Here it is, a beautiful Saturday afternoon and I have an anxious feeling in the pit of my stomach.
There is no upcoming event that has me worried. At least nothing I’m aware of. I’ve been very productive today. I had a nice morning and I’m getting ready to head out for some errands and shopping. I’ll stop back home to walk the dog then head out for dinner to watch the game.
Our feelings come from our beliefs. Anxiety is not welling up from nothing, it is a mixture of events (remembered past, sensing present and imagined future) and my beliefs. Based on my beliefs, how I view events causes the anxiety I feel.
There is nothing in my present that could possibly cause anxiety. No lion is circling me ready to pounce. I am currently sitting on my couch looking out at my sunny backyard with my faithful little dog resting comfortably. I’m listening to pleasant music and typing away on my computer. By any measure, this is as stress free as life gets.
So, how do I address this feeling of anxiety.
I’m not going to look for the source. In the past I used to search through my memory and imagination for a possible culprit. I still could, but to what end? I would hold up some reason and say, “Here it is. I caught it!” But then what? It’s all in my head regardless of what I find. Let me focus on where I am now and explore my thoughts to allow this beautiful day to get on with its being.
I’m going to sit quietly with my eyes closed and think about where I am right now and focus on my safety.
Wow, how fun and relaxing. I spent about 15 minutes and I feel totally different.
Before I tell you what I did, let me make a big disclaimer about techniques. Techniques work because we believe they work. What works for me may work for you if you believe it will. There are no magic techniques. It is always the same at the core, if your beliefs align with your desires, you can do anything.
This is what I did. I sat very comfortably on my couch. I turned off the music so I could just listen to me. I closed my eyes and in my mind walked though each part of my body and remembered how safe and strong each part is.
I talked to my toes, then my feet, then my ankles, and went right up my entire body. I acknowledged each part and talked to them as if they were alive and able to converse with me. As I talked to them I asked if they felt comfortabe and safe. I thanked them for the work they do to help me walk or carry or lift. I took special time with my hips and shoulders because I know they’ve taken on much of my stress. They’ve held it for me until I was ready to let go. They’ve done an excellent job and I recognized them for their work and acknowledge they will be doing less going forward.
When I got to my head, I talked to my eyes and thanked them for keeping a lookout when I needed it and reminded them how safe I am right now sitting on my couch in my house. I did the same for my ears and nose and mouth. I thanked each of them for staying alert when I needed them to and now they didn’t need to as I was safe. I live in a safe world and they could relax and enjoy this safe world we’ve created.
Finally, I spent a few minutes talking to my ego-self and thanked it for all it does and for supporting me in creating such a wonderfully safe place to live.
I opened my eyes and felt great.
