Feeling Anxious? (Episode 171)

We don't eliminate all that makes us anxious; we look for tools to help us navigate whatever comes our way.

If you are batting anxiety and/or feeling more anxious these days, try these tips below. They will help you bring your mind out of the swirl of anxious thoughts and back into the present moment.

The world is happening, regardless

Recognize this is a process, and the world doesn't go on pause while you sort it all out. So give yourself grace - this isn't an instantaneous process to go from feeling anxious to a life of ease. When you are moving through an area you're stuck in, you oftentimes address mindset, and learn a new language at a new level of understanding for your soul. You open up your mind a little more every time you acknowledge what power and control you DO have. 

Think about learning a new language - it's not just the words - you have to understand the grammar, the slang, the culture, the environment...there are so many inticracies to the process. The path to self-awareness is a lifelong journey with new levels of language in each awakening moment. The end of the journey in this world is death, so what language is getting you into the present moment? Is it time to learn a new way to speak and think for yourself?

5-4-3-2-1 Gratitude

I love this concept that engages all the senses. 

Take a deep breath, a belly breath, and hold for 5 seconds, and then exhale.

Then Name/Acknowledge each of these out loud:

• 5 things you can see -What delights you to look at? Is it a flower, a photo, or seeing beyond your eyeballs...seeing love, happiness?
• 4 things you can feel - Maybe it's the warm cozy sweatshirt or the wind blowing - what feels good to you?
• 3 things you can hear - what is music to your ears? It it literally music? Is it recognizing and appreciating what you DON'T hear - and enjoying the silence?
• 2 things you can smell - don't sit smelling kitty litter and expect your mood to be peaceful. What smells calm and soothe you?
• 1 thing you can taste - simple pleasures. Maybe you have some Dove chocolates for a little chocolate fix. Or it's a simple glass of water that tastes oh so refreshing. 

Deep Breathing Techniques

When you are feeling anxious, oftentimes we aren't breathing in a healthy way - we may hold our breath, or take shallow ones. Switch it up and really focus on your breathing - do it purposefully from your diaphragm: 

Inhale for 6, exhale for 10 through pursed lips - Repeat 6-10 times. This will activate your vagus nerve/parasympathetic system which will bring calm and you back to the present moment.

Check out the Wim Hoff Method - we love it and do the app as a family - and with that deep breathing not only can our kids use this to reset at any point, we can all hold our breath for well over a minute! 

Play Both Sides of the "What If" game

Anxiety can bring up all kinds of negatives, and we can fixate on it to the point that it becomes a full-blown reality and fear has overtaken us.

If you're going to speculate, two things. Number one, don't speculate on what is out of your control - it does you NO good to think about what another person may or may not say or think - that's out of your control. But you can play out what YOU may or may not say or think. 

Second, if your mind is going to "go there" with the negative, then you are just as capable of going there with the positive. Don't just think, "what if it goes WRONG;" look at "what if it goes RIGHT!" Play both sides - if you're entertaining the negative, give the same respect to the positive. 

Occupy Your Mind With Truth

The Avett Brothers have a great song, Tell the Truth to Yourself... What is really your truth? What do you believe in? Spirituality is heavily rooted in faith - and we often lean to our spiritual side/religion in times of unknown...and we're finding security within something that has a foundational basis of trusting and believing what you don't know for sure. 

Think about your core values, your foundational beliefs that you believe in and hold. These are my truths:

We have so much we bring to the table that frames our perspective and approach in life. The more we can claim that which we are in control of - our own mind, our own actions - the better we all will be. And we will truly see how the uniqueness in each of us strengthens all of us. 

Namaste