Mindfulness Mode

Anxiety is my topic today and I have entitled the episode, Squash Anxiety. Anxiety is a huge topic; it's even more of an issue than it used to be. I think with COVID, the world situation, and all the challenges we've been dealing with for the last few months, anxiety is on the rise. When it comes to anxiety, it's important to monitor ourselves and notice whether or not we're feeling more anxiety. If so, what can we do about it?

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Anxiety Defined

Anxiety is our body's normal reaction to stress. When we're presented with danger or potential danger, our bodies respond to that stress. That is similar to how our body responds to fear. Fear is the body's response to a real or perceived imminent threat and anxiety is our body and our mind anticipating that future threat. So in knowing that, you need to think about whether this is an actual threat or simply a perceived threat? There is a big difference.
So, the first thing to ask yourself is this;  am I safe in this particular moment in time? In this particular instant, am I okay? If you can answer yes to that. Then hopefully you will feel a certain amount of relief right then and there.

You may be able to identify what the perceived imminent threat is that you're experiencing. If so, you can go about, in a very rational way, assessing that situation. What are my possible choices? What can I do and how many of the thoughts that I'm thinking are actually irrational?

Your mind will assume that many of these perceived threats are actually more serious than they truly are. And that in itself can lead us to be more anxious than we really need to be. The truth is, we all experience anxiety. Knowing that we can think of practical ways to deal with that anxiety. Just the fact that you're listening to this podcast on the topic of mindfulness tells me that you suspect or maybe you know that mindfulness is a way that you can deal with this issue.

How Can We Squash Anxiety?

Research shows that approximately 19% of adults in the United States struggle with anxiety every second single day. However, the research is not telling us how many people have dealt with anxiety by using meditation or mindfulness. By using mindfulness strategies, you can actually become stronger and more capable of leading a happy, successful life that does not include overwhelming anxiety. Certain situations in life are probably going to cause you to feel anxiety no matter what you do. If you're waiting for results from a doctor, driving in terrible weather, or starting a new job, any of these kinds of situations will certainly cause most of us to feel anxiety. That is a completely normal reaction to those types of events, and your emotions are working the way they are intended to operate. Meditation, exercise, hobbies, changing life circumstances, and spending more time in nature can help lessen anxiety.

Suggested Resources

• Book: One Belief Away by Tim Shurr
• Book: The Book of Awakening: Have the Life You Want by Being Present to the Life You Have by Mark Nepo

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