Anxiety is no joke! It can be debilitating. It can make you feel like you’re losing your mind. It can feel like you can’t hold your atoms together any longer and you’re about to burst into 10 billion pieces and just evaporate. 

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I’ve been there. Many times. It happens when I have uncontrolled thoughts in the form of worry about things I can’t control, or intense worry about the future. I’ve had times of irrational, free-floating anxiety that my mind works to attach to something… to give myself something specific to worry about or explain my anxiety. Anxiety can be very powerful. It can take over your life and SHUT. YOU. DOWN. 

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There are several things I do to reduce the unbearableness of these feelings when anxiety rears its ugly head, which you can easily implement today.

Tip #1: Visualization

I use the power of Visualization to create a feeling of ease through gentle movement. My go-to is to imagine myself like a weeping willow tree, its branches swaying easily in the breeze of my mental anxiety storm. I see myself as firmly rooted in the ground, with a strong trunk, but with completely flexible branches. I imaging myself standing strong, fluid and flowing. Time, thoughts and breezes flow right through me.

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Tip #2: Balance Breathing

I also use Balance Breathing (diaphragmatic breathing) to shift my autonomic nervous system (ANS) from the heightened (sympathetic) state it’s in, to neutral, balanced coherence. To do this, I sit or stand, and breathe in and out for the same duration, counting as I breathe deeply. As I continue to match my breath for several minutes, my ANS slowly regulates and the anxiety passes. The breath is so powerful. 

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Tip #3: Mindfulness Meditation

I also practice Mindfulness through Meditation. By focusing on each breath in, and out, not following my thoughts or investing in the energy they generate, but just noticing when my mind strays from awareness of the breath, and simply returning awareness back to the breath, the ANS has a chance to return to normal coherence.  I may spend 10-15 minutes on mindfulness meditation to ease the symptoms of anxiety.

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There are many natural ways to reduce or eliminate anxiety. One of the biggest keys is practicing self-compassion and trust. Be gentle in your thoughts toward yourself and trust that the anxiety will pass. 

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Is anxiety wreaking havoc in your life? I can help you with that. Give me a shout. Let’s work on it together and get you free from anxiety’s hold on you.

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