How do I handle anxiety?
I think most of us suffer from anxiety from time to time.
Let me share how I handle it.
I practice centering prayer twice per day.
Twice per day, I let go of my anxiety and worry and give it to God.
I like to think God replaces my worry and anxiety with peace, calm, and unconditional love.
In the spur of anxiety, I also like to ground myself.
I notice the anxiety.
I say, there it is again.
I name it.
I create a little space between me and the anxiety.
I remind myself:
My feet are on the ground.
I am safe.
I have learned that it is important not to do battle with anxiety and create anxiety about the anxiety.
My job is to notice it.
I let it play in the background while I get on with my day and the tasks I need to perform.
Sometimes it naturally goes away on its own.
If my anxiety is very high, I will sometimes stop what I am doing and practice centering prayer. This can help bring the level of anxiety way down.
You can also take a walk.
Read a book.
Call a friend.
Watch a show.
Anything that gently takes your awareness away from the anxiety for a while.
Breathwork has also been very helpful for me.
My wise spiritual director shared a couple of breathing techniques with me.
The one that resonated with me was this:
Breathe in through my nose as long as is comfortable.
Hold my breath for 5–10 seconds.
Breathe out slowly through my mouth.
Repeat this cycle 3–5 times.
I noticed that my lower stomach was tight.
I was holding onto my stress and anxiety there.
This breathing practice quickly helped relax my lower stomach muscles.
I continue to practice breathing throughout the day.
I also noticed that my shoulders and shoulder blades were tight.
I was holding my shoulders up.
So I began to intentionally drop my shoulders when I sat or walked.
The tightness in this area began to go away.
Slow down.
Notice when you are anxious.
Notice where you hold your stress and anxiety in your body.
Do not fight it.
Notice it.
Ground yourself.
Breathe.
Give it to God.
Then gently get on with your day.
I hope this helps.
If you would like help building a simple practice of sitting quietly with God, my 30-day journey, Sit Quietly with God, will guide you one day at a time. Learn more here.
Let me know what you do when you are anxious.
Grateful you are here,
Rich