Anxiety is Not the Only Response Available to Us
Anxiety is a valid human response to all that is unfolding in these times yet it's not the only response available to us, and how I show up in this moment is very often how I show up in the next.
I can easily dip into patterns of anxiety. I practiced it long enough to know the slippery landscape very well. It can ripple out and infect every aspect of my life if I were to allow it to. Anxiety drains me of life energy, it grips my precious attention, and pulls the rug out from under my intentions. This is not where I want to put my energy. And what is being called for in these challenging times is greater clarity and discernment rather than anxiety and overwhelm. So, the moment I notice myself stepping into the sticky bogs of anxiety, I S.T.O.P.
“S.T.O.P” does not mean necessarily to stop what you are doing since that is not always possible considering the sheer complexity of our modern lives in these times. The practice is: S:Stop (bring your awareness to your experience), T:Take a Breath (become aware of the sensation of your breath), O:Observe (notice what’s here for you with curiosity and openness), and P:Proceed (carry on with greater awareness and self-knowledge). It is a simple (yet radical) act of self-care-to pause, anchor our awareness in the sensation of our breath, observe and acknowledge our human experience as it is, and then consciously choose to reconnect to our intentions for how we want to move into the world and what we want to bring to the table especially at this time when so much is at stake and clarity and discernment are essential as we navigate the storms ahead.
Photo by Grace Weber
