Do you expect the unexpected?
When things are going well, we hope that we’re in for a stretch of great experiences and good feelings.
And bam – we get some negative news. We can deal with that one piece. Then there’s another incident that we had no control over and another where something went wrong.
Even in our world filled with uncertainty, you might wonder does the universe have it in for me?
I was working with a client this week. She was experiencing a rising tide of anxiousness, as things that could go wrong went wrong.
Even though you may be feeling the anxiousness in your body, so often it’s because the worry is in your mind. There’s a split between your body and heart, and your mind.
It’s as though you’re a walking head and you don’t even notice the rest of your human form. Your mind is making all of the decisions. You’ve forgotten that you have a body and a heart. And your body and heart, can be very helpful to find more positive responses and stop the anxious monster and worry wart in its tracks.
How to reduce anxiety and deal with the unexpected.
If anxiety wants to take over, here’s some suggestions to access your heart and body. Then you can reclaim your confident self and deal with the unexpected situation.
1. Find a quiet space and take some slow, deep, long breaths in and out.
2. Set up a timer for say 3 to 6 minutes and let your worry wart carry on. Vocalize her concerns. You might even want to write some of them down. Make sure to include the worst case scenario and lots of what if’s.
3. When the timer goes off, stand up and release the worry wart by shaking your hands, arms and body. Feel your feet on the ground.
4. Take some deep breaths in and out, and allow your breath to travel from your head to your feet. Slow your breathing down by counting to 5 in and 5 on your outbreath.
5. Now imagine that you’re then breathing in and out from your heart. Connecting to your heart is key.
6. Take out a piece of white paper and a colored marker. For 2 minutes, allow the marker to lead you while drawing on the page. You’re doodling while thinking about connecting your heart and body with your mind. This step is important as it helps your unconscious self integrate new possibilities.
I’d love to hear about your experience. And if you’d like some help, let me know.