Meditations
Meditation: what a wonderful thing, and how perplexing to our busy Western minds. Try practicing with the Visualization, Activity and Body Cue from Anxiety Soothers and by all means pursue any form of meditation toward which you are drawn. Just 5 minutes a day of non-judgmental focus on something simple, such as breathing, can be restful and soothing for your entire system. Meditation helps you stay in the present moment rather than worrying about the future or fretting over the past. Its mental focus leads to diminished anxiety - but don't stress yourself about doing it "right". Relax, drop all "shoulds", and just be.
Consider your mind as an invisible set of muscles. The worry (and maybe the self-critical) muscle is well-developed: Rambo-esque. The centering or calming muscle is puny with disuse. With practice, you will build up the centering and calming muscle and thus gain skill at redirecting your mind away from frightening and worrying thoughts. The Rambo muscle will dwindle as you put your energy elsewhere.
This practice is key to reducing anxiety. Click through some of the links below and see if any of them help - when you are dealing with an emotion as formidable as anxiety, even the tiniest bit of relief is an indication of positive potential.
Consider your mind as an invisible set of muscles. The worry (and maybe the self-critical) muscle is well-developed: Rambo-esque. The centering or calming muscle is puny with disuse. With practice, you will build up the centering and calming muscle and thus gain skill at redirecting your mind away from frightening and worrying thoughts. The Rambo muscle will dwindle as you put your energy elsewhere.
This practice is key to reducing anxiety. Click through some of the links below and see if any of them help - when you are dealing with an emotion as formidable as anxiety, even the tiniest bit of relief is an indication of positive potential.
Set gentle goals for yourself as you work through these meditations and other resources like Anxiety Soothers so that 'performance pressure' does not become part of your stress. Consider practicing soothing exercises for five minutes when you are fairly calm so that they seem familiar when you really need them. Remember that gaining strength in the invisible realm of emotion is similar to shaping up at the gym: you will notice progress with practice and over time. Soon your anxiety will be reduced and contained - like water in a big bowl by the kitchen sink. Imagine emptying that bowl down the drain...