"Anxious but doing it anyway"
ANXIOUS EXPLORERS CLUB
Anxious Explorers Club invite's you to join us in challenging ourselves to a year of explorations!
Are you ready to join in?
Whether you are starting from scratch or building on from last year, you are welcome here!
Each month we will focus on different areas to explore, both physically and mentally, to attempt to finish the year with more confident and positivity.
New Year's resolutions are often built on negative self beliefs and are based on the idea of giving something up. Often though our bad habits are actually long term learnt coping mechanism; smoking for example isn't just a habit that's easy to kick, it's often a form of meditation and escape, a habit formed over years as a strategy to cope with anxiety and stress.
I believe that most of us need to build healthier & happier habits before we can just give it up.
Fear stops us from doing new things; fear of the unknown, fear of being laughed at for doing something wrong, fear perhaps of what change might bring...those voices in our heads are our learnt strategies and behaviours from childhood; built on the belief that they will protect us from bad things happening.
As adults they often don't work quite as well, instead, they tend to stop us from finding happiness in new things...but unlearning these beliefs can be a real bitch!
Often when we are struggling in life we return to old favourites, old habits and the things we know and feel safe in, stuck in a pattern of the same movies that comfort us, music that is safe and the familiar places and people that we are used to, whether we feel happy or not, it's better the devil we know!
But what if there is a better, happier and more confident world for us out there?
What if small changes were the start of a more positive and less anxious existence? It's not easy but together perhaps we can encourage each other, step by step out of our comfort zone and into the unknown, but safely and in manageable bite sized pieces, alleviating the anxiety!
Each month we will focus in on a subject or theme; join in from wherever you are in the world. Let's grow together, hopefully finding new friends and a sense of confidence in knowing that perhaps more people than you thought, are just a little bit more anxious than you knew!
“ On travelling life's journey sometimes we find ourselves lost and at a low point. The light fades and darkness can take over.
Anxious Explorers for me, has helped put some light back. Meeting people with similar feelings.
Feeling safe to [explore] and slowly building my confidence to move on, down a road that at one point I'd thought had come to a dead end.
At this time I'm feeling more confident in my life and what the world can be for me.
It’s great to know that at times when things are not so great there's a group of people that are supportive and non judgemental.”
~ Mark
January
Art Mediums
At Artists Clubhouse we believe that everyone has a creative passion waiting to burst out, you just may not have found it yet!
So this month lets try new creative things; whether its something you like the look of or think you would enjoy; perhaps its the opposite of what you already do, maybe its something you liked in the past or is something you want to make for your house?
Let's try lots of them and see what we enjoy!
It could be drawing or mess making with chalk, pens and paper or knitting, crochet or sewing, photography or film making or maybe it is a bit of everything combined!
March
Places
It'c time to take hold of 'threshold anxiety' and venture in to new places; you could start small by exploring a road nearby that you've never walked down before, or sitting for a short time in a park or cafe you've never spent much time in.
You could plan in visits to local villages, towns or cities or search for forests, rivers or lakes within driving/walking/public transport distance.
Start to notice what your fears are, what holds you back from certain places? Is it the transport, the number of people or lack of people, perhaps the noise or the silence...is there a way of over-coming these fears?
Could you ask a friend or family member along with you, could you research your route online before going, could you ask questions at a local Tourist Information Centre.
Starting to be aware of your fears can help you to move past them; acknowledging what makes you anxious can then help you work out new positive support mechanisms to build confidence and slowly learn to move past what's holding you back.
A great piece of advise I was once given was;
"Confidence is a practice!"
May
Adventures
"An unusual and exciting or daring experience"
For some this might be going to a new restaurant, for others it might be jumping off a high diving board, whatever it is for you then let's try to create a new memory this month!
Obviously don't put yourself in danger or at risk unless with trained professionals but do try something that perhaps scares you just a little.
February
Music, Films & Books
Sometimes in life you wake up and realise that perhaps the things you thought you liked were thrust upon you by others; the music, movies and books you've gathered were all shared, influenced or even governed by partners, friends or family... and maybe you don't really feel a bit lost by it all.
As adults we assume you know our tastes, our opinion and our facts but the truth is that these can and will continually change over our lifetimes.
This is your prompt to make yourself uncomfortable, go down a rabbit hole of self discovery..no one else's opinions just trying things out, finding new connections and passions all for yourself!
April
Exhibitions
Find an exhibition to explore; it could be a local artist or a larger exhibition combined with a trip?
Ideally the exhibition will inspire you personally whether it’s an artist, science or history!
Sketching, doodling and admiring artwork. A great way to zone out and relax on your day off.
June
Workshops
Challenge your growth and learn something new by booking on to a workshop!
Whether it's a one off or a series, workshops are a great way to meet like minded people, develop new skills and learn more about yourself.
Through learning more about your likes and dislikes you will gain confidence, learn relaxation techniques and slowly fill your life with joyful memories.
July
Activities
This month is all about trying new activities, from mini golf to axe throwing, paddle boarding to wild swimming or how about gaming, hiking or rock climbing!!
It could be anything, perhaps its joining some friends on something you would normally say no to or taking yourself along to something you're keen to try.
Pushing yourself to try something outside of your comfort zone will feel so rewarding, you might learn something about yourself, you might meet some new like minded people
and you might just enjoy yourself.
September
Go Outdoors
September's challenge is all about exploring the outdoors!
I can't comment on other countries but here in the UK we can experience a range of weather just in one day meaning we are always caught out and never prepared.
As the summer ends and the days get shorter we often feel a shift in mood; the natural want to hibernate taking over, which is absolutely fine but a lack of desire to do anything mixed with a lack of vitamin D can really leave you feeling depressed.
So this month we are going to embrace the weather and pack a picnic, grab a raincoat...and your suncream and be ready for anything that comes your way.
Let's go adventuring!
November
Review & Planning
I don't know about you but I tend to find the end of the year can be triggering, all that reflection of the past year and what you have...and haven't achieved!
We tend to focus more on those things that we haven't managed to complete or perhaps haven't even started.
So for this months challenge I am asking you to sit down and reflect now in an attempt to avoid those New Year blues.
Why not spend a bit of time reflecting;
- how has your year gone?
- What did you achieve, have you celebrated those wins, no matter how small?
- What didn't you get around to?
- What stopped you from doing something?
Could you challenge yourself to get it done before the end of the year? Or perhaps you could better plan for the year ahead to make sure you tick off some of your goals.
Can you start to plan in dates and goals now for the following year to help you feel excited for 2026?
Don't forget these can be fun goals too!
August
Personal Challenges
August is all about challenging those unique barriers, something that you personally hate or avoid doing!
It could be a certain social situation or perhaps something more specific such as public speaking.
Absolutely make yourself an exit strategy, break it down and put boundaries in to place to keep you from being overwhelmed;
- you could set a time limit to leave an event, having already stated a time you need to leave by
- plan gaps in to a speech to let yourself catch up or just start by interacting more in a meeting.
Whatever it is for you, break it down in to steps.
Try not to over think and worry, if you are maybe break down what it is that's upsetting you?
Can you edit something or try something smaller?
"A small step is better than no step at all!"
October
Lean in to the Season
October’s challenge is to lean in to the season!
Celebrating everything that’s great about autumn!
It’s easy to ignore seasonal changes and celebrations & instead see the negatives, letting life pass us by without noticing the changes. Especially at this time of the year when evenings are darker and the temperature is dropping.
So your challenge is to fully embrace the changes!
Go pick the perfect pumpkin, make some decorations & get/make a fun costume, even if you have nowhere to go (why not do a creepy photoshoot or invite someone around to watch a seasonal classic with themed food.
See your mood lift out of the rainy puddles!
December
Social Event
I hope that you have been following these challenges monthly and that your confidence has started to grow, perhaps not loads but at least a little and now its time to celebrate those achievements no matter how big or small.
December is all about celebrating, getting together with others to enjoy the season!So our challenge is to organise a social event!
Don't panic, it doesn't have to be a big thing unless thats what you want to do...it could be arranging to go to a Christmas market with a friend, meeting for a few drinks with people you've met recently or perhaps it's a seasonal hot chocolate with a family member?
If you feel ready to organise a bigger event or holiday get-together thats great, just make sure you remember to set some boundaries if you need to, for example:
- an end time
- a budget for the evening or state how the bill will be split up front
- perhaps you want to make an invitation (Canva is a great app for making things like this)
- stating all the information to limit the stress of catering for the wants of lots of other people or maybe its stating that its a bring-your-own style buffet to limit the stress of cooking a meal
Whatever you need to support you to be able to enjoy the process and feel less stressed or anxious.
Happy New Year Explorers!
We have an Anxious Explorers online chat as part of our Online Studios over on Patreon, why not share your journey and help motivate each other. You could be the inspiration that some one else needs!
