A candle to light on dark winter mornings. A long shower. A yoga mat to stretch on. A new recipe to cook. A hike in nature. A good playlist to sing along to.

Anyone who tries to convince you otherwise is selling something or has been overly influenced by people who are selling something.

Workout I’m Doing: 6-minute muscular endurance hits

I’m following the Polar marathon training program.

In addition to scheduled runs, they also provide short strength sessions in the form of YouTube videos. The “strength” sessions actually target muscular endurance, cycling through five exercises performed for one minute each. 

I’m going to start doing them regularly at the beginning of my workouts to warm up while improving my muscular endurance. They’re six minutes long and work your entire body.

Here are links to the workouts in order of ascending difficulty: