# Play It Away: A Workaholic’s Cure for Anxiety Book Summary

- Tea Maksoud
- Productivity
- April 25, 2022

Does any of this sound familiar to you?

1. Rapid heartbeat
2. Trouble sleeping at night
3. Feeling nervous, restless or tense
4. Constantly worried about something
5. Or maybe you are simply unhappy with life

If so, then you may have a form of anxiety.

Don’t worry - we all get it from time to time. But few know how to handle it.

Today, I’m going to show you step-by-step how to cure your anxiety and to start feeling alive again.

Let’s get to it!

## Step 1: Remove Daily Stressors

Do this RIGHT NOW. Remove the following:

- News
- Social media
- Caffeine (coffee, pre-workouts, etc.)
  - Pro tip: You’ll feel a withdrawal effect. To counter it, walk for 15 minutes in the sun every morning and/or take cold showers.
- Anything else that stressors you out

Once you’ve done that, over the NEXT TWO WEEKS, remove the following:

- Bad relationships. Remove anyone (including blood-related) that you don’t feel comfortable or happy around.

If you’re having difficulty removing something, then use this fail-proof accountability system:

1. Create a log to track progress
2. Find someone to do it with (or check-in with)
3. Set a penalty for missing

Don’t move onto the next step until you’ve done this step!

Once you’ve removed negative stressors, it’s time to replace it with something fun…

## Step 2: Play More

You are what you consume.

If you watch scary, sad movies then you’ll feel sad. The opposite is true.

That said, do this RIGHT NOW. Replace the following:

- Depressing, profanity-filled songs with uplifting music
- Sad, scary, drama movies with funny & happy movies
- Alcohol with low-calorie beverage
- Porn and games with social activities

The goal here is to replace negative thoughts/inputs with positive ones.

In addition to that, you need to start playing with others (preferably face-to-face and physically demanding). Here’s how to find activities:

- Volunteer
- Consult friends
- Airbnb Experiences
- List of activities in your city
- Refer to book’s recommendations
- Yelp.com “co-ed sports” or “improv comedy”

Aim to do one new activity every week. Do this for two weeks before proceeding to the next step.

## Step 3: Vent Stress

Most people binge on food, alcohol and TV to combat stress.

The problem with that? First, it doesn’t fix the underlying issue. Second, it makes you feel worse on the long run.

Instead, try these methods:

- Feeling angry? Run outside, box, scream into a pillow — anything physically demanding.
- Feeling sad? Call a friend, go to a social event, leave the house — anything that gets your mind off of it.
- Feeling worried? Journal, use the Responsibility Transfer Technique, talk to a friend.

To ensure stress is at bay, apply these 3 tips daily:

- Workout. Weight lifting will not only make you look and feel good, but it’ll combat stress.
- Sleep. You need at least 7+ hours of high quality sleep every night. No caffeine after 12pm, leave your phone outside of the bedroom, and sleep/wake at the same time every day.
- Remove social media and news. These platforms do nothing but induce stress.

By now, your anxiety should’ve been cured. If not, then repeat steps 1-3. If it has and you want some extra steps, proceed to the next step…

## Step 4: Optimize Your Lifestyle

- Feeling tired in the morning? Take a 5 minute cold shower and walk outside in the sun for 15 minutes.
- Thinking too much? Meditate every day for 10-30 minutes.
- Feeling lazy? Declutter your home and workspace, get an accountability partner, and work outside (ex: café, library, etc.).
- Still feeling like shit? Change your diet. Replace white carbs with complex (legumes), cut sugary and processed foods, and do intermittent fasting.