Anxiety can range from an underlying sense of unease to a full blown panic attack. When anxious feelings take over it becomes difficult to think clearly, make important decisions and enjoy daily life.
We’ve all experienced fearful moments, but when anxiousness becomes a regular companion, it’s time to face it, explore it and find healthy ways to reduce anxiety. One way is to practice being in the present moment.
As spiritual beings we can be in the past, present and future all at once, but our body can only be in the present moment. If we use our mind to live in the future, imagining what might or might not occur, this in itself creates anxiety for the body. If our future projections are fearful or filled with worry and concern, our body becomes extremely anxious. Even if we think of positive future events, if we don’t spend a majority of our time in the here and now, our bodies freak out a little bit (or a lot with some people), as though no one is home taking care of it.
When we are not centered within ourselves we can easily become ungrounded and vulnerable to outside influence. Yet when we move into the present moment we relax, fear releases from our body, and we know that right now, we are fine. As Eckhart says…
“Nothing ever happened in the past; it happened in the Now. Nothing will ever happen in the future; it will happen in the Now.”
For more information about being in the present moment, click Eckhart Tolle’s The Power of Now. And here are additional ways to reduce anxiety from Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen…
How to Reduce Anxiety in the Present Moment
Ask for help at work and home. Are you anxious because you’re overwhelmed with things to do? Stop telling yourself, “Asking for help means I’m weak, incapable, or a failure.” Instead, remember that research shows the more people working on a project, the better it is. Asking for help shows strength, not weakness. And, what goes around comes around! Soon, you’ll be able to offer your help to a colleague, friend, or family member who needs it.
Tell yourself you have enough time. Are you anxious because you’re behind schedule? This works for me when I feel rushed: instead of saying “I have to do this right now or everything will fall apart!” I take a deep breathe and tell myself that I have enough time. I will do as much as I can with the time I have, and everything will be fine.
Express your feelings of anxiety. If you’re uncomfortable with the vulnerability that comes with expressing your feelings to people, practice writing your feelings in a journal. Expressing your feelings can invite respect, communication, and mutual honesty. Your feelings have been experienced before by other people – perhaps even in the last few days!
“Most people treat the present moment as if it were an obstacle that they need to overcome,” says Eckhart Tolle. “Since the present moment is Life itself, it is an insane way to live.”
Anxiety is part of a healthy life. The sooner we learn to overcome fear and anxiety, the happier – and more sane – we’ll be.
Here are two other powerful techniques for releasing feelings of fear and anxiety. One is a letting go process called the The Sedona Method.
The other is a natural way of ending panic and anxiety called Panic Away.
If you have any thoughts or questions on reducing anxiety, please comment below…and, be sure to read Gini’s article about staying positive during difficult situations!
I’ve thought of a couple of other tips I’d like to add as well:
- recognize that anxiety is just a feeling of sensations moving through the body. As you sit with the knot in the stomache or the racing adrenaline you begin to see you are bigger than these feelings and sensations. What we resist persists so instead of trying to get away from them, do as Laurie suggests and get centered and breath slowly into them.
- Try Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)as a way to release anxiety. It involves tapping with the fingers on acupuncture points on the face an body. This releases blocked emotions, tensions etc. There are many websites and youtube videos online with information on how to do this – just do a search for it.
- Try the Sedona method for letting go of strong emotions. Search for their online site where they give sample excersizes to use – I’ve found it very helpful.
Hmmm…..I forgot to mention taking a deep breath and centering yourself when you’re trying to reduce anxiety. I don’t know what it is about slow deep breathing (though I know they’ve researched it so it’s not a mystery!), but it almost immediately makes you feel better, stronger, and more centered.
But my favorite tip is to tell myself that I have enough time, that everything WILL be okay. I find that reassuring.
.-= Laurie P-K´s last blog ..Relationship Breakup Help – How to Survive the Emotions After Breaking Up =-.